Bunbury

Surprise salmon assault

BUNBURY Whiteys Tackle and Camping

This has to be my favourite time of the year for a landbased assault. Whether you’re fishing the local beaches, the cut or inside the marina our famous Australian salmon can pop up out of nowhere and in huge schools.

I’ve spent many mornings and afternoons chasing the salmon up and down jetties, rock walls and beaches around Bunbury just to feel that screaming run on light gear. We don’t always have the opportunity to experience fishing land based locally.

If you’re fishing the jetties and rock walls I’d suggest a well balanced soft plastic around the 6” length This salmon was caught at Dunsborough on a minnow lure.

Lachlan Atkinson caught a beautiful pair of salmon off the beach.

as I find those areas to have more sharp drop offs or ledges. You will benefit from having your lure get close to the bottom, something a diving lure can’t always accomplish.

Whilst fishing the beaches I’ll take the heaviest metal slug or minnow profile hardbody lure that my rod will allow. Having that bit of extra weight with a well matched line can be the difference of 20m on your neighbour’s cast and ultimately first punt at the school of bruisers.

With no surprise, shark catches have escalated lately with the salmon running up the coast coaxing the toothy critters along with them. Plenty of tigers and bronzies have been taking the baits recently, particularly around Dalyellup beaches making for some exciting sports fishing. A slab of stingray has been the most popular bait otherwise the Mandurah mullet we have delivered weekly has been enticing them well.

Blue swimmer crabs are still on offer in the Leschenault estuary. If you’re happy to get your feet wet and spend a bit of time walking the flats you should be able to manage a feed. For you boaties out there, try dropping your nets on the edge of the sand bar drop-offs.

The Collie River has been fishing really well with reports of black bream over the 40cm mark. Fishing river prawns as bait rigged on a 1/0 baitholder hook with a small running ball sinker is a simple but effective way to target these fish. If lures are your thing then the Keitech plastics seem to be out fishing everything else!

Harvey Dam has been fishing well for redfin perch, look for rocky banks with plenty of structure as this is where the redfin hide out. The norm is generally spinners, but don’t discount soft plastics. I rig a slightly heavier jighead (around the 1/8oz) to ensure my plastic is getting down where the fish are.

Beach Fisho’s can expect to find good numbers of yellowfin whiting cruising the beaches. A simple running ball sinker down to a long shank hook with either bloodworm or sandworm as bait is proving to be most successful. A tip for chasing yellowfin whiting from the beach is not to cast too far! They normally sit in

From page 116 making the ocean scene fit only for kite surfers and wind surfers.

Some absolute monster samsonfish have been making life either great fun or an absolute nightmare depending on your prospective. Taking jigs, dead and live baits as well as soft plastics meant for other denizens of the deep they have been unexpectedly stretching arms and backs all over the place. Not renowned for their eating quality they are frequently written off as second rate. However, if treated correctly samsonfish are not bad eating at all. Spike, bleed and place on a saltwater/ ice slurry as soon as caught to make the most of them. They have a thick firm fillet that cooks up very well and are suitable for most types of fish meals. The fish in Augusta waters seem to be less affected by the parasite kudoa, which makes the flesh go mushy on cooking. Compared to warmer water this is a very small percentage. Just in case I always cook a small piece of fillet from each fish to make sure it is okay. This goes for kingfish as well which also occasionally suffer from the same parasite.

Dhufish numbers remain good with most boat trips resulting in a bag limit of the first rate eating fish. There are plenty in the low 50cm range and due to their poor survival upon release it is always best to keep the first size fish you land rather than trying to upgrade. Baits of whole squid, mulies and herring or mullet fillets on a bottom rig will always get enquiries from demersals. Vexed bottom meat jig/bait combinations outstrip just bait for hit rate and if you want to keep your hands clean then soft plastics are the way to go. Try any of the 6-7” paddle-tail lures in white, orange or lumo with an appropriately sized jig head to match the conditions as they seem to be the most effective. These will work for all the demersals who share the traits of being aggressive feeders with big mouths and an appetite to match.

Beach fishing has been really good and there are plenty of sharks around to make it almost a guarantee that you will score one if you put a few hours in with a big bait soaking. Try the beach north of Dead Finish for some great bronze whalers. Just look for the wide sand channel heading east west in the reef several hundred metres from the carpark. It is a natural passage for the sharks to use as they come in from the bay and run up or down the beach. It is not unusual to see a couple of 2m bronzies cruising along Luves with a decent dhufish.

the beach in an afternoon so you can imagine what it is like at night time. Early morning and early evening is the perfect time to sight cast a bait in front of a shark whereas night time is a case of cast it out and wait. Try keeping the bait off the bottom for less chance of a stingray spoiling the show. Rock fishing this time of the year is generally pretty safe with winds dropping off and seas calmer. It can be very productive in Augusta but it can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that the wash only 8-10ft from the shore line.

We are still getting good tailor reports from south of Buffalo Beach, these fish have not been in huge numbers but the size are certainly making up for it with most fish well over the 40cm mark. On those still nights when the wind is behaving I find it best to baitcast a mulie or scalie with little to no weight and use a very slow retrieve. • Call into the shop at 1/143 Grand Entrance, Australind for the latest fishing reports and what’s biting, or simply to have a yarn. Until next time, tight lines and screaming drags!

and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves. • Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town.