Augusta

AUGUSTA Anthony Gillam

Last month the recreational fishing scene in the West Coast zone of WA was in turmoil. The current Fisheries Minister is contemplating a 9-month ban for demersal recreational fishing over a massive section of the coastline stretching from Kalbarri about 600km north of Perth to Black Point around 300km south. now been reduced with the removal of restrictions.

With the possibility of hijacking this article to create a political statement, I will refrain from saying too much other than simply voicing my disagreement with the minister. We already have a 2-month ban on demersal fishing in place in this zone, and it is certainly required to ensure a healthy fishery, however, speaking specifically of the Augusta fishery, I have no doubt that it is in a healthy position when in a huge decline in tourist numbers and consequently have massive implications for small coastal towns such as Augusta that rely on the recreational fishing sector to survive.

Getting back to actual fishing, spring weather has arrived, and the associated clear skies brought people out of the woodwork like skinks soaking up the early season sun. With the change into spring, the fishing has continued to be strong in all sectors. provides an ambush position for them to lay in wait. There are hundreds of submerged trees and rocks lining the river banks and channels from Sues Bridge right through to the Colourpatch, and fish can be found around many of them.

Whether bank walking or using watercraft, it is possible to locate bream throughout the waterways without too much effort. The hard bit comes in when landing them, as they are experts at finding the sharpest snags in their territory. The main thing to remember is to fish an area over with a few casts and then if there is no action, move on and repeat.

When hooked up, keep the pressure on or you are destined to re-rig shortly after. While kayak fishing recently it was almost impossible to not locate a bream of worthwhile size. They have been taking small soft plastics and hardbodies, but have been especially aggressive toward river prawns drifted down to the bottom and then slowly wound past their haunt.

Surface stickbaits continue to be an absolute winner. They are dynamite on black bream, flathead, flounder and all species of whiting and herring.

Jetty fishing continues to be very good, especially early morning and late at night. There are plenty of whiting on the bottom, while herring and tailor haunt the top level.

This is what you want the esky to look like at the end of a fishing trip, and this is a common sight for the local dhufish whisperer Jason Morgan.

This is in response to the belief that although demersal species such as dhufish and pink snapper numbers are recovering, they are not recovering quick enough for the date of 2030 set 12 years ago. There seems to be no scientific evidence involved in this reasoning, and it doesn’t take into account the increased fishing activity that was created by the state government closing the borders for two years during the COVID emergency period. This pressure has compared to some other areas.

With large numbers of juvenile dhufish and pink snapper easily observable throughout our bays, a rational management plan needs to be in place, not a blanket ban on the 100 demersal species found throughout this massive section of coastline.

Having already imposed marine sanctuary areas throughout the West Zoast zone as well as the two month ban, the state government now wants to impose further restrictions. This will result

The Blackwood River continues to flow strongly out to sea via Hardy Inlet, with recent rainfall throughout the area ensuring the tanninstained waters are continually competing with the incoming salty tidal inflow. This has resulted in large changes to the system and poses a navigation risk to those not paying attention to the channel locations.

Several very large sand bars now appear at each low water. These are located from East Augusta through into the Dead Water, and this means that there are large areas of shallow water flats that will be perfect for surface fishing for yellowfin whiting. Boaties need to remain alert in these areas to prevent accidents, however.

Currently the King George whiting numbers in the Hardy Inlet and Dead Water are very high and with the average size having increased significantly in recent months, most fish landed are above the legal size. Not only are they well known for their edibility, but they also put up an excellent fight on light lines for their size. Their gut contents show they are currently feeding on small crustaceans such as crabs and glass shrimps, and therefore baits of river prawns are very successful.

Black bream numbers right throughout the system are also very good, and when not specifically targeted give the angler an unexpected run for their money. Good numbers of bream above 30cm can be found around any feature that

Lately there have been octopus and squid on the move as well, so it always pays to keep a jig ready to go.

When the lights are on at the Ellis Street Jetty, keep an eye on the lumps on the bottom between the shore and the western side of the jetty; recently there have been black bream lurking nearby waiting to pounce. As usual glass shrimps, river prawns and cockles are the go-to for most of the fish, while small metal slices work well for herring and tailor.

Boat fishing in Flinders and Hamelin bays remains productive and the latest weather has been very kind, with a couple of days each week that have been perfect for getting out into the deeper waters. Dhufish and pink snapper have made up most of the demersal catches, with the odd breaksea cod and bight redfish also joining the party.

Bait fishing has been pretty good, with whole squid and herring baits working very well. Soft plastics also produce good results, and hybrids like the Vexed Bottom Meat have continued to top the catches list.

Soft plastics have been decimated by horseshoe leatherjackets biting them to pieces, so if this is happening, drop a bait down to see if you can land a couple. They are delicious and despite people claiming they are difficult to process, they skin easily in a few seconds and are well worth the effort.

Beach fishing around the district has been good for herring, tarwhine as well as King George and sand whiting. Some nice fish have been caught from the sand at the northern end of Junes Beach, and the small beaches south of the marina and west of Elephant Rock. Mulie pieces and squid baits will score plenty of fish, along with shelled coral prawn pieces. Long strips of squid have worked well on the whiting and herring, especially.

Rock fishing has been the go lately, with the warming weather and lower swells making for safer fishing. With the breaking down of the winter seaweed banks due to the massive amount of maggots, it has created a natural berley, bringing fish from far and wide.

Herring, skippy and whiting have been amassing in the slick of wrigglers while on the bottom the leatherjackets are busily munching anything that comes their way. A good rig to use is an unweighted bait on a long shank hook, as this will prevent bite-offs by the guillotine-like teeth of the leather jackets if the bait makes it through the breadand-butter species.

Rock fishing is dangerous at times, and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock

This Flinders Bay dhufish was taken jet ski fishing by Blake Gillam on a 6” Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad with a Nitro Elevator jig head.

A typical Hardy Inlet mixed bag taken by the author while kayak fishing.

fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. • You can hire a life jacket 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. • The locations mentioned are all well-known and are marked on most vehicle GPS units, especially if they have HEMA maps or a list of locations can be obtained from the local tackle store, Augusta X-Treme Outdoor Sports.