Karratha

DAMPIER/KARRATHA Troy Honey

During July in Karratha, we started to experience the rise in numbers of Spanish mackerel around the island shoals and further out amongst the ship anchorages off Dampier and Cape Lambert. Then came August and with it an explosion of reported captures of the barred speedsters.

Spanish mackerel are an exciting pelagic to catch. From the moment the reel starts to scream when the trolled lure is engulfed then the speed of the fish, which often includes an array of aerobatics, as it aims for its escape from both the angler and any sharks that are often hot on their heels, through to the mayhem that occurs when the gaff is brought out in an attempt to Spanish mackerel are in abundance right now in Karratha, here the author boated this solid example less than a 10 minute drive from the Dampier Yacht Club. non-cared for rusty trebles didn’t deliver. After many a conversation that you don’t need to worry about all that fancy stuff, I think my fishing Mate was starting to reconsider not only his lure choice but looking after his lures by washing them every time they are used and replacing the trebles with quality singles.

Spanish mackerel are an outstanding fish to serve up. Cut into steaks or fillets, both leave next to nothing on the carcass, and both are superb with a dash of salt and pepper seasoning, drizzled in oil and grilled on the barbie plate or pan fried in the kitchen. Cut into larger chunks, Spanish mackerel are spectacular in international dishes, such as Hungarian goulashes or if travelling with fillets. Possession limits are three mackies per person or 10kg of labelled fillets here in WA.

Heading further abroad from the islands in the Dampier Archipelago, the angling jewel of the northwest of Western Australia is with out a doubt the Monte Bello Islands. During the dry season of the Pilbara, the Monte Bello Islands are visited by many groups of boats, which are well set up to not only navigate the 120km journey from Dampier but also to be self sufficient for a few days of fishing and diving in one of the most pristine locations in the entire country. The islands offer an abundance of fish species target with the

size and above. They will strike slightly smaller lures around 180mm but the 200mm to 220mm with high quality single hooks – I swear by single hooks for better hook-up. We landed that fish and

The Monte Bello Islands never fail to produce, Ryan Doolan proved this was the case landing this coral trout on a jig with a P.E 3 jigging rod last month.

An unexpected dry season catch while jigging the shallows off Point Samson was this solid golden trevally caught by the author on a soft plastic with PE1 tackle. went on to land more, all from my lure, while the other trolled lures were getting the odd bump, the Spanish, Italian and Greek casseroles. It freezes well but ensure you cryovac and label it accordingly

bring the fish into the boat.

Spaniards are showing up everywhere at the moment, and on most days, less than 5 minutes from the boat ramps in Dampier. Usual haunts, such as Hammersley Shoal, Sailfish Reef, circle work around Bare and Roly rocks and south of Eaglehawk are all holding good numbers of the Spanish pelagic. There are even negative conversations over a beverage in Karratha right now where the mackies have been causing chaos at times with anglers chasing demersals on jigs, which are being smashed as they drop and retrieve and losing a lot of money in painted up metal.

Here in September, the mackies are hitting lures around the 200mm are definitely performing better. On a recent day we tested sizes in the same style and colour and the 200mm hooked up every time with zero strikes on a 160mm. The garfish are around the islands are in good size and numbers and replicating that in your lure choice will give you the best results, without fail.

On a previous day, I was invited out on a boat in a late afternoon session for a couple of hours of trolling and a bit of music and kicking back. We trolled not far from the yacht club in Dampier and in no time my reel was screaming with a large mackie at 130mm to the fork creating the drama. I was running a Gold Classic 200mm lure in 3m depth with the trebles replaced majority being the highest prized trophy fish on offer anywhere in the world.

Kicking off with trophy fish at the Montes, you can not go past the stunning red emperor or king of the table fish, the coral trout. If you are wanting to tick either of these fish off your bucket list, or more to the point, bag a few monster sized specimens, then dry season at the Montes is currently turning it on. It is here that you will find coral trout regularly over 70cm and red emperor over 10kg, both examples of which are hard work to find anywhere in Western Australia.

The Monte Bello Islands Marine Park covers more than 58,000 hectares of ocean and over 250 low-lying limestone islands and islets. There are endless islands you can visit, camp on, and explore and fish and dive on. Other species that can be found