Metro
Making ‘shore’ you find fish METRO/COCKBURN SOUND
Kurt Blanksby
We are all creatures of habit and when it comes to fishing, this can be a real hindrance at times. We will often go to the same spots, fish for the same species and use the same rigs, whether we catch something or not. Boat anglers suffer the same
To the north of Perth I will start with the Moore River at Guilderton, as it is about the limit of what I consider ‘local’ for many of us living in the metro area. Beach fishing is best early morning at the crack of dawn or late afternoon, and in the evening if the sea breeze is not too strong. Tailor, mulloway, sharks of various sizes, sand and yellowfin whiting, herring,
and this allows you to fish from broken reef-lined beaches or rock groynes for tailor or something bigger. Herring and whiting are also on offer during the daylight hours, and there are some decent silver bream living along the rock walls. Yanchep just a bit south boasts some excellent flat top reef fishing for tailor when the swells and wind allow, and big yellowfin
Moore River is just an hour north of the city, which offers excellent beach and river fishing for local anglers. fate, but will often move more often if the results are not good early on, but from the shore anglers, we are usually more reluctant to move. This is a hot time of year and the advantage over the cooler months is the wide range of species actually available up and down the Perth Metro coast, so to mix things up a bit, try heading to a different spot and see what you can catch. This issue I will run down the coast and list what I consider your main target species and when to pursue them, and all of these spots are well known and all will produce good fishing at certain times.
flathead and silver bream are all possibilities in February. The river itself holds a good population of black bream that can be caught on bait or lures from the shore or in a kayak or small boat. South of here is Wilbinga, and access is through several tracks leading off Indian Ocean Drive, and a bit of sand driving experience is a must for this area. Once at the beach you will find a combination of shore, reef and sand stretches that produce some really good fishing from the shore. Big tailor, mulloway, sharks and sand whiting are the most common species that turn up. Two Rocks is next heading south from Wilbinga,
whiting and herring also turn up from inside the natural lagoon. Mindarie is another great rock wall to fish large baits, especially at night for tailor, mulloway and occasional samsonfish. Beach fishing takes over at City Beach and down to Swanbourne where late afternoon sessions will usually result in a few tailor from the surf. There are sand whiting and a few herring about during the daylight hours, but the number of people using the beach for swimming and sunbaking makes it very difficult to safely fish. Take note of any closed areas to recreational fishing for this reason when trying
your luck from these northern beaches. Next is Cottesloe Groyne, which is a great tailor spot in the evenings or early mornings, but note again fishing is only allowed to the south of the groyne to protect swimmers to the north and along the beach. North Mole is well known and favoured by Perth Metro anglers, as it provides a huge expanse of rock groyne to fish from and the range of species is the most impressive in Perth for a shore spot. At the tip where the Swan River flows in you stand the chance to pick up tailor, mulloway, pink snapper, sharks, mackerel (Spanish and shark) and bonito, while along its length you will also find silver bream, buff bream, sand and school whiting, herring and flathead. South Mole, which neighbours North Mole, is not as long but still provides some good summer fishing for tailor, bonito, herring, whiting, buff bream and squid. South Beach is known for its chopper tailor from the beach or small rock groyne, and it also has a reputation for producing big yellowfin whiting from the shallows along the beach. Coogee Marina allows fishing on the seaward (western side) and has the potential to turn on some good fishing for tailor and sharks at night. Bonito and
Spots like South Mole, Coogee, Woodmans Point and the public jetties in Cockburn Sound are prime spots to cast a squid jig around. swimmer crabs in summer, as this area is outside of the closed crabbing waters of Cockburn Sound. Woodmans Point provides three rock groynes to fish from, with the most southern one being the biggest. Tailor, rays and sharks with the occasional mulloway are all options after dark on larger baits, and during the daylight hours there can be herring, squid and whiting about.
and is often sheltered from the southwesterly winds that belt the coast in summer. The public jetties here provide some entertainment for herring, sand whiting, squid, flounder and flathead. Night time can produce a ray or even the occasional mulloway from the channel. Point Peron is a good spot to fish a few of the sheltered reef holes for herring, silver bream and lots of wrasse.
To the north of Perth along a sandy 4WD track, the beaches of Wilbinga provide some excellent surf and shore reef for tailor and mulloway.
Numbers of good beach tailor are available from many of the beaches to the north and south of Perth. 12
FEBRUARY 2019
the occasional Spanish mackerel are also not unheard of in summer. The next spot the Ammo Jetty just south of Coogee. It is a hot spot and the crowds will prove this, as it provides safe, deep water access for anglers to target many species. Like North Mole this spot produces just about everything from sharks, rays, mulloway, pink snapper, tailor, bonito, Spanish mackerel, herring, squid and whiting. Drop nets can net a few good blue
As you go south into Cockburn Sound along the industrial strip, you will find numerous access points to many sheltered beaches. Challenger Beach is the pick of these and runs from Alcoa refinery all the way south towards Kwinana. Good numbers of herring and sand whiting turn up along the shallows, and if a good sea breeze is in then chopper tailor can be caught from some sections. Rockingham is at the bottom of Cockburn Sound
From here we head south into Warnbro Sound, where the long curving beach turns on some good tailor sessions in the afternoons and evenings. Finally, Long Point gives sheltered northern access for tailor, whiting and small sharks. Instead of fishing the same old spots close to home, why not try somewhere else? All of these spots are well within reach and make you reassess what Perth has to offer a metro shorebased angler!