Broome

Conquering Kimberley kingfish

BROOME Troy Honey

Kingfish in the Kimberley? Absolutely, but not the yellow tailed variety found in the cold southern waters of Australia. Here we are talking about black kingfish, more commonly known in species by many anglers throughout northern Australia. This species can be found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical waters, and in Australia they can be encountered near reefs and other structures from the mid-west in WA, around the north of the Australia and as far south as the central

Nathan and his mate had a ball while jigging Bottom Meats when a few big trevally decided they would take the bait.

Australia as cobia, Latin name Rachycentron canadum. Black kingfish are not a relative of the yellowtail kingfish, nor are they are relative of the closer looking suckerfish, as black kingfish lack the dorsal sucking disk. Cobia are a prized target coast of NSW. Around the Broome region, they are often caught by anglers fishing for demersals or even trolling for Spanish mackerel and billfish. Cobia have even been caught land-based in Broome, a recent catch was by an angler casting lures from Cable when he saw a manta ray. Knowing cobia are often lurking underneath, he successfully enticed a large one into taking his lure. Cobia are thought to hitch rides under manta rays along their migration route, so if you see one, it is always worth casting a lure.

Cobia are a hard fighting fish, they are often mistaken for sharks by anglers hooked up to them simply from the brute power and similar swimming style such as long runs at the same depth, versus trying to head for the bottom like we see from demersals. Cobia grow very fast, they can reach 50kg+ in as little as 11 years. Juveniles grow to more than 60cm in their first year, and fish a metre long are around three-years-old. Females mature in their second year when around 80-90cm, while male fish often mature in their first year.

The West Australian cobia population is a very healthy one with cobia being caught on a regular basis throughout the northwest of WA. Cobia are aggressive spawners, with female cobia producing an extravagant number of eggs. The average batch of cobia eggs is around 2.8 million eggs per spawning cycle, and the spawning frequency

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Although you will find a few macks around the schools of feeding birds and mack tuna, try not to limit yourself to just chasing these. Instead try straight lines working up and down over broken or rising ground and work a different depth on each line until you find them.

Daily temperatures in Karratha are now over 30ºC and with that the barramundi will start to come alive for what is looking to be another cracker season as there have been quite a few catches already. Amongst the barra being caught are the threadfin salmon and it is hard to describe how good the local population has become. Many anglers chasing an early season barra by either trolling or casting lures have been bagging 6-8 threadies a session and that has started to become quite the norm. Live baits and bought prawns are also working well and the one most consistent tactic for success for both the barra and threadies is fishing the low tide changes. If you are fishing by boat in the local creeks such as Airport and Nickol, gaining access at low tide through the entrance can be challenging and at times impossible. This also goes for launching and retrieving at the Karratha Back Beach boat ramp where you will need at least 2.5m of tide or even more for larger vessels.

To fish the low tide change in these and other local creeks it is best to do the ‘low tide lock in’. This is simply going in on the higher tide and exiting on the next higher tide. While you are in the creek and still have good water, search for deeper channels with structure or have feeder creeks entering nearby and stay around this area as the tide drops and then it is just you and the fish locked into the area for a couple of hours. Both nigh and day have been fishing well in this way, especially for the threadfin and it is only going to get better as the water temperature heats up.

So many options at this time of transition from dry to wet season in Karratha. October and November are exciting months on the fishing front as you can still catch a variety of demersals and pelagics and the creeks start to fire up. Most of the grey nomads are heading south already and camping areas such as 40 Mile and Cleaverville are starting to quiet down so no better time to pack the swag, fridge, boat, and fishing rods and come and explore some of the best fishing country in Australia.

Reds come in many forms and you would have a hot debate on your hands if you tried to argue against the eating quality of coral trout. A trophy by-catch Brad Barrett was all to happy to receive. was estimated to be around seven to eight days. That a lots of eggs per year, hence the fantastic population we are able to enjoy here in Western Australia.

Cobia is a great eating fish, the white flesh of cobia can be cooked in many ways. It can be eaten raw as sashimi or as ceviche. It is also tasty pan-fried, baked or steamed. Sear the skin on high heat on a BBQ or in a pan to crisp it up or bake fillets skin-side up in a hot oven. Cobia flesh will remain moist even when Nathan Southern caught this thumper of a cobia in Broome last month that measured 120cm, and enticed it to strike on a Vexed Bottom Meat Jig.

Black jewfish are known for their hard fighting capability and multiple runs. They can destroy the light gear of even the most prepared fishers. Nathan Southern wasn’t going to be one of those and he well and truly proved it in September when he boated this great jewie.

cooked with high heat. Cobia can also be cut into chunks and dropped into a soup or curry, which I do quite a lot, as the robust, meaty flesh won’t fall apart.

Fishing for cobia in Broome can be done in many ways but all of them require a good quality outfit to maximise your chances of landing them successfully. If trolling or bottom bouncing, it is recommended to use tackle in the PE3 to PE4 range. Both overheads and spinning reels are good if they are fitted with quality braid and a smooth drag. With that being said, there is nothing stopping you from using a lightweight jigging or even a flyfishing setup.

The fight will be challenging but a very enjoyable one, as long as there are not too many sharks around. Baits such as squid, octopus, prawns, and especially fresh crabs work well. Small crabs are one of the cobias preferred meals and they will come into the shallows on a regular basis to feed on the crabs as the large Broome tides work there way over bays and even into creeks. My most common catches are when I am retrieving a jig back from the bottom at speed and then get an almighty hit followed by a fast run. Colour and jig type are generally not as important as action. If you are jigging or retrieving then high speed works every time, they simply can’t resist the chase.

If you prefer sight casting either with a spinning outfit or fly fishing, when a fish is spotted, carefully approach the cobia as quietly as possible, until you get within easy casting distance. Cobia on the move can become boat-shy after being repeatedly bombarded by jigs and baits from dozens of boats, and the farther you can make an accurate cast the better chance you have of getting the fish to bite. Try to get your bait or lure within 1 metre of the fish, but not directly on top of it. If you cast too far away, either the cobia won’t see your offering, or won’t feel like chasing it. If you cast too close to the fish, or right on top of it, you will spook the fish, and once spooked cobia can become notoriously lock-jawed.

Once you have hooked and landed a cobia, one thing must be said about bringing them into the boat. If you are lucky enough to catch a very large cobia, be very wary of the damage they can do to you or your boat. If you are going to gaff the fish, try having the esky open and bring them straight overboard and into the esky. A large cobia can become uncontrollable and the last thing you want is an unexpected trip to the hospital. If all goes to plan, you are in for a treat with a great eating fish.

Another great fighting fish to catch at this time of year in Broome and keeping with the black theme is the black jewfish, or northern mulloway as they are sometimes referred too. Black jewfish are often caught alongside cobia, and they are mostly found in the deep holes that litter Roebuck Bay. Fish for jewies is at its best throughout the wet season so we will start to see plenty of these captures over coming months.

October in Broome, although not quite the wet season, certainly marks the start of the warmer days and night with higher humidity levels. We are already seeing the barramundi activity firing up with many barra of varying sizes being caught in the local Broome creeks as well as around the jetty, especially at night on the tides changes.

Threadfin salmon are being caught in Roebuck Bay as well as by land-based anglers at the entrance of Willie Creek. Among the threadies there are plenty of queenies and trevally being caught right around the Broome coast and this will start to increase significantly as we head further into the wet season.

Of the demersals species, bluebone are one that prefers the warmer waters, and it is over the next few months in Broome we will see many captures being reported from anglers fishing the rocky outcrops. One of the most common and easily accessed location to fish for bluebone in Broome is at the jetty. Using fresh caught rocks crabs on a 100lb+ handline is your best bet and always fish the hour or two either side of the high tide change. Fishing for bluebone is done during the day only. Bluebone reside in their goo bubble at night for protection and thus, do not feed.

Along with certain fish species that activity rises in warmer waters such as barra, queenies and bluebone, crocodile movement and feeding also does. Being very wary when fishing around Broome, Cape Leveque, and the Fitzroy River during wet season. Whether you are fishing land based or from a boat, the risk if a crocodile encounter is heightened considerably and while it is an enjoyable experience seeing crocodiles in the wild, they can put a negative end to your days fishing in an instant.