WA
North Coast
Land of fishing paradise DAMPIER/KARRATHA
Troy Honey
Fishing has been challenging throughout November in Karratha with the predictable winds
That being said, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy fishing by finding protected zones, such as creeks or behind islands or put the boat in for service and make the most of the incredible land-based fishing Karratha
angler has become unstuck in these salt pans while searching for the perfect mangrove jack or mud crab spot and the result can often be a written off 4WD and one very long walk in the extreme heat back to the
mackerel if you are keen to get the drone or balloons out. The aforementioned species are all very credible fish to target and they are all reasonably easy to not only find but catch as well. I sometimes must pinch myself to remember just how good the land-based fishing is here in Karratha. Well, here we are in December already and the temperature has been a tad cooler in the build up to wet season. This hasn’t stopped the predominate wet season fish from firing through with many good barra, bluebone and queenfish being caught from both land and shore
Fishing land-based with a brand new Shimano Vanford 5000 reel setup on an Azusa carbon rod and mullet live bait, Marni Alexander enjoyed plenty of good runs from this queenfish that went just over a metre in length.
On an epic day out in the Point Samson area, Coryn Bradley landed this fantastic 107cm threadfin. Among the day’s catches were plenty of good sized flathead, mangrove jack and her partner Ricky lost a monster barra well over a metre at the side of the boat. that haunt the region at this time every year not disappointing. Early mornings have been okay if you can get out and back in by lunchtime but anything after that you don’t want to be caught out on the water with afternoon onshore wind gusts exceeding 20 knots for the better part of the month. From page 120
Dampier Creek, all the way up to James Price Point. Try fishing James Price Point on the high tide change during spring tides by casting shallow diving lures or poppers to entice the larger queenfish that can be found here. Mud crabs can be a bit hit-and-miss, with the smaller browns the hardest to find. It will be a couple
showcases. The Karratha region has an abundance of creeks, rivers, bays, beaches, rocky outcrops and walls, everything you need is here, access is considerably easy for most spots although some of the best spots require navigation through salt pans that are well known too not be sympathetic to the inexperienced. Many an
main roads looking for help. When I think landbased fishing in Karratha, bluebone, mangrove jack, whiting, flathead, queenfish, barramundi and mud crab are the species I first think about. There are many more options such as trevally, coral trout, spangled and blueline emperor, Spanish flag, shark and even Spanish
of months before the numbers increase, but there are still a few big green mud crabs in Willie and Dampier creeks. Head right up the back of the creeks to drop your nets as this is where they are being caught. Land-based fishing in Broome is always best during the wet season. You can catch a range of species, from whiting along Cable Beach and Coconut Wells to big
bluebone, barra and GTs at the jetty. Try for bluebone on fresh-caught rock crabs during the day, and the barra and GTs at night. All three species are best to target on the high tide changes. Although it is the best time of year for Broome landbased fishers, it is also the riskiest, with the occurrence of crocodile sightings at its highest during the wet season. Please be vigilant at all times.
Brad O’Brien set the scene early for the Elite Automotive Barra comp by catching the first legal barra of 71cm only an hour into the tournament.
Karratha is a bluebone fisher’s heaven but catching the larger of the species from shore is not an easy task. The author has worked hard for years to master what is required to consistently land large tuskies from shore, such as this one caught in November on a large whole crab for bait. and the great threadfin run is continuing and can only be expected to improve as the temperature rises. Reports of barra are coming in mostly around the 70cm to 80cm mark but there have been reports of fish over a metre being surfaced, just not landed. If I am going to go land based fishing for any of the popular species, I will always work it around the spring tides and fish the low or the high tide change. When bluebone is the target, the new moon high tides always produce best and it’s game on as soon as the water rises over the oyster line on the rocks. For queenfish, the new moon low tide change is the best option. Fishing some of the creek’s land based on a full or new moon it can be challenging fishing the low tide in certain places as it often means trekking through the mud to get to the water, but if you can find those deeper holes up the creeks and fish them on a spring low tide, you should do extremely well. Whiting and flathead can be caught on both high and low
tides and barra and jacks are both best on the low tide. When fishing land based for threadfin, they will follow the water in across the flats as it rises over it, and they will fossick for crustaceans
have larger boats to handle the conditions have found a few solid red emperors. The majority of catches offshore have been coral trout, bluebone, blueline emperor and plenty of cobia. It will be another couple of months and the chinaman fish will start firing up in the waters between the 20 and 30 metre mark which are always a welcome fight on light gear. Plenty of sails are still being caught behind the islands with the odd marlin among them. Tuna schools are starting to build and a few good longtails have been caught by anglers chasing spanish mackerel in deeper waters. The spaniards have been hit and miss over the shoals with one day not sighting a single fish and the next day you barely get you lures set before your lines start peeling. Sharks have been very problematic to the spaniard fisherman on the days they are on the bite. My next few weekends are going to be all about mud crabs, flathead, threadfin, whiting and bluebone, all from land with the goal
Coryn Bradley’s 107cm threadfin caught while trolling a Knee Deep OG Bronze Back lure. along the way. Fish the last couple of hours before the high tide change for best results for threadies. There hasn’t been a lot of days in November that has allowed for boats to enjoy a day of fishing offshore with the relentless wind causing havoc. Those who have managed to get out either on one of the better days or
of setting some new PBs. I find it both challenging and peaceful when land based fishing in Karratha which has some of the most picturesque spots to wet a line but with the larger tides and climate changes, especially at this time of year, lining everything up to ensure a successful day is certainly challenging. DECEMBER 2021
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