WA
A month of marron mayhem FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
The unseasonably cool conditions that persisted through spring resulted in trout being active throughout our South West, with some nice size trout coming out of a number of our waters. If these conditions continue then hopefully some good trout fishing will be available in January, which is normally a month that is better suited to redfin in this state. The Pemberton Trout Festival was a success with a large crowd turning up to enjoy the carnival
Silver perch are widespread throughout the South West. This one was caught in a small dam near Perth. a good number of silver perch free swimming near the surface. Trying to fish these locations may draw unwanted attention so tread with caution as (although not stated) I would imagine the local councils wouldn’t approve of fishing, as priority is given to bird wildlife in these areas. MARRON This is the month that this large freshwater crayfish becomes available, as a short season that normally runs from 8
A nice little brown from Harvey Dam. Unfortunately, this water is not fishing as well as previous years. Jesse Higginbottom is the happy angler though! however, redfin have been caught using a variety of methods. This dam is a reasonable marron water but unfortunately the ski
boats can muddy the water to the extent that visibility is an issue. Drakesbrook Weir A few trout have
Wellington Dam has fished well for redfin this year. Lachlan King landed this one while trolling with his dad. atmosphere on the banks of Big Brook Dam. Redfin have also been active with some of the better locations turning up
large specimens. AUSSIE NATIVES Not a lot of reports have come through recently, which is not to say these
iconic species are not being caught. I checked a few metro lakes out on a recent visit to Perth and was surprised to see
One of the many dams that are open to marron fishing in summer. As the sun sets, it’s time to place chicken pellet bait along the shore around 20m apart and then checking them throughout the night.
Australian bass are rarely caught in WA waters, however they are around if you know where to look. 118
JANUARY 2023
January to 8 February is imposed. Most of our irrigation dams and lots of our rivers throughout the South West are home to this tasty critter. You need a marron licence if you choose to participate in this great outdoor activity and strict rules apply, as well as heavy patrols through the short season. DAMS Waroona Dam Not much in the way of trout recently,
PREDICTED DAM LEVELS FOR SW WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 72% as of the end of November, which is well down from 81% as of the same time last year. Although they are down from last year, there is enough water to cater for anglers and irrigation needs throughout the hot summer conditions. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM
70% 87% 79% 85% 74% 83% 98%
