Metro

Winter patterns have begun

METRO

Jacob

Crispe As I write this the wet and cooler weather that I expected to come in June has arrived. What does will be a popular location as it is one of the deepest sections of the river.

Anglers prepared to fish at night will also be rewarded with some excellent yellowfin whiting fishing. They are on the hunt for the prawns that come out at night at this time of the year. Calm nights are best, fish 2-5ft of water using fresh prawns or bloodworms for bait.

Dabbing for prawns is another option on these calm

James Close taking it back to the old school flicking a Twisty in close and getting into some nice bread and butter species around his local rock walls. Gardies on lure are always a pleasant surprise. should always be taken when fishing in these types of conditions, but there are plenty of rewards for those that make the effort.

North Mole, South Mole, Rous Head and Cottesloe Groin are all great locations to chase a mulloway or a snapper or two.

However, the conditions don’t need to be rough for good fishing options on the rock walls, tailor are always an option. Fishing fresh baits in deeper water will improve your catches. I like using pre-rig set ups, it saves a lot of mucking around. Just tie them on, bait them up and you are ready to go fishing.

Calm days are also great to try and catch a squid or two. They prefer clean water, so that is the key to targeting them. Squid numbers are slightly less during the cooler months, but they make up for in quality. It is definitely our big squid time of the year.

this do? The freshwater concentrates the bait and predators towards the mouth of the system and a few more layers of clothing are required for anglers who want to go out and find them. One thing for certain is that the fish are still there. SWAN RIVER

If you are fishing the river it will pay to focus your efforts in the lower reaches of it. Although still a large area, try anywhere between East Fremantle and Applecross. Any section that has deeper water, which the fish can get down out of the freshwater layer on the surface, will most likely hold fish. Species like bream, flathead and the odd tailor will be the main target species. Blackwall Reach John Wratten is one happy man landing this solid dhufish in 45m of water using a Vexed Bottom Meat.

nights or even snorkelling slightly deeper water. Early reports are that the prawns being caught are a good size this year.

Mulloway have become a true stalwart of the Swan. More and more anglers are targeting them and having plenty of success. Most are fishing baits in the area between the E-Sheds and the Narrows Bridge, however more and more are starting to use soft plastics to target them. Plenty are starting to unlock the secret of doing this successfully. ROCK WALLS

AND BEACHES

The winter storms are a blessing in disguise for keen rock wall anglers. The swell and waves that these weather events create their own burley trail of food broken from the walls and the areas around them, attracting mulloway and pink snapper closer to the shoreline. Care

Fishing our beaches can be a little tougher through the cooler months. As mentioned last month, a little preparation goes a long way to improving your success. Sourcing fresh baits before heading out and taking the time to find the best drain on the beach you are fishing, will ensure you are less likely to go home with nothing.

Mulloway and sharks are your likely targets, with the occasional snapper as by-catch. Drone fishing anglers have been doing well on the snapper from our beaches recently.

Areas to try will be Swanbourne, Floriet Drain, Mullaloo and Port Beach. Don’t forget a berley bag, this can really improve your fishing. INSHORE

Our inshore fishing will really be focused around an early or late start to your fishing. Dusk and dawn are the prime time to pick up a snapper. A high tide that coincides with either will only improve your chances.

A good burley trail is an absolute must and fresh baits wherever possible. A good starting point to target them will be 5 Fathom Bank. Mulloway are often a by-catch when targeting snapper. They are always a welcome addition to the esky.

Early mornings for many means targeting squid. It means fresh baits to go fishing with and some entrée when you get home. Broken

ground in 4-8m of water will be best. They may be a little harder to find than they have been as it is definitely quality rather than quantity during the cooler months.

Drifting the edges of the shipping channel will

Madeline with a solid mullet, she says they go hard on the light gear.

Some squid caught by the legend Hools Orifici on a cold early morning raid. Hools is convinced that in this cold weather the squid are getting bigger.