WA
West Coast
Need for speed is real KALBARRI
Stephen Wiseman
The start of February is the start of the demersal ban on fishing for the major part of the West Coast, a new idea by the minister to improve
fish stocks! And what a start to the ban we’ve had, with boat anglers around Kalbarri being greeted by the arrival of the rat pack slashing at anything in the water. Good-sized yellowfin tuna can be taken on lures anywhere out from the
North Cardinal at the river mouth. Just send the lures out behind the boat and go south, west or north to get stuck into these lovely speedsters. Most of the fish reported by local Rob while working on Reefwalker have been around the 30lb (15kg)
Wahoo are always a welcome catch.
Local angler Rob with a tuna caught on a local charter boat. throughout the day, and dropping baits and berley in a proven spot is the most effective way to maximise the success rate. Fishers have come up with all sorts of ingenious methods to get the berley out to the drop zone. Oannes Dropzone Mesh is favoured for dry pellets, where a dissolving bag is attached to the line. Other people using wet ingredients might use stockings or mesh fruit bags attached to the line. Guitarfish have seen a surge in numbers with the arrival of warmer waters. They are a massive and powerful fish, giving many anglers the fight
size. The fish have been so ferocious that anglers have had some mayhem mornings with multiple hook-ups causing quick lessons in macramé! The toothy brigade have arrived in numbers as well, with mackerel and wahoo smashing shallow diving lures trolled north of Frustration Rock, and again it was the local charter boat that was among the action. Double
and triple hook-ups have been causing onboard panic as reels squeal from the acceleration of wahoo racing off with their new toys. Decent fish have been boated, with the fish often left biting, so there are a few around for all. River action has been quiet, with only a few bream reported by local Brett, but he did say the crabs are improving and he managed to find a few
for a feed. Tailor and mulloway action has been quiet as well, but maybe it’s because everyone is out chasing the speeding teeth to the west, which is where I’m off to now! Remember to check your gear on board, because the DPI will and you don’t want to get cautioned or fined. Stay safe out there this month.
FISHING NEWS
New multilevel fishing platform
Some incredibly calm weather saw out the end of demersal season.
Schools of little jellybean bluefin have been widespread through the depths and are great fun on light gear.
of their life when an encounter happens. The other brutes terrorising the land-based fishers have been samsonfish. Small summer choppers have slowed in the past few months as larger fish have arrived in top breeding condition to release their eggs. Many local anglers have mentioned low tailor numbers in recent seasons compared to the past, so only keep what you need, limiting the catch rather catching the limit. It’s a great time to throw a few smaller baits off the beach for breadand-butter species, with a larger average size in the sand whiting and lots of herring as well.
The Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) placed fishing considerations at the fore of its ongoing construction of the Spoilbank Marina. Given the difference between the low and high tide mark in Port Hedland is frequently around 6m, PPA constructed two levels on a new fishing platform to allow anglers to wet a line during either the low or high tide mark, with wheelchair accessibility included. The PPA has also deployed six mangrove jack, cod and coral troutattracting reef balls, donated by Rio Tinto, under the smart-design jetty to further enhance fishing opportunities. Drawing on artificial reef expertise, Recfishwest assisted PPA in the configuration of the
six reef balls, to maximise the effectiveness of the modules. The pylons of the jetty themselves will help provide shelter and structure for the settlement of marine flora, algae, crustaceans and baitfish, further encouraging predators to congregate and move between the pylons and individual reef structures. Recfishwest has also advised PPA on deploying additional reef ball modules and other reef structures
parallel to the break wall on the inside of the marina. These other areas of habitat enhancement will help reduce overcrowding on the fishing jetty upon its completion, while also increasing catches of soughtafter species. The ongoing Spoilbank Marina construction is expected to be operational by late 2023, with final completion expected in early 2024. - RW
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