WA
Cooler, more comfortable weather for trout Wellington Dam A couple of my mates fished this water when they were down there chasing marron in early February, and reported that the redfin
FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
The latter part of March can see some cooler days here in the West, which can result in increased activity around our dams closer to Perth. The trout find it more comfortable and venture closer to shore, where food can be more available. This is not the case in all years, as sometimes this doesn’t occur until well into April. We will have to wait and see how it will unfold this year. Judging by the reports coming through it seems the best activity has come from the Pemberton region compared to areas further north. Redfin have been caught throughout all the regions, with some good catches recorded by a number of anglers that put the time in, chasing these tasty species. AUSSIE NATIVES Not a lot of reports have filtered in, but that’s not to
This section of the Murray River just south of Perth normally has a reasonable flow. A recent fishing trip produced only a few small redfin in the deep pools using soft plastics and small spinners cast close to structure.
Marron can grow large in our dark, cool waters in southern WA. Fisheries WA impose tight restrictions with heavy fines for people caught doing the wrong thing. say there aren’t any fish being caught, just that most anglers are keeping tightlipped about the subject. I managed to venture out in my area and noticed a few silver perch free swimming in very shallow water. MARRON This season has seen 112 MARCH 2023
were very active. They managed to land around 30 in one afternoon using soft plastics on a drop-shot rig in 20m of water. Unfortunately, no trout were spotted that day,
some good catches from both dams and rivers, with the better waters being around Collie and the Pemberton region. The short season ended in early February, and it seems Fisheries WA are happy with the lack of non-compliance cases reported throughout the
fishery. Fisheries officers are still patrolling the waters looking for those few trying to take marron out of season, with heavy fines issued to those that do the wrong thing. DAMS Waroona Dam I paid a visit to this water recently and chose to flick a few plastics and hardbodied lures around the edge. The ski boats were very active, and after catching only a few small redfin, we decided to sit back and sample a few of the cold ales we had in the esky. It’s hoped that a few trout will show up when things cool off in late autumn. Drakesbrook Weir Jonah Chiera reports that a few good redfin are showing up, and even a trout or two are putting in an appearance on occasions. The best bet is to get out on the water via a kayak or small electric-powered boat and fish the deeper water closer to the wall. Dropping soft plastics to the bottom can be deadly, and slow trolling deep diving lures can also be a productive technique. Logue Brook Dam The ever-increasing number of ski boats and jet-skis on this water is alarming. I normally wait until late April or even May before I fish this water, as it can be dangerous throughout the warmer months. Harvey Dam This summer the fishing has been tough on this water as far as the trout fishing goes, with very little action experienced by those who chase them. I can confirm
that all the reports coming in have been by anglers who are extremely disappointed with this water. It seems that a lack of stocking of brood trout has been the main reason why. I will sit on the fence because I haven’t fished this water since 2021. On the other hand, the redfin fishing has been exceptional, with the average size being mainly in the 25-32cm range.
Logan Ohde was excited to see this large 32cm (tip to tail) marron on his bait. He caught it on his family trip to the southwest this marron season.
Murray cod are rarely caught in WA due to the lack of government stocking. Freshwater anglers keep tight-lipped about locations, and obtaining photos is only gained through trust. Young Hunter caught this little beauty fishing with his dad recently.
but other anglers have seen a few chasing their lures whilst they were spinning for redfin. Glen Mervyn Dam Some good redfin have been caught recently. This little water doesn’t get a lot of fishing pressure so there seems to be a few redfin around that have rarely seen a lure. Lake Kepwari This old coal mine just out of Collie holds some reasonable redfin at times. Not a lot of anglers fish this water as it’s out away from closer dams that fish more reliably. I fish it on occasions, and find the fish only sit at certain depths so it’s important to have a decent sounder if you want any success. Big Brook Dam This is by far the best water if you are chasing stillwater action. The fishing has been exceptionally good right up until the hot weather set in during mid-summer. Both browns and rainbow trout have been caught in numbers, no doubt due to the increased stocking by Fisheries WA. This little water should fire again later this month when the water temperatures start to drop.
