Albany

                                                                            Albany

Breaksea Cod

Sargeant Baker

Packed and ready to go me and my fishing companion headed out at 5 am for some deep sea fishing we drove down to Albany marina and set out for king george sound and what a beautiful day it was for fishing. A bet had been made on this fishing expedition and I was pretty sure at the time it was going to be a challenging battle of the genders. Although my fishing companion had ...dare I say...more fishing experience than myself. I knew that in general I was pretty lucky and I did have a different fishing style, so maybe I could swindle a win in my favour :).  As we set out in search of a good fishing spot my companion noticed coral sprawls across the waters, but little did I realise at the time just how much this would effect our fishing. After a good 40 minute journey we finally anchored and got set up for some serious fishing. I moved quickly as I wanted to land the first fish there was no time to waste, we used pilchards for bait and some mullies, I dropped the line over as quick as I could and bang... first cast in and the lucky buggar had caught something, first fish for the day Break Sea Cod also known to many as a 'black arse cod' because there arses are black. These fish I must say are great eating, they make nice white fillets and go down well in a beer batter.
While he took the cod off the line I was quick to re bait and get my line out there but to no luck, the fish seemed to be nibbling at the bait but not really going for the bait. I couldn't understand it at the time I mean I didn't pack a banana with me so what was going on down there in desmersal lane! Then bang he got lucky again... another Break Sea Cod. It was Two to Nil... I knew at that moment the pressure was on and I had to pull up something or I would never live this fishing expedition down. Then it hit my line, the excitment set in and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins as I was reeling in my line... preying for a snapper, up it popped and fish slapped the boat. It was a Sargent Baker. At the time I didn't actually know what it was but the fish looked exotic and interesting, when my companion told me it was good bait fish my interest in this fish quickly diminished. But bait fish or not I was glad I had finally caught something :)
What I did learn about the Sargeant Baker is where theres a sargeant there normally are snapper and they are excellent bait fish for Dhewi fish and you can eat them, but they are not good eating fish, probably only good for fish stock or fish soup.
By the end of the day we decided to end the fishing expedition the winds had changed and the fish weren't biting. 3 Break Sea Cod and 1 Sargent Baker, I did indeed get my arse kicked! Since losing the bet I have come up with a few new ideas that I will have to try out next time. Yep I think I will have to call a rematch on this one!  But it was still an exciting day, I just enjoyed being out on the water doing what I enjoy doing the most....fishing!!  Hands covered in bait, the fresh sea breeze hitting my face and the warmth of the sun. Simply paradise  :)

Albany

Sting Ray at Middleton beach



 

Kalgan River

                                                                         
       
                          Trumpet                                                          Black Bream

Albany would have to be one of my favourite fishing locations and what a pearl of a place. Everything is close, convienient and the scenery is simply breath taking. On my first day there after a 4 hour drive from Perth I decided to have some rest and relaxation time, but the following day it was all about exploring the coastal sides and river banks for some hot spots. I took a drive to middleton beach where I spotted a massive sting ray feeding just off the rocks then I drove to Kalgan river and went down an old dirt road, the views along the river banks were spectacular there were so many good fishing spots to choose from. But after a good drive down the river banks I decided to park up and head off on foot. I followed a track to a beautiful fishing spot which I called the 'mouth' of the river. I decided to fish off the rocks, the location I chose had deep holes, there were submerged trees and weed beds which was a perfect location for bigger bream or mulloway because there was plenty of cover. I used size 1/0 hooks to begin with as I wanted to catch some bait fish and sure enough the first fish I caught for the day was a trumpet which I filleted and removed the skin to make it easier to place on the hook, nothing beats fresh bait. :) The bait I took with me was mullies and I also had some red meat which I had pre cut into small pieces, placed it in a container and added burley and fish oil to premarinate it. But I have also in the past used chicken leg meat which I have cut up into small pieces and added burley and soy sauce this also works a treat.
When I threw out my line I would not stick to one spot, I would throw it out across the river at varying depths to try and source where the bream were travelling. The burley I had marinated on the bait would entice them to come out from their hiding holes, plus it increased my chances of catching a big one :) 
I did catch a lot of bream but I decided to do catch and release as I was really hoping to catch a big mulloway, I did have another fishing rod pre-rigged in the hopes of catching a big mulloway I used size 4/0 hooks with about a 1m monotrace and a running bean, when I casted out the line I made sure the line was tight and just left it there for a good 10 minutes, when reeling in my line I did it very slowly, unfortunately I didn't catch a mulloway.... but I knew they were there. However I did have fun catching black bream, which are a big target for fishermen because they really like to put up a good fight on the line....lol Plus it is a nice, tasty, high quality fleshy fish. I personally would have to admit it's not my favourite fish to eat, I find that the bream caught in the river tend to be courser in flavour with a slight muddy after taste as opposed to the ones caught in coastal waters. The best way to cook bream is whole baked or pan fried. All up it was a fun filled action packed day. I broke a thong in the process and I even slipped and managed to fall in the drink....:) so my advice is if you end up going fishing there wear enclosed footwear, take your mossy repellent as the mosquitos are notorious there and enjoy the scenery because it truely is a beautiful place to fish.  
  

DAWESVILLE DINGHY FISHING

    

Tailor

On the weekend I headed down to Dawesville for a fun filled day of fishing with Grandpa. When I got there the Dinghy was packed and ready to go with prawn bait and mullies. Armed with my trusty old fishing rod and old weather resistent clothing I was ready for a fishing challenge. We were on the water by 4.30 winds were blowing south westly and it was a gorgeous hot sunny day. We did a bit of trowl fishing to begin with down the esturary and through the bridge but we didn't have much luck. So we decided to find a nice fishing spot and drop anchor. The visibility in the water was murky, for about 2 hours I was pulling blow fish like there was no tomorrow. After about 25 blow fish catches I had earned the title of Blow fish Queen in the Dinghy and I was beginning to wonder whether I was actually going to land one edible fish in Dawesville. Grandpa was becoming increasingly keen on the idea of throwing me overboard and making me swim to shore. 7.30 hit the sun was setting and we still hadn't caught one edible fish as I was telling grandpa that we might have to source a seafood place ...hint hint....fish n chips for dinner. Bang grandpa's line got slammed by something and it definately wasn't a blow fish this time. The tailor were in, it was night time by this time so I had to act quickly or I was going to loose my opportunity and my reputation. I re rigged my line. put on my head torch and used mullie as my bait. I casted off and slowly drew the line in. The blowies had completely dissappeared by this time and the bigger fish were out. The first tailor I lost off the line as I was pulling him in much to my dissapointment, but the next one I made sure, it landed in the Dinghy. It was an exciting, intense hour of bite after bite, we even had a few dolphins swim by the Dinghy. By 8.30 the tailor died off and so did the bites. We caught 13 tailor but had to release 6 because they were undersized. Grandpa caught the most tailor but I had the biggest tailor catch for the night so we were pretty much even square I reakon. I was just glad that we caught a good feed for the night.   :)   

buggar another blow fish!

Preston Beach

Bella Boo soaking up the sun

                                                             

Preston Beach

                                                                       

Mullet

                                                                            

Preston beach is a pearl of a fishing location, especially for catching shark. Unfortuately I was out of luck that day :( the best time to attempt to catch shark is around 12 o'clock as it's there feeding time or at nightime as thats when the bigger predators come out. I usually use mullet or scalies which are a small silver blue fish to try and catch shark. I did however manage to get a few big bites on my beach rod, so there was definately something big out there toying with my bait. The catch for the day was some monster sized herring and mullet, which are a great fishing bait for the bigger predators out there. I got there at 5 o'clock in the morning and spent a lovely, relaxing day fishing and enjoying the fresh sea breeze. The water was calm early in the morning so it provided a good opportunity to catch some Mullet. Mullet is a tricky one to catch, so make sure you keep the line tight when fishing. The best way to catch this fish is using small hooks with worms or bread which I usually pre prepare a few days before an outing, I get some slices of bread and leave it in the sun, don't forget to turn them over. I blend the stale bread in a blender and place it in a container to take with me. So before a cast I usually throw some bread mix out to attract the mullet and I place a small cubed bread on the hook. Personally I don't particularly like eating this fish as it has a strong distinct taste, this fish contains high omega 3 and is best eaten pan fried or grilled but I usually fillet and keep it for bait as they are bottom dwellers. But if your a mullet lover then the best way to improve the flavour of the fish is to make sure you remove the black stomach lining before cooking this fish or it will taste bitter and spoil the flavour of the fish.  

BLUE SWIMMER CRABS

Bond relaxing on the jetty

Blue Swimmer Crabs

Mandurah has some great spots for crabbing just off the jetty. I use crabbing nets which I tie to the end and middle of the jetty. The best bait to use is tuna heads but crabs also will go for spleen or chicken wings. Some people like to secure the bait in a mesh cage so the blow fish don't eat all the bait, but I usually just let the bait free flow in the water and I use Metal wire to secure the bait in the middle of the crab net. Crabbing is definately my favourite seafood the meat is the best and nothing beats eating fresh crab. I also find that I prefer the taste of male crabs compared to female crabs. Now how can you tell the difference between male and female crabs? Its easy, if you turn them on their backs the male crab has a thin mountain shape flap underneath and the female crab has a broard, round, cloudy shaped flap. The male crabs also have bigger claws and more of a blue colour in their shell in comparison to the female crab. I usually throw the net off the jetty and pull the net in every 20 minutes. Make sure you pull in the nets hard because if your too slow, they will swim out and you'll loose the crab.
It's always handy to carry a crab gadge and measure the length of the crab to make sure that you have the legal size. Crabs must be the size of a can in length which used to be the way I measured the crabs. There is also a catch limit you can't catch more than 10 crabs per person. If you get caught with more than the legal limit you will be fined for it by the fisheries if you get caught. If you catch a female crab and she's pregnant you can tell cause she will have produced a huge amount of tiny orange eggs in her abdomen, the eggs go from orange to black as they mature. Make sure you put her straight back in the water for the preservation of future stock. Crabs are basically scavengers of the ocean, you will normally find them either offshore or commonly in estuaries. When I catch them in the net they have powerful claws so be careful not to get nipped. I tend to grab them from behind and I grab hold of both arms at the same time so they don't get the chance to nip me, sometimes I have had one really grab hold of the net, so if they grip onto the net too hard and you can't pull them away turn the net over and hang it over the bucket, give it a shake and they will loosen their grip and drop in the bucket, a handy trick for the stubborn ones. Half fill the water with sea water to keep them fresh. Before you cook crabs you can put them to sleep on ice but I usually just throw them in the pot.
The best way to cook crabs is in their natural sea water, I usually boil the crabs in a pot of sea water for about 8 minutes or until they turn orange, then pull them out of the water and cool them down in cold water so the crabs don't over cook.

                                                                         Bluey's

North Perth fishing

North Perth catch

Biggest yellow fin whiting I've ever caught

Flathead

We headed back to the same spot the following day for an early morning fish, this time I walked along the beach to find some nice reefy drops and sandy spots. I used prawn and whiting bait to lure in the fish.

I have never caught a yellow fin whiting the length of a 2 litre bottle of coke before, you can imagine my excitement when I reeled this big boy in. This was indeed my catch of the day, whiting is one of my favourite eating fish because the meat is sweet. As I casted out the line anticipating what species I might catch next not even 8 seconds in the water and chomp, something took the bait with a mighty big pull, it was a Flat head. Although these fish are in my opinion ugly and evil looking they are a great tasting fish. When you handle them make sure you wear a glove or use a towel to hold them as Flathead's are very spiny. Flatheads love whiting bait and sandy spots as they are bottom dwellers they will bury themselves in the sand and camoflage their skin to match their environmental background. I usually like to let the bait drop to the bottom and very slowly reel the bait in making frequent stops for a few seconds then very slowly reeling the whiting bait in. This keeps the bait on the bottom and lures the flathead to attack and suck up the bait. As soon as you get a hit it's important to maintain a pull on the line but don't pull your line in too quick cause you don't want to loose the fish.
Yellow fin whiting like shallow water. These fish are timid so keep the line light and use size 4 hooks with a small sinker. when fishing you can cut a drinking straw or put a red bead above the hook to attract the fish. Whiting love prawns or worms but remember keeps the line light a big splash with a huge sinker will scare away the fish.
I was pretty happy to catch some Herring that day too. Herring normally like to stick together so if you catch one there's bound to be a school of them swimming around. Herring like deeper waters they only come out to more shallow parts at night time. These are the silver fish of the sea, they're tasty!  I usually like to put butter and garlic in the herring and wrap them up in alfoil and straight in the oven to bake.
I did catch 4 rock cod through out the morning also, cod like the offshore reefs the bait they like to eat are prawns and fresh filleted fish. Personally I don't go for the texture of the meat, it's mushy and bland. These fish are slippery little buggar's when you handle them as they feel slimy. However they are a beautiful fish to look at. I've tried eating it fried in a pan, battered and grilled. Each time I've cooked it I've always ended up  with a dull flavoured, mushy fish, but if anyone's got a great recipe they want to share, post it up, maybe there's something I've yet to learn about the art of cooking cod.

Herring

                                                   

Rock Cod

 

Fishing trip North Perth

Went on a 2 day fishing trip North of Perth. I drove along Marmion Ave past the Mindarie suburb and the newly developed areas until I came across sand dunes with tracks on the left. So I turned left off the road and followed the tracks towards the beach which was only obtainable via four wheel drive. I parked up in the sand dunes and walked a short distance to the beach. What we stumbled on was a perfect secluded beach fishing location, not a soul in sight. You could see a few reefs out in the ocean which told me that we might catch a variety of fish here. The fishing bait I used was prawns and chicken heart. I started fishing at 4pm and stopped as soon as the sun hit the ocean in the horizon. Caught 14 whiting which was a reasonable effort for 3 hours of fishing. Whiting's just such a beautiful textured and tasty meat. Early in the morning the following day proved to be the best time to fish. The tide was high which proved to be great fishing conditions for what we caught. I filleted and pre cut up my bait so I wouldn't waste fishing time. This time I used prawns and whiting which I cut into 1 cm pieces. I used size 4 and 8 hooks and rigged up my line 3 hooks 10 cm apart and a sinker on the end of the line. I started fishing at 6am in the morning, at first there were little nibbles here and there then bang the fish really started to bite. I caught a range of fish that morning, herring, whiting and a Dart swallowtail which put up a sensational fight, these fish are from the trevally family and they will Dart through the current with such power to try and avoid capture. Most fishermen don't go for them but personally once the fish is filleted it is a great tasting fish. Dart fish are also not common around here so you could imagine my surprise when I realised what it was. If your targeting Dart fish they normally go for worms, prawns or whiting and they love surfing waves. Over all I was pretty impressed with my catch 24 fish in total that morning, which I later filleted and cooked straight on the pan.

Some whiting catch

Whiting, herring and Dart Swallowtail

Filleted fresh fish straight on the pan

One tip I've learnt about cooking whiting let it chill in the eski and place it skin up so it doesn't curl while you cook it :) !