Tackleworld Exmouth weekly fishing report

Rain is an unusual sight in Exmouth.

In fact, for the first 18 months I lived in Exmouth, I remember it raining for about two minutes

So this year, the rain has been sparse and it has been refreshing to see some rain in the past week, despite the fact it is very unusual for this time of year.

We do appreciate the rain for the fact the wet weather flushes out the systems in the gulf in particular, which is a massive part of the ecosytem of this area.

We know many of the creeks that line the gulf hold massive amounts of baitfish, and the gulf itself has bait schools in large numbers throughout the year.

It is this at time of year we expect to see these schools and the predatory fish that systematically follow them.

This was the case over the weekend, with anglers reporting schools of tuna and trevally in the waters around Exmouth Reef. Sailfish have also started to move in and free swimmers have been seen quite low in the gulf.

They are usually found in the areas north of Exmouth Reef about now, so it is interesting to hear reports of them in these other areas.

The land-based anglers have been having a ball on the Arma Radico 15g lures during an outgoing tide at the marina along the rockwall on queenfish.

One angler in particular caught more than 20 queenfish in a two-hour period.

This is a great option for kids during the school holidays, but we do recommend changing the trebles on lures for kids to one single barbless hook for safety.

This also helps with a speedy release. Another good option for the marina is soft plastics for kids.

They are versatile and great for catching a variety of species.

Of course, the favourite bait of prawns will tempt a bream or two, and other species.

Mulies are another great bait option for this area. Blue swimmer crabs have been reported along the beaches in the gulf, while people have been fishing the shoreline for whiting.

A crab scoop is a handy piece of equipment to have and if you get a few whiting and crabs in a session, it makes for a great dinner.

Big queenfish have also been reported to be cruising the shallows during the high tide in the gulf. They are often found at this time of year in the deeper waters with the large bait schools, along wtih various trevally, tuna and mackerel.

Red emperor have been showing up on many filleting tables, with anglers reporting them in water depths from 30m-120m.

The happiest angler this week, though is Matt Gates, with the 11.8kg red he speared in 35m of water free diving. He is a keen free diver and this is a personal best.

Remember the junior fishing tournament is on this weekend and if you have a child keen to enter, there are teams and boats looking for extras. Contact Scott Owens via events@egfc.com.au.