EXMOUTH Fishing Report 2023 | Australia (2023)

FAQs

What are the best months for fishing Exmouth? ›

March to August are good months to visit this north west coast, offering fairly stable weather patterns and consistent fishing. Exmouth has a couple of reputable charter boats and guides, as well as boat hire which offer a range of quality alloy boats up to 7m.

Popular beach fishing spots in Exmouth are Learmonth Jetty, Pebble Beach and the Marina and Canals on the Gulf Side where you can use both lures or bait depending on species you wish to catch.

The marina is also a great spot for young anglers, offering plenty of fun with small queenfish, trevally, jacks, cod, flathead and bream. Fishing from the rock walls anywhere around the marina is worth a try and you just never know what might show up next – a sailfish was even hooked in there a few years back!

Coral trout Use large, hole and cut baits such as fresh in- store mullet and squid. Soft plastics work well on these species too. Look for shallow reefy country such as that within Exmouth Gulf. Keep your bait as lightly weighted and close to the bottom as possible.

The best time to go 'deep-sea fishing for a variety of medium and larger fish is June or July. You have less competition in June and more so in July. Be sure to check the fishing regulations as they change often.

Another good opportunity to fish is on cloudy days since overcast skies cause fish to cruise for food more than on bright days. Light rain is also one of the best fishing times, especially because it washes insects and bait into the water, creating a feeding binge for fish.

EXMOUTH has been on my bucket list for a long time; the crystal clear water and shallow reefy sand flats of this northwestern peninsula are very appealing for a keen landbased fisho.

If the wind is blowing from the south west you can fish in the gulf area, if the wind is blowing from the south east you can target the Ningaloo Reef area of the peninsular.

The fishing spots at Exmouth produce a wide range of tropical species including Coral Trout, Spangled Emperor, Bluebone Tuskfish, Mangrove Jack, Trevally, Queenfish, Bream, Bonefish and Cod. A small boat does open up the fishing options and the protected waters can be fished comfortably.

The western gulf, from about Learmonth north, produces tropical reef fish and temperate species such as tailor and pink snapper.

What is the best bait for ruby snapper? ›

Most popular baits will work including cut fish and squid, while rubys will aggressively hit jigs as well. Lights and lumo can work, but can also attract the dreaded green-eye sharks. As mentioned earlier, electric reels are the preferred way to target them.

Learmonth Jetty near Exmouth is one such location where you should always carry a squid jig, as is the long jetty at Busselton. Both these locations will produce squid during the day, however as mentioned before, just on dark is prime time.

Stay away from spicy or acidic foods, which may upset your stomach and digestive system. You should also avoid processed and greasy foods. Before you go on a fishing trip, the best foods are light and bland foods, such as freshly sourced and nutritious meals.

Fish are More Active

The fish were active during the evening and perhaps they've had their fill once the sun rises. That's one of the reason why many anglers prefer to hit the water at night. If you're interested, call Voyager Deep Sea Fishing & Dolphin Cruises.

The best time to go fishing is typically either early morning or late evening when food is abundant and fish naturally feed. Within an hour of sunrise and an hour after sunset are the times when fish are likely to bite the most. Fishing for some species of fish is much better at night than during the day.

Before we dig into the details, however, we can make one blanket statement: fish just about everywhere are almost always active at sunrise and sunset. These periods of changing light levels trigger feeding behavior in all kinds of predatory fish.

TIME OF DAY

Specifically, dawn or dusk are generally the best time to go saltwater fishing if the weather and tidal movements are favorable. Remember to reference a saltwater tide chart to see which range of hours during the day will be the best fishing tide times.

With stunning turquoise waters for snorkelling and diving, great opportunities for fishing, epic surf conditions and plenty of marine life, Exmouth is one of Australia's best-kept secrets. From April to July, Exmouth is most popular for its whale shark season and June to October is the perfect time for whale watching.

What is the most wanted fish to catch? ›

The Most Popular Game Fish in the U.S.

Black Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth) Panfish. Trout. Catfish/Bullhead.

The current record is held by Melanie Kisbee, who caught a 452kg (996lbs) blue marlin in 1999 off Batemans Bay in New South Wales. Rowan Smith owns the WA record after hooking a 369kg (813lbs) blue marlin off Exmouth in February 2014.

“Spinner-baits and crankbaits are best bass lures for me in the wind. “I like a heavy, 3/4- to 1-ounce, tandem spinner-bait with a number 3 1/2-size Colorado blade and a number 5 willowleaf blade for fishing windy areas. Chartreuse-and-white, black-and-gold are good spinner-bait color combinations.

As a general rule, anything over three foot seas with winds of 20 to 25 knots creates conditions that are no longer safe for fishing.

For the most part, reaction baits like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jerkbaits are perfect for windy days. They can be fished quickly as you move and search for feeding bass and since the water is churned up, bass will be feeding somewhere.

There are up to 600 whale sharks in Exmouth at the peak of whale shark season, making it one of the best places in the world to see these gentle giants up close.

Crocodiles. Crocodiles are not normally found on the Ningaloo Coast, but there have been rare and isolated occurences of estuarine or saltwater (saltie) crocodiles in the area.

Stonefish have 13 spines lining its back that release venom under pressure. If you inadvertently step on a stonefish thinking it's a harmless rock, it will pop up its dorsal spines and release venom from two sacs at the base of each spine. Unsurprisingly, the more venom that is injected, the worse it is for you.

All snapper eat squid. Octopus is a gem. West Australian pilchards, South Australian pilchards, doesn't matter where they come from, but snapper just love pillies. And they also love cuttlefish and any fresh bait you're catching on the location.

Pink snapper typically live in waters 20-250 m deep. They are demersal (bottom-dwelling) but also spend some of their lives in the mid to upper water levels.

How far offshore to catch Red Snapper? ›

The bulk of the big red snapper are 20 to 30 miles offshore, but I've caught them as close as 10 miles offshore. They never ever used to be in that close.” When fishing for big red snapper, Brown anchors over natural bottom, artificial reefs and wrecks — any structure that holds baitfish — on his boat Teaser2.

Snapper present excellent angling opportunities year-round, with winter being a particularly good time to hunt down trophy fish that inhabit shallow reefs. Dawn and dusk is a prime-time for seducing snapper, since many fish rely on low light for camouflage, especially in shallow water.

The wire is the best leader material for snapper fishing, as it is strong enough to help reel in big snappers, and resilient enough for the small ones which love to thrash about once they are hooked. Make sure that your fishing rod is equipped with wire leader material before you head on out and catch some snappers.

Again, when targeting snappers, such as muttons and reds, go with 50-pound fluorocarbon. For big grouper or amberjack, go with a minimum of 80-pound fluorocarbon, and as heavy as 100-pound test (for goliath grouper, use 180- to 220-pound test).

The Bladefin basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer) is one of the rarest saltwater fish known to have ever been caught and sold to a collector. These fish live at incredible depths of over 150m, making them almost impossible to catch.

Tilapia – tilapia is arguably the mildest tasting fish there is. It's not fishy at all and has a mild sweetness. Tilapia is easy to prepare and goes well with a variety of different flavor profiles.

Bring along a cooler with plenty of ice to store your catch until you get home - make sure the lid seals tightly. To preserve a fresh taste, clean your fish as soon as possible. It's best to eat the fish the same day you catch it. If this is not possible, you can store it your refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If you see other anglers catching fish in the same area but you aren't, then chances are you are using the wrong lure or bait. It's important to switch up your lures and technique. Some fish, such as bass, are capable of learning fishing patterns. If you drop the same lure in every time, the fish may get wise to it.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

Tie on a fish hook.

Do fish get scared when caught? ›

Fish have nerves, just like cats, dogs, and humans, so they can feel pain. Hooked fish endure not only physical pain but also terror.

Fish the incoming tide with a steady berley trail. Blue manna and mud crabs are also plentiful in the gulf.

The Exmouth spiny-tailed gecko (Strophurus rankini), also known commonly as Rankin's spiny-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Western Australia.

While coral trout spawn during the spring months, they can be found all year round. The best time for a catch in a shallow reef is from April to June.

What is the best time to go saltwater fishing? In regards to the time of year, Autumn is the best time to go saltwater fishing. It offers the overlap of summer species and migrating winter species. Spring is often viewed as the worst time and this is when fewer bites happen from most species.

The early spring is the time when anglers can enjoy fishing and see the beauty of the reefs. But most importantly, it's a period of time when no rain falls and the vast majority of fish species become active. All of this means that fishermen can get the most effective results during this time of the year.

Conventional wisdom suggests that late spring is the best time to catch trout, especially if you're looking for larger fish. The warmer it gets, the more fishing pressure from other anglers, the thicker the grass and brush surrounding their habitats and the lower the water levels.

Bait. Remember, coral trout are largely fish-eating predators. Younger specimens mostly eat crustaceans, especially prawns, which live on or near the reef bottom. Nothing beats live bait.

Top Coral Trout Fishing destinations

You can find coral trout living in various locations across the Western Pacific Ocean. Destinations such as Tonga, Fiji, Japan, French Polynesia, Australia. As the name suggests, they enjoy living in and around areas of coral reefs and have been found as far as 100m in water depth.

Shrimp is a go to bait for saltwater anglers. This all-purpose bait works because shrimp are common in saltwater environments and fish are attracted to the scent and movement. Dead or alive shrimp can be used to catch fish onshore or offshore.

What moon phase is best for saltwater fishing? ›

If you plan to go saltwater fishing, consider the fact that a new moon or full moon will cause stronger or more pronounced tidal movement due to the pull of gravity. When there is more water movement, there is also generally more bait movement, and more fish feeding activity.

If you pick a good location, the fish will come even though it's dark, and with luck, your anchored boat will be the site of a fish frenzy in no time. A lot of saltwater fish like to feed at night so don't be surprised if a lot of them go after the chum, especially the snappers.

Fishing during a light rain makes your casting lines less noticeable. Plus, rain can affect how well the fish are biting. Bugs tend to be nearer to the water's surface when it's raining. This tends to entice fish closer to the surface and therefore makes them easier to see and catch.

While fish do not sleep in the same way that land mammals sleep, most fish do rest. Research shows that fish may reduce their activity and metabolism while remaining alert to danger. Some fish float in place, some wedge themselves into a secure spot in the mud or coral, and some even locate a suitable nest.