Perth fishing: Recfishwest adds new FADS while salmon season came early for a Margaret River father and son

Margaret River’s David Pickersgill and his son Aiden headed south to one of their favourite beach fishing spots. Aiden, 11, is a mad junior fisherman and jumps at any chance to go and catch anything. The pair camped at a beach east of Augusta, and Aiden was keen to try the new beach fishing outfit he got for his birthday, a Penn reel and 2.7m Shimano rod. After setting up camp they hit the beach ready to fish into the evening, mainly chasing tailor as they have regularly done well there. However, it was salmon after salmon and no tailor to be seen. The highlight was a salmon Aiden caught. The youngster hooked it and fought it well to the beach and then right into the shallows, but somehow the ganged hooks came out. He yelled to his dad to take the rod and sprinted down the beach into the shore break and pounced on the fish. Aiden then wrestled it into his arms and managed to get it up on dry land, which David thought was hilarious. The pair got a quick photo and Aiden then released it successfully. They landed six and lost a few in what was an exciting, unexpected session on salmon so early in the year, keeping one for the smoker. It was very tasty and capped a great trip. A memorable catch for Aiden and he has also won a $25 Halco lure pack. FADs rolled out for metro fishers Good news for metro anglers, with Recfishwest deploying its Perth fish aggregating devices (FADs). Just as dolphinfish numbers have started to build on the six Perth Game Fishing Club FADs at the Rottnest Trench, eight more have been dropped into the water by Recfishwest, from Two Rocks to Rockingham. Located in depths of 130-350m, they will become hotspots for species like dolphinfish, tuna and even marlin. The latest FADs deployment includes six devices approximately 30 nautical miles off the metro coast. In addition, the Mangles Bay Fishing Club and Compleat Angler Rockingham FADs are now in position and ready for action. For exact locations, visit recfishwest.org.au. FADs are large floats anchored to the seafloor in open water aggregating schools of baitfish, which in turn attract large aggregations of pelagic species, providing great sustainable fishing opportunities for boat fishers for fast-growing pelagic species. The State Government committed to funding an expanded statewide FADs program in late December — a WA first. This follows a successful three-year trial FADs program initiated and run by Recfishwest using recreational fishing licence funds. More FADs should be deployed off regional towns in the coming months. In the south of the State, Cape Naturaliste FADs were deployed last month, while more are planned for Albany and Geraldton and for the first time off Mandurah and Jurien Bay. What’s Biting PERTH FADs: Dolphinfish, striped tuna, yellowfin tuna, southern bluefin tuna. Rottnest Trench: Marlin. Rottnest Island inshore: Crayfish, yellowtail kingfish, samson fish. Five-Fathom Bank: Yellowtail kingfish. Fremantle inshore: Samson fish, skippy, squid, herring, sand whiting. Cockburn Sound: Squid. Stragglers: Tailor, sand whiting, King George whiting. Fremantle rockwalls: Skippy, herring, whiting, storm garfish. City Beach: Whiting. Hale Road: Whiting, tailor. Lower Swan: Flathead, samson fish, skippy, squid, flounder, tailor, blue swimmer crabs, silver bream, bull sharks. Upper Swan: Mulloway, black bream. Singleton: Mulloway, tailor, whiting. Peel-Harvey Estuary: Skippy, yellowfin whiting. Mandurah offshore: Southern bluefin tuna. HOPETOUN Beaches: Herring, salmon. Starvation Bay: Whiting, herring, squid. Jerdacuttup River: Black bream. ALBANY King George Sound: King George whiting, squid, herring. Fisheries Beach: Squid. Oyster Harbour: Yellowfin whiting, herring, black bream. King River: Black bream. Normans Beach: Herring, juvenile salmon. Cheynes Beach: Salmon, herring. Fosters Beach: Salmon, sharks. Wilson Inlet: Flathead, pink snapper, black bream, herring, King George whiting, garfish. Denmark River: Black bream. GERALDTON Greenough points: Spanish mackerel, tailor, pike. Flat Rocks: Tailor, soapie mulloway. Southgates: Tailor. Tarcoola Beach: Sharks, tailor, dart, herring. Pages Beach: Tailor, herring, pike. Breakwater: Herring, dart, tailor. Marina: Blue swimmer crabs, squid. Chapman Road reefs: Herring, blue mackerel, bonito. Drummond Cove: Herring, tailor, pike, shovelnose rays. Offshore: Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna. CARNARVON Quobba: Cobia, longtail tuna, spangled emperor, tailor. Fascine: Whiting, mangrove jack, mulloway. Islands pelagics: Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna. Islands demersals: Pink snapper, rankin cod, spangled emperor.