For those of you looking to stock up on bait and tackle over the Anzac Day long weekend, all Bluewater stores will be open.

And with the salmon running hot around Perth and starting to come into the beaches, we are expecting salmon lures to be a hot item!

Opening hours are as follows:

Saturday April 25                  8am - 5pm
Sunday April 24                    10am - 4pm
Monday April 26                    10am - 4pm

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Exmouth ex-pat Ant Simper has relocated himself to Bunbury, and has quickly set about sorting out the local scene. Ant's the type of angler who could find fish in a bath tub - and his early results have certainly been impressive.

Fishing in shallow water close to shore, Ant and partner Tracy Widdup have been enjoying some exceptional action. Using simple anchor and berley techniques they have encountered a range of inshore species from skippy and king george whiting to samson fish.

But the most impressive catches have been in the form of jewfish to 15kg and pink snapper to 9kg.

Tracy Widdup with a fine shallow water pinkie.

All fish have come on small baits fished on 3kg braid and spin outfits.

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Traditionally some of the best fishing for dolphinfish at the FADs behind Rotto has been at this time of year, with the fast growing fish pushing 10kg at times. This year has been no exception, and local anglers have enjoyed some good action in perfect sea conditions.

More and more anglers have turned away from baits such as mulies and live herring -  instead enjoying the thrill of using artificials.

Soft plastics have lead the charge, with Snapbacks and Squidgy Flickbaits worth a go when trying to tempt the sometimes finciky feeders.

Heading out to Perth's FADs has paid off for many anglers recently.

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Here is this week's Sunday Times fishing column... 

METROPOLITAN

Salmon have hit the metro area in droves. Rottnest is the hottest for the powerhouse fish. Bluewater Scarborough's Joff Weston found a few smaller schools around the island before sitting over one he reckons was about eight tonne.  Other boating parties joined him and it became non-stop action with multiple hook-ups all round. Salmon were  found on the north side of Rottnest and also to the south-west. Neil and Alison Dearn also found a few fish in perfect conditions.

The Three Mile off northern suburbs has turned up a few fish with more nabbed from Mindarie rock walls. There were plenty of small yellowtail kingfish around West End and at Yanchep Lagoon. Weston warned other Rottnest anglers to adhere to the troll-only demersal zones around Rottnest.

Metro marinas are yielding skippy with numbers of herring increasing markedly. Some finding small chrome lures a big hit with the herring. Club Capricorn is one of the few spots which has featured in tailor reports.

Grant Street Reef at Cottesloe continues to provide terrific fishing for garfish and herring with Woodman Point another hotspot for the same species. North Mole has turned up some squid, as have the lower parts of the Swan. Cockburn Sound has also excellent for squid with more coming from Hillarys.

Swan River crab numbers appear to have dwindled but a few big fellows are still being netted. Ascot and Garratt Road Bridge are among the better bream locations. Some herring have been active in lower parts of the Swan.

 DUNSBOROUGH

Quindalup's Norm Reynolds has enjoyed some mixed bag fishing just offshore with heaps of small sand whiting, small skippy, herring, various leatherjackets and other species keeping the action going. Stingrays have also tested his tackle at times. Reynolds also hooked a near 2kg leatherjacket only to have it bite through the line as his deckie tried to pull it aboard. The landing net should always be kept handy for that species! Another interesting catch was a gurnard perch of around 2kg. 

Simon Eley enjoyed a birthday bonus and caught his first ever jewfish with plenty of help from knowledgeable local Darren Woodhouse. There is the odd good skippy about for anglers in deep water but encountered a plague of tiny flathead. 

Salmon are a major drawcard for the area, small schools yielding some fish at the Bunker Bay and Meelup. Plenty of trollers working the area with mixed success.  

Squidding has been terrific in the area right up to Busselton where the locals are finding late evening providing the best results.

 HAMELIN BAY

Che Carson and his son Tre were among the many to enjoy the salmon action around Hamelin Bay. James Milne was another with his group pulling some terrific salmon from the rocks.