Small boat fisherman close inshore off the metro coast have been having a great time of late.

All types of critters have turned up in burley trails - including yellowtail kings, small samsons (below) and plenty of skippy.

Some good sized squid have been hitting jigs on the shallow weed beds - making for a change of pace, a tasty feed and a good source of bait.

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As part of its Enhanced Recreational Fishing Program, the Victorian Government is currently laying three artificial reefs in Port Phillip Bay.

Most major ports ahve a collection of semi-secret marks offshore, which can vary from dumped spoil to old barges or sea containers.

These new reefs however are each made up of 96 concrete balls weighing a total of 30 tonnes. The balls are dropped in a zone 50 metres square.

The reefs are expected to show their full benefits in several year's time, and are sure to be popular amongst local snapper fisherman.

Monitoring will soon be underway to gauge the effect on local fish populations, with a commercial free zone also being declared around each.

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Members of the Perth Game Fishing Club have been enjoying Perth's good run of weather.

Trolling small Xmas tree skirts around Rottnest's bait schools and dropoffs has yielded plenty of small yellowtail kings for light line enthusiasts.

Burleying the deeper waters off the back of the island has provided some interesting action for anglers dropping down squid baits on heavy game gear. Recent catches have included a variety of sharks, with a 3.9m thresher estimated at 200kg tagged.

Mako sharks have been a regular sight in the burley trails set among prolific bait schools of mulies out there.

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Anglers heading north chasing warm weather and calm seas will be happy to hear of the good run of billfish from Shark Bay up.

Don't pack away the trolling gear just yet!

There's a good chance many anglers may tangle with their first billfish, and yes, pink lures do work.

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Here's a preview of this week's Sunday Times fishing report ...

METROPOLITAN

Bluewater Morley staffers Chris Boyling and Karl Rosenow ventured out on to Cockburn Sound on Boyling's boat and quickly scored a meal of squid before catching and releasing good size skippy, small samson fish and many juvenile pink snapper. The fish took a liking to their soft plastic lures and fresh squid baits. South Mole has yielded some great squid lately and herring are reliable there with mornings fishing better than evenings for that species. Northern marinas such as Mindarie and Two Rocks are holding fair numbers of herring while tailor featured at Wilbinga and Trigg's Blue Hole where fish to 65cm were landed. The northern coast hosts heaps of sand whiting with juvenile salmon not uncommon. The occasional big salmon from 5-6kg have turning up along beaches from North Mole and north. Some flathead have come from mid-metro beaches. Excellent mulloway catches were made from beaches near Two Rocks and to their north.  

Skippy made for some frenetic fishing at the back of the Three Mile with some good size fish responding to berley and soft plastics also doing some damage. The pink snapper action is expected to increase with the moon phase and winter storms. Small samson fish were also active behind the Three Mile. Nearer Rottnest baldchin groper remain the feature for bottom bouncers with baldies coming from 40 metres of water.

Al Hunton had a great session catching and releasing black bream from mid-river ground such as Canning Bridge with other experienced breamers recommending Swan Brewery and Barrack Street. King prawners have enjoyed a reasonable run for those tasty creatures. 

MANDURAH

The pink snapper run at the back of the Five Fathom Bank has begun in earnest with quite a number of boating parties making their bag limit. The accommodating Dawesville Cut is at its winter best, especially for herring and garfish with quite a few king george about.  

A reef accessible just north of the Cut's mouth has allowed surf fishers to throw lures and unweighted mulies at salmon with one angler catching and releasing nine fish in a session.

The 13 kilometre reef south of White Hills has yielded numbers of tailor during mid to late morning sessions.

JURIEN 

Blair Micale and his Dad scored their bag limit of dhufish from just behind the reef at Jurien - suggesting the dhuies are in quite close in. Baldchin are an added feature for Jurien waters with large numbers of fine fish brought in and pink snapper also abundant. Mackerel and tuna by contrast have largely disappeared from the area.  

While tailor activity has slowed, skippy make up for it with plenty around the place with the best up to 2kg. The marina is just one spot where there are many squid about.

KALBARRI 

Monster mulloway of 31 and 27kg have come from the beach to the north of Frustration. Another highlight was a film crew in a dinghy taking some great footage of their anglers throwing garfish baits and poppers towards Oyster Reef and hooking tailor to 70cm.  

Spanish mackerel continued to feature for boat fishers with some groups taking the limit of good size mackies while most bottom bouncers hampered by tough conditions.  

Coastal Gorge country has yielded some nice tailor with Pot Alley working well when the weather allows. Many dart are turning up from shore along the beaches, chopper tailor there too, and from Red Bluff big storm garfish and some herring have shown.  

In the river black bream are proving hungry and sand whiting numbers make a session at the foreshore worthwhile.

EXMOUTH

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