Winter generally produces some pretty good black bream action for Perth anglers, with the downstream structures of the Swan River a hot spot.

But with Perth's wintry weather well and truly set in, some smart anglers have been turning their attentions to the marinas along the north metro coastline.

Some interesting fishing has been turning up for those prepared to flick small lures around the pylons and moored boats - including plenty of skippy, tarwhine and herring.

But the bycatch of small pink snapper, blacks to 40cm plus (like the one above) and even some yellowtail kingfish has been turning some heads.

Just goes to show anything can turn up in these areas, and who could forget the very lost mangrove jack that came out of Mindarie a couple of years ago or the baby cobia from Hillarys.

So if the outside walls are blown out, it may be worth still wetting a line in the sheltered waters inside the harbours.

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For those of you that missed it last week, Superfish:Fastest Predator in the Sea is airing on Foxtel's National Geographic Channel.

Some pretty speccy underwater footage of the world's gamefish - including a few different billfish from around the world. Well worth checking out.

Find out more here.

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Bob the Stickbait is here! Bobara is the third big-fish stickbait from the Black Jack collection, adding to the proven Wahoo & Ulua ranges.

Stickbaits are a valuable alternative to scoop-faced poppers when casting for mackerel, wahoo, tuna and GTs. Slab-sided for maximum flash, Black Jack stickbaits are usually worked in sweeps and pauses, but also rip up the surface with a straight retrieve.

Made from hardwood, fully through-wired with heavy stainless anchor loops and a centre swivel, tail weighted and polished off with 14 coats of finish, holographic skins and big black-on-holographic eyes.

Bobaras are made in three sizes:
the '50' measures 170mm;
the '100' measures 200mm;
and the '150' measures 230mm.

Anglers lucky enough to get their hands on some of the first shipment have reported some hot action on GTs around the wave washed reefs of the north west. 

Check them out here.

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Department of Fisheries researchers have helped bring the critically endangered hairy Margaret River marron back from the verge of extinction. 

Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said it was gratifying that expert efforts had helped preserve the diversity of the marron species, a freshwater crustacean unique to Western Australia.

"Concerns about the displacement of hairy marron in Margaret River by the more common smooth marron that had escaped into the river and hybridised the two types have risen over the past few years," Mr Moore said.

In 2005, the Department of Fisheries obtained a South West Catchments Council grant to collect hairy marron and established a breeding program with more than 1,500 wild marron collected from the river.

University of WA researchers helped develop a DNA test that distinguished between pure hairy marron and hybrids. DNA fingerprinting showed that only 15 per cent of the collected specimens were pure hairy marron, the rest were smooth marron hybrids. 

"This week more than 2,000 hairy marron juveniles will be tagged and released in what scientists say will start a recovery program that will see up to 10,000 hairy marron restocked to the Margaret River each year," Mr Moore said.

"This effort will help re-establish this species in its natural environment and prevent extinction."

Mr Moore congratulated project leader Craig Lawrence, technical officer Chris Bird, PFRC hatchery manager Tony Church and UWA researchers Phil Vercoe and Emily Trainer for their hard work in saving the hairy marron.

***

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

METROPOLITAN

Al Hunton from Bluewater Tackle World Mindarie took his wife Raylene to try for some bottom fish north of Hillarys. The pair caught seven dhufish with three kept and the largest 12kg.

Joff Weston and crew scored eight dhuies - keeping two and some very nice king george. Other boat anglers working out of Hillarys, Ocean Reef and Mindarie have also come back with excellent catches of bottom species. Depths from 30-40 metres have been productive. Weston narrows it down even more - recommending country 32 to 36 metres deep and reasonably close to shore the best bet. Pink snapper and baldchin groper have given bags a boost.

A surprise catch for Weston was an estimated 30kg estuary cod which he thought was the mother of all dhufish on hookup. The XOS cod released. 

 The Three Mile continues to yield plenty of skippy and pink snapper activity is expected to increase with the new moon and high tides in the coming few days. Squid have been a huge bonus in close to the norhtern suburbs and Cockburn Sound is still holding plenty.  

The marina rock walls are holding vast numbers of garfish, herring and skippy. Trigg Blue Hole is a herring hotspot with the south rock wall at Hillarys okay for herring and pilch. Tailor catches are patchy at best but the occasional salmon still causing some surprises.  

Moore River black bream fishing has been terrific and a number of mulloway were landed by beach anglers. Swanbourne Drain is also yielding some mid-size mulloway.  

Perth Water is suggested as best for fishers after Swan River bream although some bream were mixed in with skippy in Blackwall Reach. Skippy are also active about the Traffic Bridge at Fremantle.  

MANDURAH  

Both the Murray and Serpentine Rivers have fished well for black bream with the best results in the lower reaches. Herring are widespread from beaches and in the Cut. The annual king george whiting run is on in the Cut but not as hot as last year. The Mandurah Channel, including the Old Traffic Bridge, is holding good numbers of herring and king george and rock walls at Hall Heads another top spot.  

Pink snapper and dhufish featured in catches for boating parties.  

GERALDTON

Drummonds Cove anglers fished between the weed to land some decent tailor, very good yellowfin whiting, herring, pilch and school whiting.

The back of the Breakwater yielded a similar fish, although the tailor were more chopper size. First and Second Point at Greenough worked fairly well for tailor, herring and small mulloway.

Boaties working out from Drummonds and Coronation were rewarded with some excellent dhufish and baldchin groper, while dinghy fishers did well for squid and snook over the sea grass beds. South of town at the likes of African Reef - dhufish and good numbers of pink snapper provided the bulk of the catch.  

Large black bream were best pursued well up river in the Greenough with small mulloway quite common there also.  

CARNARVON

Spanish mackerel are falling to ballooners at Quobba with many bait balls a feature in the area. When the swell permitted, quality spangled emperor were taken from rock wall locations. Good numbers of pink snapper fell to boat fishers offshore and around the Islands.  

Blue manna crabs are prolific in the region and tarwhine and sand whiting have given shore anglers plenty to aim at. Tailor have been inconsistent.

EXMOUTH

This week's Exmouth newsletter can be viewed here.