This week on the popular Ifish program on One HD, Paul heads west to fish with Jeni and Matt Gates from Bluewater Tackleworld Exmouth.

The trio head offshore to 40 metres of water, where they have a good session on a variety of tasty reef fish.

Red emperor, rankin cod, spangled emperor and others all hit the deck.

There is also a good boating tip on reversing down boat ramps.

Check your local guides for screening times.

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Customer Trevor Baker recently encountered a horse of a spaniard - his biggest ever. 

Taken taken ballooning at Quobba, the fish weighed 31kg and had to be hoisted up the cliff on a pole gaff.

Trevor fished the cliffs for three weeks but only had four days when ballooning was possible.

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Invitation to an evening seminar on the productivity of WA waters for finfish fisheries, Thursday July 30th, 6-7.30 pm, Mandurah

South West Catchments Council would like to invite you to the following free Seminar.

How much fish is there in the ocean?

Dr. Brett Molony gives insight of his research on fish resources in WA

Topic - The seminar presents comparative data highlighting the relatively low productivity of the waters of the South-West and Western Australia in general, gives reasons for low fish yields and discusses the implications and challenges for fishery management and development in the State.

Presenter - Dr. Brett Molony, Supervising Scientist of Finfish Research with the Department of Fisheries

Who's invited - The event is aimed at anyone interested in learning about our fish resources in the South-West and the rest of WA

When - Thursday July 30th 2009, 6 to 7.30 pm

Where - Tuckey Room, City of Mandurah (3 Peel Street, Mandurah)

Cost - The seminar is free; tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

How to book - For more information, please contact SWCC Coastal NRM Facilitator Gene Hardy on (08) 9781 0111 (Mon-Wed), (08) 9758 8960 (Thu-Fri) or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and RSVP before July 24th 2009 to book a spot.

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Brett Molony was the researcher who said "if the fish are pulled up from more than 20 or 30 metres and released, most of them are going to die anyway" during the Fisheries Minister Moore's demersal scalefish media presentation here - first presentation at 2 minutes 40 seconds in.

For those interested in a more balanced statement, see Fisheries Research Report 191 - Maximising survival of released undersize west coast reef fish. Final report to Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on Project No. 2000/194

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

METROPOLITAN  

With ocean conditions dreadful at times the Swan River has come into focus for good fishing. Heaps of fresh water is pushing down with experienced bream anglers feeling that it would bring the brea with it. Despite this some good bream were encountered upstream including around the Redcliffe Bridge. Bluewater lads Al Hunton and Joff Weston caught and releasing eight bream between them from between Bassendean and Caversham with hard bodied lures working best in the conditions. Weston has heard Perth waters are fishing well and suggested the Narrows, Barrack Street and other structures offering the best chance.  

Northern marinas and rock walls are yielding vast numbers of garfish with the odd pink snapper hauled up. A recent one from Mindarie weighed 8kg. Kids are able to fish weed-free spots along beaches from Mindarie to Quinns for sand whiting while an occasional mulloway has hit the sand at Scarborough from deeper holes scoured out by the rough seas. When conditions allow squid jigging has been awesome from Hillarys to the Fremantle Moles and right into Cockburn Sound. Some of the squid are well over a kilo. Some scaly mackerel and herring came from the E Shed.  

Moore River fishers pulled some better sized mulloway from the surf with fish from 10-15kg and some pink snapper landed.  

Boat anglers located dhufish a bit further offshore in recent times with 50 metres of water deep fishing reasonably. Good numbers of baldchin are also around. Anchoring and berleying near the Three Mile has given boaties bag limit hauls of plump winter skippy.

MANDURAH

Neil Grant caught some 40cm black bream from the Murray River. The Cut has turned up herring, skippy and king george. A big mulloway was nabbed from the Mandurah Marina.  

KALBARRI  

Big swells hampered the Kalbarri Offshore and Angling Club's most recent competition. As the seas moderated one of the three participating boats couldn't get his baits past juvenile dhufish before eventually going home with a couple of size Dhuies, a small sambo and a cod. 

Laurie Malton and Jason Agrela, on Bulawayo Buoy, brought back a mix of game and bottom fish. Agrela successful with a line-class catch of a 2.1kg pink snapper on 2kg line and later boated a 3.5kg pinkie. Malton registered two snapper. North west blowfish caused them plenty of grief. On the third boat, Craig Gibson and Russell Page couldn't get away from excellent skippy with Page bringing in a Club season best fish of 1.88kg. Gibson took a number of awards with a breaksea cod, samson fish and another season-best so far, this time a pink snapper of 4.18kg. 

The River section provided the toghtest competition. Di Stewart weighedin three live bream to be later released. New female member Maryanne Muir out-fished husband Peter by catching two good bream. Gary Ivey accounted for four bream to win the Senior River section with his .76kg bream matched by son Beau who won the Junior River prize.  

BROOME  

Metropolitan teachers Murray Taylor and Steve Logue both broke their ducks on spanish mackerel while charter fishing out of Broome on board Absolute Ocean Charters. In addition to the successful fishing the men spotted heaps of whales, sea snakes, turtles and dolphins.

DAMPIER  

Lachlan and Sean Day Barnes had some exciting fishing out of Dampier during the school holidays. Aboard Des Prizmic's boat 'Cobia', the boys brought in trevally, barracuda and spanish mackerel.

Lachlan (7 years old) was especially pleased as he hooked a marlin and hung on for his life. Unfortunately the marlin threw the lure but not before Dad had captured it on video tail dancing. Somewhat luckier than Lachlan was 12 year old John Prizmic who fought doggedly with his own marlin for around an hour and finally pulled it alongside the boat for release.

Sailfish activity is super ahead of the Dampier Classic. The Lannary family had a huge day out with 9 year old Mikayla breaking her billfish hoodoo by catching three sailies. Dad also caught three and Mum broke her duck for sailfish with all fish tagged and released.  

EXMOUTH

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