Fishing Western Australia 11

Fishing Western Australia is Back! In this first episode of season eleven, Lisa Hill and Ryan Thipthorp go fishing for Dhufish, Snapper and more off the coast of Perth. It’s a typical sunny aussie day and our hosts charter a boat to the famous Rottnest area to fish the mid-depth reefs for multiple species. Jigging with Lures, the pair encounter feisty Whitefish, Queen Snapper, Pink Snapper and the target for the day, Dhufish. Switching to drift-bait style rigs, Ryan tries for a better sized Dhufish, but instead tangles with a poisonous surprise! What a great way to kick off the season!

Lisa Hill and Ryan Thipthorp remain in the Rottnest Island area off the coast of Perth for this episode of Fishing Western Australia, as they go in search of big King George Whiting. Known for their fighting ability and eating qualities, these fish are plentiful in Western Australia, and our hosts have no problem catching them, along with some pretty Wrasse. Ryan even takes the time to offer a unique insight into skinning an Octopus! There’s certainly no shortage of fishing opportunities in this area of the world.

Fishing Western Australia is back off the coast of Perth in search of an unusual goal today, as Ryan Thipthorp and producer Harry Baumann fish Cockburn Sound for Squid and Cuttlefish. While they may not be the typical angler’s idea of a goal species, Squid and Cuttlefish fishing is surprisingly popular in Western Australia, as they’re plentiful, easy to catch and valued for their sweet taste. Navigating the structures and weed beds close to the shore, Ryan and Harry fish with hand lines and unusual, multi-hooked jig lures. Ryan even demonstrates how to gut, clean and prepare these weird animals for the BBQ. This episode show the sheer diversity of fishing available in Western Australia.

Lisa Hill and Ryan Thipthorp gear up for some deep water bait fishing for Snapper, Grouper and Emperor’s in the beautiful Abrolhos Islands, for another episode of Fishing Western Australia. With a chain of 122 islands, reefs, drop-offs and underwater features, the Abrolhos Islands are famous for incredible bottom fishing opportunities, as Ryan and Lisa quickly discover. Jigging with bottom baits, the pair hook into Baldchin Grouper, Redthroat Emperor and a variety of Snappers. Ryan also demonstrates how to safely release a fish suffering from Barotrauma with the use of release weights, valuable knowledge for any serious deep water sea angler.

In part 2 of this trip to the Abrolhos Islands, Ryan Thipthorp and Lisa Hill fish artificial lures for Snapper, Grouper, Dhufish and all manner of shallow water species, for another episode of Fishing Western Australia. Lisa and Ryan are guests of Blue Lightening Charters, and skippers Jason and Chad recommend moving to shallower, clearer water closer to the islands to fish for the incredible reef species known to live in the area. After having great fun with the usual smaller species like Pink Snapper, Baldchin Grouper, Coral Trout and incredible Tomato Cod, Ryan hooks into a surprise monster. This is classic Western Australia island hopping sport.

Lisa Hill and Ryan Thipthorp are in for a real workout in this episode of Fishing Western Australia, as they fish the deep waters of the Rottnest Trench for big bottom species like Bass Grouper and Hapuka. Often likened to an underwater Grand Canyon, the Rottnest Trench offers perfect fishing topography just off the coast of Perth. Ryan and Lisa tie on some massive bottom baits and get ready to hook into one of these deep-water monsters, many of which grow to over 30 kilos. If you’re looking for big, beautiful sport fishing in sunshine and good company, Western Australia is certainly the place.

Lisa Hill and Ryan Thipthorp travel up the coast to Coral Bay in Carnavon for this episode of Fishing Western Australia, as they go fishing for Baldchin Grouper, Rankin Cod and Snapper. The rarely fished Ningaloo Reef is the first stop of the day, where Ryan and Lisa push the boat hard up to the reef edges and drop-offs that line Bernie Island. Using fresh squid baits, Ryan ventures to fish with a handline for the beautifully spotted Baldchin Grouper. After feeding the fish in the marina, our hosts boat out to deeper waters out from Coral Reef, where Ryan demonstrates how to fish the Paternosta rig, resulting in an array of species like Longfin Snapper, Pink Snapper and big Rankin Cod. This is classic Western Australian sea fishing at its best.

In this episode of Fishing Western Australia, our host Ryan Thipthorp kicks off a two-part trip to Cockburn Sound to fish for Pink Snapper. Well known by west coast aussie’s for its abundance of incredible sport fish, Cockburn Sound is the perfect place for Ryan to do some tagging. By tagging and taking samples from bigger specimens, the fish stock can be better understood and conserved for future generations of anglers. Ryan goes deep into the rigs and fish finding methods he’s used throughout his career of snapper hunting and manages to land some massive examples of these beautiful, iridescent fish. Stay tuned for part 2!

Ryan Thipthorp returns for part 2 of this Fishing Western Australia adventure, fishing and tagging big Pink Snapper in the notorious Cockburn Sound. After a decent days fishing, the night time shift delivers some incredible sport. Ryan shows how to use data on tides, feeding periods and seasonal factors to optimise catching, resulting in several big specimens coming to the boat. Ryan’s research and tagging on behalf of the department of fisheries is an effort to maintain Pink Snapper stocks after the 2005 period in which almost all had disappeared from Cockburn Sound. Thanks to the efforts of people like him and the fisherman restricting their catches, the species in now beginning to thrive! This episode proves that we fisherman have the power to benefit the waters we know and love.

Ryan Thipthorp and Harry Baumann head deeper into the Walcott River in this episode of Fishing Western Australia to chase down all sorts of brackish water species. It’s a fishy morning as small fry boil around the boat, and Ryan and Harry quickly get into the action casting soft plastics around the edges. Among the Fingermark Bream and Jacks, Ryan spots a beast of an Estuary Cod and tries stalking with a top-water popper, leading to some nail-biting action. The crew finally drop some pots among the mangroves and try to take some mud crabs back to harbour for a cookout. With the luxury of the fully catered mothership ‘The Great Escape’ sitting out in the bay, it’s no wonder Ryan and Harry keep returning to the Kimberleys.

The Fishing Western Australia team head north in this episode, as Ryan Thipthorp and Harry Baumann visit a true fisherman’s paradise, the Kimberley’s, to try and catch big Barramundi on lures. A powerful, predatory, shallow water fish, Barramundi make for great sport, and One Arm Point is the perfect place to catch them. At the mouth of the Walcott River, skipper ‘Trippy’ Chris Tucker manoeuvres the boat between the jutting boulders along the shore where the fish like to hunt. As the team get ready to head home from an incredible day, Ryan hooks into what he quickly realises is his biggest ever Barramundi, a real ‘cracka barra’!

In this episode of Fishing Western Australia, Ryan Thipthorp and Harry Baumann go trolling in the beloved Mackerel Islands for massive Cobia, Giant Trevally and Spanish Mackerel. Situated just off the coast of Onslow in the Pilbara Region, these ten pristine desert islands mark an underwater metropolis for big, pelagic sport fish species. To kick off this two-part trip, our hosts troll around Bessiers Island, navigating between underwater structure, shark attacks and leaping whales. It’s a red letter day on the boat, capped off with an unexpected trophy sized Cobia. This is why the Fishing Western Australia crew always finds their way back to the Mackerel Islands.

For part two of this Fishing Western Australia trip to the Mackerel Islands, Ryan Thipthorp and Harry Baumann try to replicate their prior success at Bessiers Island, trolling for deep water pelagic species. The sun is high in the sky, so Ryan kicks off the episode by demonstrating how to use mirror teasers to attract predators when trolling, which quickly pays off. Expecting to catch more of the predatory pelagic species from the previous day, Harry and Ryan are instead caught off guard by some monstrous Coral Trout and even a Rankin Cod. It just goes to show that in waters this abundant in life, no two days fishing in Western Australia will ever be the same.

Ryan Thipthorp and Harry Baumann are treated to a paradise holiday in this episode of Fishing Western Australia, as they fish around the islands of Bali, Indonesia for Snapper, Amberjack, Trevally and more. Beginning in Denpasar and Alor Island, the duo go in search of Dogtooth Tuna with deep water jigs. Quickly finding themselves bent over double with back and bicep breaking battles, they instead encounter some surprise Amberjack and Snapper variants. After a tour of the local zoo, the team switch to trolling closer to the cliffs of Flores Island, which are loaded with Trevally, Mackerel and bonus reef species. Who knew somewhere so beautiful could fish so well?

In this unique episode of Fishing Western Australia, Ryan Thipthorp heads to the Swan River in Perth the try his hand at drop net fishing for Blue Manna Crabs. Special in both target species and location, this episode is set against the high-rise Perth Cityscape that surrounds the harbours where these Crabs live. Florescent Blue in colour, these crabs are as beautiful as they are delicious, so after a day in the marina pulling up pots, Ryan demonstrated how to kill, clean and cook Manna’s for the BBQ. Just when you thought you’d seen everything Western Australia had to offer…

Fishing Western Australia is back for yet another episode in the magnificent Mackerel Islands, as Ryan Thipthorp kicks off a local Game Fishing Tournament and tries for some Trevally, Tuna and other reef fish himself on the side lines. As the Leisurecat Game Fishing Tournament gets underway throughout the islands, Ryan heads out to the shallower reefs closer to the shore to try jigging with soft plastics. After finding success with common reef species like Skipjack Tuna and Spangled Emperor, an unusual variant of a Trevally comes to the boat that has everyone aboard stumped. It just goes to show that a lifetime of fishing will never prepare you for Western Australia has in store.

Ryan Thipthorp travels back to the urban banks of the Swan River in Perth for this episode of Fishing Western Australia, as he goes stalking for Bartail Flathead and Yellowfin Whiting. Stalking may not be the first method you think of when it comes to these kinds of species, but by chance Ryan finds great success. Ryan spots flatties barely submerged in six inches of water with his spotlight, and using bloodworms as bait, manages to tempt fish all through the night. After a great session, he demonstrates how to best use electronic fish finders when fishing deeper waters off the coast. You won’t see this kind of content every day!

In this special final episode of Fishing Western Australia, Ryan Thipthorp and producer Harry Baumann take a look back at some of the best moments of Season 11, as well as heading out for some jigging around Rottnest Island. Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth is a favourite location of the Fishing Western Australia crew, known for its dramatic underwater features, wrecks and big hungry sport fish. The old shipwrecks littered through the islands make for a perfect refuge for Red Snapper to hunt, so Ryan and Harry target them with deep water jigs, pulling in some real beauties. This is the perfect end to an incredible season, so stayed tuned for season 12!