Tackle Talk: Weather brings big fish ops

Winter is fast approaching and the far-from-average weather brings the big fish in close.

Those who persist through the storm are rewarded with top fighting fish like mulloway, snapper and sharks.

Mulloway season is now in full swing and it has come a little earlier this year, with fishos catching them at beaches such as Buffalo, Belvedere and the Busselton Jetty.

Sizes have been good with many fish being over 1m and weighing between 15-plus kilograms.

Live bait such as herring and yellowtail scad work well.

A running sinker to a single hook pinned lightly into the livey will do the trick.

Persistence is the key if you put in the hours you can reap the rewards of these prized fish.

Squid are around at the moment with good numbers showing up in the Geographe Bay region, but they are smaller than average. Early mornings or late afternoons are definitely the best times to go for the chance of a good catch.

Often at the Busselton Jetty you will feel them attacking your baits while targeting other species.

It is always handy to have a hand line or spare rod with a pencil or squid jig attached to throw in when they are hanging around to optimise your catch rate.

Herring are at most beaches as well with sizes being better than average.

Herring are suckers for small chrome lures and are easy to catch - no need for smelly bait and dirty fingers.