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BroomeBack to

By N IC K I HuNT

rock fishing

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Creek & Rock Fishingbroome is a destination that we were both keen to get back to and

fish. We had been there the year before and the lure of maybe fighting barramundi or chasing game fish from the beaches had us back for

another taste of broome fishing. on this trip we did most of our fishing in the creeks around broome and a quick fish at a local beach.

We began our Broome fishing with a trip out to Gantheaume Point. We set up just to the right of

the boat ramp. The fish were biting right from the start but not getting hooked, our gear seemed to be too big for what was around. So we ditched the gang hooks and went for long shank hooks with squid. I had noticed when I had cast close to the nearby rocks I was getting stronger bites. I left the beach to try fishing

off the rocks. While I was still making my way over the rocks, Leigh got a stronger bite from the beach and wound in a nice cod. It didn’t take long for me to land my first fish for the morning off the rocks. It was a small emperor.

They are great little fighters on light gear. They were plentiful around the rocks, I was having a ball catching and releasing them. Leigh wanted a piece of the action, so he then climbed up the rocks to fish with me. It wasn’t long after Leigh climbed

BroomeMy blue threadfin

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up that four guys joined us fishing on the rocks. They were using lures but they didn’t seem to be having much luck. Meanwhile Leigh and I just kept pulling in emperors, although none were size it was great fun. The highlight of fishing at Gantheaume Point was a tremendous noise that broke the gentle sound of the waves rolling into the rocks. Everyone fishing on the rocks all stopped fishing and turn to our right. No one said a word, all our eyes were just fixed on the ocean where the noise was coming from. As we turned all you could see was at least a thousand fish flying out of the water in the bay beside us heading straight towards the beach. These were good size fish. Everyone just stood there watching and waiting. Something was going on as all the fish were heading to the beach. Finally it appeared a huge fin, then thrashing and

fish going in every direction trying to escape. It was truly amazing site watching this monster of the deep tearing through the school of fish. My one regret was that I had left the camera one rock over from where we were. Neither Leigh nor I wanted to stop watching to go and get it. We would have got the most amazing shots had we had the camera on the rock we were on. Once the show was over two of the guys on the rocks with us, took off for the bay with lures. Running down over the rocks and around the bay, but it appeared to be as we thought the shark and all the fish had gone. They were too late. As it was getting hot we headed back to camp to sit out the heat of the midday sun, and then have a try at Crab Creek on dusk.

We had fished Crab creek before but not with mullet as bait. We really wanted

tHe HiGHLiGHt oF FisHinG At GAntHeAuMe Point WAs A treMenDous noise tHAt broke tHe GentLe sounD oF tHe WAves roLLinG into tHe roCks. everyone FisHinG on tHe roCks ALL stoPPeD FisHinG AnD turn to our riGHt.

soMetHinG WAs GoinG on As ALL tHe FisH Were HeADinG to tHe beACH. FinALLy it APPeAreD A HuGe Fin, tHen tHrAsHinG AnD FisH GoinG in every DireCtion tryinG to esCAPe.

Leigh`s cod off the beach

threadfin caught without a rod.

GoldentrevallyatWilliecreek.

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to try live mullet, but at this stage we had no way of getting any. So we just brought some frozen mullet. We set ourselves up among the mangrove at Crab Creek and waited, it wasn’t long until Leigh and I had pulled in a couple of catfish. Not happy with our catch we packed up and planned to have a real crack at Crab Creek the next day. We had just driven from Geraldton to Broome in a couple of days. So we really needed a rest, and planned to have a big day

fishing the next day.Willy Creek was our first fishing spot

for the second day. Willy creek is about 35kms north of Broome. Crocodiles do inhabit the creek systems in the north of our state, so care must be taken when land base fishing around these areas. We chose to fish near the Pearl Farm at Willy Creek off the rock wall. If you are lucky enough, you can find protection from the sun under one of the many trees lining the rock wall.

On this day we took Leigh’s cousin Kim fishing with us, Kim has moved to Broome in the last 12 months. So we were hoping to get some tips from Kim on fishing in the Broome area. Leigh and I were equipped with 4/0 size gang hooks.

We had been using pre made gang hooks back in Geraldton but on our trip to Broome we made up our own gang hooks. We found them to be much stronger. The weeks leading up to the trip the pre made gang hooks we had been using were bending just catching tailor around Geraldton. It was a bit of a slow start and we were getting snagged a bit, so we opted to use lighter line to tie our sinkers on. That way if the sinker did get snagged the line to the sinker would break and increase our success of landing fish. Leigh was the first to open his fishing account at Willy Creek, with a change of rig he tried a long shank hook with squid. Leigh’s line wasn’t in the water long when the end of his rod was twitching. We were all keen to see what he had hooked. He pulled in what we all called a nice little silver fish, maybe some type of batfish? Not really sure. None of us knew what it was, but Leigh said it put up a nice little fight like a small bream.

The fishing at Willie Creek kept us all entertained for hours. Kim pulled in a few bream, he found that about 5 metres off the edge of the wall was most productive. This was after many changes in tackle, bait and casting distances. But once Kim found his range for the bream and squid as bait it was game on. He was enjoying himself with his light gear. Mean while Leigh was having numerous battles with catfish, not exactly the species Leigh was after. But then Leigh’s rod began to shake violently, this was no catfish. He had something on and it was

kim getting ready to catch our live bait

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putting up a good fight! After a short battle and carefully lifting

his catch up over the rock wall he landed himself a good size golden trevally. Now this was one fish we had come to Willie creek hoping to catch. After a few quick photos he released the trevally. That was our only major catch at Willie creek but we had a lot of fun with the bream, butterfish, grunters and catfish.

We have found catfish are plentiful around the Broome area. On a previous trip to Broome we caught catfish all day at Jack’s Creek near Eco Beach. We caught a few sharks and Leigh hooked onto a sawfish, which got off when it flicked its head and cut his line. This was a good thing, as they are protected in the Broome area. Where we were fishing that day we had a small pool of water in front of us. The water had been trapped there as the tide went out. One of the many catfish we caught that day seemed weak, so we put it in the pool to recover before releasing it. That whole day a large eagle had been sitting on the opposite side of the creek bank watching us. While Leigh and I cast out again we notice the eagle take off, as we both watched it swooped down and tried to take our catfish. Its first attempt it failed. But it turned straight back around and swooped again and this time it was successful at stealing our fish from the pool. The power these eagles have is

I fought just as hard. It had a short run before I started to drag my catch to the creeks edge. I was watching the water intensely hoping to see my catch break the water as barras do as they jump, but there was no sign of jumping. I was impressed with what I saw though, as my rod was still twitching right on the bank and I caught sight of a good size blue threadfin. To my disappointment we had broken our ruler at Willy Creek earlier in the day. Either way I know it was still a good size salmon. It wasn’t a barra but at least it wasn’t a catfish which we had continued to catch all day.

While Leigh and I are fishing we have always put live bait on ganghooks by threading the top hook through the bait just below the head. Kim told us he preferred to use a single hook which he put through the mullet just above the tail. That way the fish still had plenty of movement which attracted fish to its vibrating movements. Twilight brought the mozzies out in full force, but the lure of catching a barra kept us fishing while being eaten alive. Kim even got that desperate that he covered himself in mud in the hope that the mozzie would give him a break. He did seem to think that the mud did

unbelievable, it picked the catfish up with such ease.

Late that afternoon we headed out to Crab creek again. This is where we had fished the night before. Leigh’s cousin Kim brought his throw net out to the creek. It took Kim a little while to get the hang of using the throw net again. But Kim produced the goods it didn’t take him long before we had live mullet to bait up. (Tips on how to use a throw net can be found in 2010 Tide Guide for Western Australia.) In the meantime I had gang hooked up a mulie and thrown it into the middle of the mouth of Crab Creek estuary I was really hoping to catch my first barra. It wasn’t long before I felt a small nibble at my bait then a second attempt when it smashed my bait and I was away. I was sure this wasn’t just another catfish. My heart was pumping in the hope that this was my first barra. The tip of my rod had a substantially bend and was twitching flat out. I knew that barra did hard runs to try and find cover like under the nearest roots systems of a tree in the water. So the minute I felt the fight begin I was determined not to let my catch head to safety below the water somewhere in the creek system. As my catch fought,

We CAuGHt A FeW sHArks AnD LeiGH HookeD onto A sAWFisH, WHiCH Got oFF WHen it FLiCkeD its HeAD AnD Cut His Line.

sawfish before it cut the line

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work. Leigh also had some luck without a rod. There was a salmon swimming on the surface of the creek right near the edge. So Leigh dropped his rod and reached straight in and grabbed the fish. So you don’t always need a rod to catch a fish. I do think the fish must have been sick. Or maybe Leigh was because he seemed to have forgotten that there were crocs where we were fishing. Either way he was pleased with himself. Our only other catch that night was a spotted stingray.

Broome has such a variety of places to fish, from the creeks, the town jetty, rock fishing, beaches and off shore. There is somewhere to suit every fisherman in Broome. Kim has promised us a trip off shore our next trip to Broome. So we are both hoping to get back there sooner rather than later, for a trip off shore. Plus we are both still keen to catch our first barra.

brooMe HAs suCH A vAriety oF PLACes to FisH, FroM tHe Creeks, tHe toWn jetty, roCk FisHinG, beACHes AnD oFF sHore.

the eagle stealing our catfish