Coral Bay Land Based Fishing
At first glance there may seem like there are not many fishing options for land based anglers in Coral Bay. With the town in the middle of a sanctuary zone and not too many roads to drive down your options do seem limited. But there are plenty of fishing options for the land locked fisher. We have listed what we consider the "regular" local land based fishing hot spots around Coral Bay. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to land based fishing in Coral Bay, but they are a good start and on your way too them you will no doubt find your own.
Click on map below or scroll down for your land based options, maps of how to get to them and fishing info for each one.
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Mauds Landing (2WD access)
If you ask anyone in town "where can I go beach fishing" Maud's Landing will be top of the list. And for good reason. Not only is it one of the easiest spot to get to, on a good day (or night) it can be one of the best. Big long sandy beach, with plenty of room even when it busy. Knock the surf rod holders in the ground and sit back and enjoy the sunset.
Getting There
Driving out of town only a few hundred meters on your left you will see a track heading out onto the salt flats towards the airstrip. Follow the main track and it will take you down along the fence line of the airstrip and then veer off to the left towards the beach. There is a area at the end of the track just on the back of the beach where you can park your car if only a 2WD. If you have a capable 4WD and let your tyres down you can drive onto and down the beach.
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What might I catch
Common catches include - Trevally, Queenfish, Dart, Tailor, Whiting.
If your lucky you may catch - Cobia, Mackerel, Bonefish.
How to catch them
Normal surf beach fishing tactics is all you need. A running sinker or paternoster rig, cast out with prawn on a long shank hook or mulie on a set of gangs will do the job. Or if you don't like waiting for the fish, walk down the beach casting a metal slice or your favourite lure.
Best tip: Fishing bait after dark give you a good chance of a Cobia if you can avoid the sharks.
Best fishing time: Is on and sunset/sunrise.
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Boat Ramp Area (2WD access)
Not the most productive fishing spot but easy to get too. You are not allowed to fish off any of the jetty at the boat ramp area, but all the rock walls and surrounding beaches are fair game. Just please remember that it is primarily a boating facility so make sure you keep you lines out of the way and clear of any of the boats using the area. Not only are there the rock walls to fish off, but to the south of the facility there is a quiet little beach that opens out onto a shallow sand bar that can also be fished. You are allowed to shore base fish just to the north of the facility too, up to the 8kt sign in the water (check your zones).
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Your photos go here, so send them in or post up on our FB page so we can pu them up!
Getting There
Sealed roads all the way. Follow the signs, down past the servo to the high carpark at the top of the hill. Park up here and walk down. No parking is allowed on the island (commercial operators drop off only).
What might I catch
Common catches include - Trevally, Queenfish, Spangled Emperor, Squid
If your lucky you may catch - Mangrove Jack, Mackerel
How to catch them
The whole bottom around and to the north of the facility is broken limestone with lots of hungry eel's waiting to drag your bait into their home if you are not already snagged. So if bait fishing either use a float or unweighted and keep it moving off the bottom. All this limestone area is prime Spangled Emperor ground. They will also take soft plastics, but keep them moving and off the bottom. After dark a floated bait left to wait also does well. Squid also frequent this area more at night under the lights but can be spotted and cast to during the day also, using normal squid jigs. The Beach and sand bar to the south can be productive for patrolling Queenfish and Trevally.
Best Tip: If there are bait around (usually hardy heads). Catch them with a small bait catching ring, them cast out unweighted live hooked through the nose not the back.
Best Fishing Time: leading up to high tide and after dark.
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Five Finger Reef (4WD access only)
More of a snorkelling location than a fishing spot, but fishing is allowed and is worth a go. Five fingers is named after the 5 large reef outcrops starting at the shore going out into the water. There are a huge variety of fish here as you will see if you go for a swim, but not too many of them a normally hungry. You are allowed to fish from a boat off five fingers so it is also a good location to launch and fish from a kayak. Spearfishing is also allowed in the area but make sure you know the local rules in regards to what fish are off limits spearfishing in the area.
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Getting There
Recently there has been a lot of work done Park and Wildlife to make access to Five Fingers easier and more controlled. So there is now a single track with good signage to help you get there. Just before you reach the boat ramp carpark, on your left you will see the 4WD access track. There is a little area to stop and let your tyres down here. This is not only to prevent getting stuck but also to help keep the track in ok condition so please let them down. Heading south it is quite easy to follow the signage that will take you out onto Five fingers Beach.
What might I catch
Common catches include - Trevally, Dart, Small Reef Fish and Cods.
If your lucky you may catch - Spangled Emperor, Squid, Whiting, Almost Anything.
How to catch them
The reef can make it hard to land decent fish from shore especially if on light gear as they will run under the reef and get you snagged quite easily. The sand patches between the fingers can be fished as per normal beach fishing rigs. At lower tides you can walk out not the fingers and cast between the reef with lures or bait. The beach just to the south of the fingers can also be very productive and much easier to fish as there is less coral to get snagged on.
Best Tip: Jump in a kayak paddle out and cast some soft plastics around, lots of little cods and if you get snagged you can paddle around to free it up.
Best Fishing Time: leading up to high tide or low tide so you can walk out on the fingers.
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Your photos go here, so send them in or post up on our FB page so we can pu them up!
Warroora Fence Line (4WD access only)
Now we are getting half serious. A bit of a treck, but can be worth it. One of the more remote and productive land based fishing spots. A long stretch of beach with a mix of sand reef and limestone rubble. One of the best chances for a land based Spangled Emperor but juts about everything will swim past this stretch of beach at some point during the day. Turtles are a common sight along this stretch and can usually e spotted from the top of the cliffs before climbing down.
Getting There
This is the track that is commonly known as turtle cliffs, As per the below maps the track to Five Fingers has a turn off near its end. Try to keep to the most traveled track as there are a few options that don't go anywhere along the way. But with the help of the below maps you should make it to the large south passage markers on the hills, near them there are a couple of lookout points on the edge of the cliffs. Find a spot to park at the most southern one (do not block the track as it is also used by the off road tours). You will then meed to very carefully make your way done the cliff (bit of a goat track next to the lookout at the fence line.
What might I catch
Common catches include - Spangled Emperor, Squid, Charlie Court, Wrase, Parrot Fish, Trevally, Dart, Small Cods.
If your lucky you may catch - Almost Anything.
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How to catch them
You can fish with bait on the bottom in the sandy patches between, but this is the perfect area to try out your lures. As before keep them off the bottom to avoid snags, but other than that it is worth giving anything a go here. Cover ground and walk down the beach and across the rocky outcrops. Soft plastic are quite productive and will catch a good verity of different species.
Best Tip: If the fish are hungry and your sick of catching little cods, try casting a stickbait or popper to weed out the most aggressive fish and a chance of Spangled Emperor on a surface lure.
Best Fishing Time: Leading up to high tide, but any time ok.
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The Sand Bar (4WD access only)
The best sand flats fishing location in Coral Bay. The natural sand bar can some times extend several hundred meters out at low tide. This allows you to walk or wade out a long way and cover a lot of area. There are rally strong currents flowing past this are which is good for attacking bait and fish. A very visual fishing location, you will usually see your fish before you hook it.
Getting There
A bit of a drive off road, but the track is quite good right till the end entering the beach where it can get a bit average at times. A few km out of town there is a road sign post offered access track. This track will take you all the way to Yardie Creek if you have a day to waste, passing a lot of good fishing spots along the way. the sandbar is just one of them. Use the below maps and follow the track past the turn offs for the Lagoon and Oyster Bridge. You may need to open a gate half way there (if you do make sure you shut it. When you are nearly there you will come over a hill to a big open vally. On the left there are two different turn offs that both turn into one track meeting at another gate. Through that and over a couple of average soft hills and you will be there.
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What might I catch
Common catches include - Trevally, Queenfish, Dart, Whiting.
If your lucky you may catch - GT (Giant Trivially), Wolf Hearing, Threadfin, Bonefish.
How to catch them
You traditional sand flats fishing location, perfect for sight casting your favourite lure or plastic strait over the fish. Normal beach fishing bait rigs will also work quite well. As there is not much her to get snagged on, this is the place to pull out the light gear and have some fun. It is also a good location for fly fishing if you are that way inclined. I don't know a better spot in WA if not Australia were you have a shot at a Bonefish on a fly with your feet on the ground.
Best Tip: Same as at the boat ramp, if you can catch some live bait, and get it back out there still alive with a hook in it. It wont last long
Best Fishing Time: An incoming tide strait after low tide.
