Fishing Nanga Bay
Submitted by ROBBBO on Thu, 2025-07-17 18:37
G'day All
An old fart here :). Haven't been in the West too long and looking at a first trip with the boat, probably to Nanga Bay next month. just after any advice at all that would help get me on to a few fish, not fussed on species, it's mostly for fun, although wouldn't mind a feed or two of decent table fish. Boat is a 5.4m with 130 donk. Bringing a mate from over East that is mainly used to bait fishing for bream and flathead, so would like to get him onto something bigger too. any advice would be much appreciated!
Cheers
Robbo
Bradmac73
Posts: 217
Date Joined: 22/03/17
Been a while but .....
Hey Robbo,
Haven't been since 2021, but can't imagine much has changed. If y0u head north about 10kms, there's some good channels pretty close in that hold nice Black snapper, pretty much aligne dwith the southern end of middle flat, which is clear on your GPS (and also well worth a fish).
If you want to catch good pinks, straight out from the caravan park until it drops off to about 12m depth (guessing about 7km out?). It's flat gravelly ground without a shred of anything on it, but it's the pink snapper highway. Fishes best on dusk, and as long as the weather is reasonable, it's an easy motor in after dark, just head toward the bit flood light over the fillet table on the beach.
I believe the caravan park has been bought by summer star, so hopefully there'll be some upgrades soon as it's all a bit tired.
ROBBBO
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 14/01/11
Much appreciated Bradmac ....
Champion mate, many thanks.
Unfortunately the weather isn't looking great the next few weeks if the forecast is anything to go by...
Being somewhat more sheltered than the open ocean, and not having been out there before, I'm just wondering what speed/direction wind would make fishing difficult/too dangerous in my 5.4 Top Ender. I don't mind it a bit blowy, but once I have to start hanging on more than fishing then I stop enjoying it...
Thanks again mate.
Cheers
Rob H
Posts: 5864
Date Joined: 18/01/12
From my trip there it looked
From my trip there it looked like anything from the westerly semi circle would make launching a bit of a saga.
Unless you have a mooring to use?
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
ROBBBO
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 14/01/11
Thanks Rob
Thanks Rob, no mooring mate, I'd be launching at the beach/ramp there. Good point, I did wonder how the launching/retrieving would go with anything Westerly related. I think I'm past wrestling with the boat!
Cheers
Robbo
Rob H
Posts: 5864
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I think they have rental
I think they have rental moorings there, otherwise I have a fairly solid set up in Geraldton you could borrow on the way thru if coming from Perth (depending when)
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
ROBBBO
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 14/01/11
Mighty nice of you Rob and others..
Thanks for the offer Rob, mighty nice of you. Looks like we're just going to do a quick run for a few days and suss it all out. Trying for next week where there's a few days of lighter Easterly's. If it goes to custard, we'll have some longer rods and try for some land based stuff... bit of a recce this trip is. So thanks again but won't take you up on the offer for this trip. Will keep you all posted on how it goes. Thanks again for all the feedback. Cheers. Robbo
Bradmac73
Posts: 217
Date Joined: 22/03/17
Weather
It's moreso uncomfortable than dangerous most of the time, once you get up toward the 20 knot wind mark it gets pretty sloppy though as you'd expect but don;t discount the shallow options north and south if it is blowing. Being right there with quick launchaccess you can generall find a window to do some sort of fishing. The other thing to be mindful of with both tides and onshore wind is that the area where the ramp is often ends up under water. SO after launching park your car up the dune (you'll see other do this) so you don't return to a waterlogged vehicle.
Swompa
Posts: 3981
Date Joined: 14/10/12
We camped on the boat in
We camped on the boat in shark bay in a south wester that got up to 34 knots. The swell obviosly doesnt get in there in anything south of west, but the chop and the voilence of the boat swinging on the mooring is the bit that needs to be managed...
Launching and geting out to a decent spot in anything over 18/20 knots would become challenging purely for comfort levels as the chop in shallow water becomes violent.
sea-kem
Posts: 15135
Date Joined: 30/11/09
So I'm just googling mapping
So I'm just googling mapping it, could be a potential trip in the future. Is it only Snapper that's the main catch there? Sharks a problem? Best time of year I'm guessing late April May?
Love the West!
Bradmac73
Posts: 217
Date Joined: 22/03/17
Mostly
Plenty of Black snapper and cod in the channels and around structure, good options up near Goulet Bluff and out at Fork Flats and the surrounds. Straight out in the deeper desert was all pinks, and good size, unlike lots of the bay where there's a million undersized models. Very few sharks, and the ones we got were only small, didn't lose any fish to them.
We are usually there in late May and the weather is pretty good, though this year late April up there was primo weather.
sea-kem
Posts: 15135
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Thanks mate, that's awesome
Thanks mate, that's awesome info.
Love the West!
ROBBBO
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 14/01/11
Thanks again Brad..
Thanks again mate. Cheers. Robbo
carnarvonite
Posts: 8692
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Ken's? reef
The previous owner used to dump all the old fridges, washing machines, tyres etc at a spot about 3-4 nm out. Ask at reception if they know the coordinates
Bradmac73
Posts: 217
Date Joined: 22/03/17
Yep that's still there
Still easy enough to pick it up on the sounder heading out. Not sure if the new management would know of it though? But a w/sw or thereabouts heading straight from the ramp and you should go over it from memory. Don;t have the co-ords for it.
snappermiles
Posts: 2107
Date Joined: 05/11/10
plenty of baldies around the islands
use plastic crabs or butterfish fillets
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!