FISHING THE FAR WEST COAST

Mitchell de Ron has just returned from a dream trip to the Far West Coast. As you’ll discover, this was quite an introduction to serious surf fishing!

November 2024 marked the start of an unforgettable adventure chasing mulloway on the far west coast of S A. I’d been planning the trip for months with my mates from Coffin Bay — Dave, Jon, Tom, and my brother Josh. For years I’d dreamed of heading further west to target the elusive silver ghosts, but this was my first time fishing the area. With excitement coursing through my veins, my goal was simple: land a mulloway over the magic metre mark.

After careful consultation and a lot of planning, I selected my surf gear. I chose two Samaki Zing 13ft surf rods, one paired with a Shimano Saragosa 10000 spooled with 65lb Power Pro, and the other with a Daiwa Saltist 8000 spooled with 80lb Berkley X9 braid. I also packed 10/0 BKK circle hooks, 10/0 BKK octopus hooks, high-quality mono leader, sinkers, glowsticks, head torches, rod holders, and a car freezer packed with fresh frozen baits. I had all the right gear and the know-how to back it up; now it was time to put it to the test.

The day arrived, and the 4x4s were packed to the brim.

We left Coffin Bay mid-morning on a Saturday, making stops at Elliston, Streaky Bay, Ceduna, and Nundroo to fuel up and grab any last-minute supplies. Hours of driving later, we finally reached the beach around 4:30 pm. Despite the stiff 25 knot sou’-easter, the sight before us exceeded my expectations. The pristine, white sand stretched endlessly, and there were no other anglers in sight in the area we planned to fish. The swell was pumping, so we let down the tyres and drove along the sand, searching for the perfect camp spot.

The fish that makes all the effort worthwhile!

An hour later we found a promising gutter with a good camping spot not too far away, but we couldn’t wait to set up camp; we were too eager to get our lines in the water. That first night we caught a few small soapies between 30 and 65 cm, enough to keep me dreaming of what the next day might bring.

DAY 2: THE FIRST TASTE OF SUCCESS

We woke up before sunrise, eager to get back in the water and hoping for an early bite. As the sun rose, it quickly burnt off the cloud cover, and the heat began to intensify as the day wore on. By 10 am, with no action on the rods, we decided to pack up camp and move further up the beach. Dave, who was keen to find better water, suggested a new spot, and we discovered another gutter with a perfect camping spot right at the base of the dunes.

After casting my first bait, I was heading back to camp for my second rod when I noticed the crew gesturing behind me. Turning around, I saw my rod buckling over. After a mad sprint of 50m over soft sand, I hooked and landed my first-ever beach mulloway. It wasn’t quite the metre-plus fish I was hoping for, measuring 78 cm — just shy of legal size, but it was a huge milestone for me, and after a few quick happy snaps, it was promptly released back into the water, where it swam off strongly.

The rest of the day passed without much action, but I stayed hopeful, knowing that the next day might bring more luck.

DAY 3: THE DREAM CATCH

They’re not all giants

At 5am on the third day, as dawn broke the night sky, we were up and out on the beach, ready to fish again. It was slow going until about 11:30 am, when my brother Josh landed the first legal mulloway of the trip, a solid 84 cm. Not long after that, my dream came true. I cast my line into some nice blue water, and as I walked towards the surf to wash my hands, I noticed the line suddenly sitting lower than it should be. Without a second thought, I turned and was already sprinting towards my rod as it buckled with the unmistakable scream of the reel stripping line. With adrenaline pumping, I hoped that what was on the end of my line was exactly what we had come all this way for. The headshakes indicated I might be in luck.

I signalled to the guys back at camp, and within moments they were running down the beach, cameras, brag mat and pliers in hand. After a tense five-minute fight, Dave sprinted into the surf to scoop up the fish. When he stood up and I saw what was cradled in his arms. I couldn’t believe my eyes — a 119 cm silver beauty, estimated at 40 lb. I was ecstatic! After some quick photos, I carefully released the fish back into the surf, watching it disappear into the blue.

The day didn’t end there. Around 12:30 am Jon landed a 94 cm mulloway right before the night’s high tide. I went to bed that night with a huge grin on my face, already dreaming of what the next day would bring.

DAY 4: THE BEST OF THE BEST

The fourth day started with a flurry of west coast salmon, of which some we kept for fresh bait. But by midday the fishing slowed, so I decided to move a couple of hundred metres further down the beach, away from camp, and set up in a new spot within the same gutter. I set up both rods in the water, settled into my deck chair, and waited. As the sun reached its peak, I noticed a small bite on the rod furthest from me. Expecting it to be a small soapy, I picked up the rod and took up the slack. Suddenly, the reel screamed again.

This time, after a mad dash from camp, Josh raced into the surf to help, and after another brief but intense fight, we landed my second metre-plus fish of the trip. It measured 132 cm and at an estimated 50lb, easily surpassed my previous personal best. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as we carefully handled the fish and snapped a few photos in the wash, after which the fish was released, swimming off into the surf.

After high-fives all round, I rebaited and cast out again and was then joined by Tom, who had left his rod further up the beach. Just as the rest of the crew returned to camp, I saw my rod bend again. Unable to believe my luck, I quickly got the attention of the crew once more. Sure enough, after another fight, I caught my first actual glimpse of silver in the waves. This one was another beauty – only 1cm longer than the previous fish, coming in at 133 cm, but much heavier, and we estimated it to be around 60lb.

Despite our best efforts to release it, after 20 minutes of swimming with her in the surf, the fish kept going belly up. With heavy hearts, we decided to keep her. It was a tough call, but the reality of fishing sometimes means you can’t always control the outcome.

Before we left the beach, Tom noticed his rod bouncing, and after a short fight, he landed a beautifully conditioned 104 cm mulloway, which was safely released.

CHASING THE BRONZIES

Later that afternoon I decided to try targeting a bronzie, knowing they were common along the coast. Using 200 lb wire trace and a 10/0 circle hook, I cast my line just behind the breakers, about 10m past the wash zone where the water cleared. After over two hours of soaking the bait, and watching bronzies cruise past without showing any interest, my relaxing afternoon came to an abrupt end when my line started screaming. After a long run, I thought I’d hooked a decent bronzie. But when Josh yelled, “It’s another mulloway!” I couldn’t believe it.

With brag mat and pliers at the ready, I topped my previous best by 2cm. This one was a 135 cm monster, estimated at 50lb. It was a much skinnier fish than the previous one, but it still topped my personal best. After some more quick photos, we released it back into the surf.

That fish was the final one caught for the day. After some good-natured ribbing, particularly from Josh and Jon, I decided to call it a night early; better to be safe than sorry, as it would have been a long walk home had I got under their skin too much! I couldn’t believe the day I’d just had. Being a 16-year-old who lives and breathes fishing, this day and the entire trip fast became my best fishing experience ever.

THE FINAL DAYS

The last two days saw me land another two mulloway —one at 96 cm and another at 102 cm. The teasing continued, but I didn’t mind. The trip had already been a dream come true, and nothing was going to dampen my spirits.

On the last morning we packed up camp and made the journey home. I’ll forever be grateful to Dave for inviting me on this adventure, and while I’m not sure how I’ll ever top this experience, I can’t wait to return. Five mulloway over a metre, plus one just shy of legal size – how do you top that? As any angler knows, you just have to keep going. The adventure is far from over!