Damian Bowman discusses the abundant angling opportunities available to those who make the trek to this wonderful part of the world.

In the minds of Western Australian anglers, Ningaloo is the iconic one stop, go-to destination. The reef is versatile in that it caters tovarious fishing styles and if you’re the type who wants it all, Ningaloo really is the full package.

Nothing beats the smile of a first tagged marlin, Emily Zimmerle is obviously stoked with this striped marlin.

The reef extends from Red Bluff in the south for 300km right up to Bundegi in Exmouth. Unlike most coral reefs, Ningaloo runs in close proximity to the main coastline, meaning it provides great protection for the shallow water and easy access to extremely deep water. This combination makes it the perfect fishing destination and with 500 species of fish on offer, there’s something for everyone.
In 1987 the reef became a world heritage location, these sanctuary zones keep the coral and fish thriving. The rules are well known and heavily policed which ensures this pristine location will remain WA’s number one fishing location for many years to come.

That face you make when you drag a monster up from 350 metres with a spinning reel; David Tencate with an un-liftable bass grouper.

INSHORE NINGALOO
Inshore Ningaloo, known as ‘inside the reef’, the depth does not exceed five metres, which is perfect for light spinning, kayaking, popping and fly fishing. Even though the inshore waters are shallow, it holds some big fish, including reef species, pelagics, big trevally and queenfish.
The Ningaloo reef runs parallel to the shoreline which makes it a much safer option for smaller vessels. My personal choice for inshore fishing is a 10kg combo used for throwing small poppers like Halco Roosta 120’s or Reefsedge poppers in the new 40 g size. With poppers you can catch spangled emperor, queenfish, reef species and all types of trevally, including big GT’s. The inshore bommies and coral reefs make catching big fish an awesome challenge in shallow water and the pristine location makes this type of fishing a favourite for many.

Ruby snapper are a popular target species due to the close proximity of deep water.

TROLLING
Trolling at Ningaloo can be an action-packed affair. Big Spanish mackerel are common and when they’re on the chew you can experience continuous double hook ups. They tend to hang where the reef drops off from 20 to 30 m along the entire stretch of Ningaloo.
The reef is also the gateway to Western Australian game fishing with Exmouth being the main hub for large game fishing competitions that are known worldwide. As far as game fishing goes, Ningaloo has everything covered from mahi mahi and tuna to wahoo and billfish.
Small black marlin and sailfish are very common from 100 to 200m, which on a good day is accessible to boats of any size (I have even pedaled my kayak out this far). Big record breaking blue marlin are also getting caught every year but are often in depths beyond those capable of tinnies and kayaks. For more information on Exmouth fishing comps visit the Exmouth game fishing club website.
KAYAK FISHING
The Ningaloo reef is a kayak angler’s dream. The inshore fishing is a large paradise of pristine coral bommies and the outside of the reef drops off to deep water so fast that you don’t have to pedal/paddle for hours to reach 30 to 100m of water which is home to some of the biggest fish in the ocean.
When I fish inshore I like to drift over the bommies with poppers and then troll lures back into the wind. On some days I get the urge to get towed around by tiger sharks with a heavy combo and a locked drag then safely release them from the shore.
Outside the reef is an exciting place to fish for experienced kayakers. Be aware that travelling between the entrance/egress between the reefs to access the outside can be impossible at some locations during larger swells.
Always take the time to read weather reports and speak to locals (log on) before going outside the reef. I carry every bit of safety gear I can when going out wide, this includes an EPIRB, flares, radio, GPS and an anchor or two.
BOTTOM BOUNCING
Dropping two baits and a sinker to the ocean floor has, for a long time, been the most popular style of fishing and, as expected, this will produce terrific results at Ningaloo. Bait fishing is not my cup of tea but I was once told that if you travel to 100m you can always find fish without looking at your sounder. Believe it or not I did find fish trying this method, including spots that produced continuous big double headers.
The 20 to 30m drop off has plenty of trout, emperor and cod but using baits seems to entice many small pest fish so soft plastics and slow jigsseem a better option. Deep drops from 150 to 400m produce other great tasting species like ruby snapper and bass grouper. Electric reels are normally used but much respect is given to anyone who can manually wind up from these depths.
Damian Bowman has 36 years of kayak, landbased and boat fishing experience under his belt, his local being around the Margaret River region of W.A. While Damian owns a boat, he mainly uses it to tow his kayak out to sea to fish from. Damian runs the not for profit organization www.theaverageanglerfishingadventures.com.au, which raises proceeds to assist poverty stricken children in Cambodia and Indonesia.