Ideal conditions for squid in Exmouth Gulf

How good is it to get a mint-weather weekend in November?

Brilliant.

Yes, it can be a bit breezy this time of year but when the weather gods turn it on, the ramps are busy with locals heading out to make the most of the prime conditions.

Having said that, the true locals were easy to spot at the weekend as they hung close to the ramps mid-afternoon expecting the south-westerly to hit without warning.

The most unusual weather pattern last week was the rain though, with a sprinkle that barely cleaned the dust off the rooftops.

The weird weather pattern was a good excuse for those anglers who had no luck, but there were plenty who had good success.

The gulf was on fire again, with reports of squid that were hung-ry and in large numbers in all areas.

If you want success with them, we recommend slow trolling with light gear set on very light drag.

Use a variety of colours and make sure that the boat is out of gear once a hook-up is in action and be quick to grab the other rods before the jigs hit the bottom.

Try the weed beds and sandy areas adjacent to the weed beds.

It’s great fun for young and old and extremely tasty if your results are positive.

The rock lobster continue to be high on the list for anglers too, with crystal-clear conditions and very little tidal movement coupled with calm weather.

These conditions also made it perfect for spearfishers and many blue-and-white flags were flying in the gulf during the weekend.

Coral trout were popular in photos, along with a few bluebone.

The warmer weather is certainly helping the water temperatures rise, enticing more people to grab a speargun and target something differently.

Poppa George is a name well known in the billfishing scene in Exmouth, particularly after he fell overboard while fishing solo two years ago.

The keen Kiwi is back out there again in his new boat and shredding the waters with some incredible statistics on the blue marlin.

Of course, he is far more careful these days with personal safety when fishing alone, but with the figures he has been getting of late, we reckon all his mates will be wanting to join him for future trips.

Many boats in the fleet out chasing the blues have been having multiple encounters daily and we are looking forward to hearing of some more records being broken in the coming weeks.

The fly-fishing scene has been awesome, with several incredible catches by local and visiting anglers.

Katie Knick and her partner Nick have continued to wade the flats and are enjoying the warm waters that have been holding the much sought-after permit.