LIGHT SPIN RODS, REELS, METALS, POPPERS, HARDBODIES & LEADER
Giant Herring Gear
Every year from around October, one of the best light-tackle sportfish in WA turns up in the Swan River and most of Perth drives straight past it. Giant herring follow the mullet schools along the flats and drop-offs from the Narrows down to Blackwall Reach, and when you find them they hit fast, run long and jump three or four times a fight. They also throw lures like nothing else, so the gear has to be right.
It's light spin gear and small lures: a 7' to 8' 2–5kg rod, a 2500 to 3000 reel, 10 to 15g metals cast into the breeze, 80 to 100mm poppers and stickbaits on the calm mornings, and 80 to 100mm hardbodies on the troll behind the kayak. Compleat Angler Nedlands is ten minutes from the flats and the team fishes them. Browse by category below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gear for giant herring in the Swan?
A 7' to 8' 2–5kg spin rod, a 2500 to 3000 reel with a freshly serviced drag, 12 to 16lb braid and 15 to 20lb fluorocarbon leader. The Ocean's Legacy Dream Cast, Ripple Fisher Silver Stream, Shimano Dialuna and Yamaga Ballistick are all built for this kind of fishing. Go as light as the wind allows; heavy lures are easier for them to throw.
Which lures for giant herring?
Small chrome metals from 10 to 20g like the Halco Twisty and Malosi Marksman for distance and wind, 80 to 100mm poppers and stickbaits like the Roosta Popper 80 and Malosi Rogue 85 on a still morning, and 80 to 100mm hardbodies like the Rapala X-Rap and Ocean's Legacy Tidalus 92 cast or trolled. Retrieve fast. Single hooks help with the release.
How do I find giant herring in the river?
Follow the mullet. Look for nervous bait and surface activity along the flats where they drop into deeper water: Point Walter, the Dalkeith and Nedlands foreshore, Blackwall Reach, Pelican Point. Cast ahead of the school and retrieve fast; the strike is immediate. If nothing's showing, move. They're a travelling fish and blank sessions are part of it.
How do I stop losing them on the jump?
Keep the rod working and the line tight through every jump. Slack line loses giant herring more than anything else. Set the drag firm but not locked, crush your barbs so the hook stays put and the release is quick, and don't horse the first run. Expect to land maybe half of what you hook; that's the fishery.
When are giant herring in the Swan River?
From roughly October through the warm months to April, coinciding with the mullet runs and warmer water. Dawn, dusk and the first hour of dark are the best windows, and a moving tide over the flats beats slack water. They're bony and poor eating, so they're a release fish.