Bluebone Fishing in WA: The Blackspot Tuskfish Guide

If you’ve hooked something on a northern reef that hit like a freight train and tried to bury itself in the coral before you’d even registered the bite, there’s a good chance it was a bluebone. They’re one of WA’s great reef demersals — heavy-shouldered, bad-tempered, and about as good as it gets on the plate. This is the guide to what they are, where to find them, and how to get one in the esky without losing half your rigs to the reef.

What a Bluebone Actually Is

Bluebone is the common name for the blackspot tuskfish (Choerodon schoenleinii) — a big, bull-headed reef wrasse named for the blue-green tint of its bones and fin spines. They use powerful jaws and peg-like teeth to crush crabs, shellfish and sea urchins, which is why a bluebone bite feels less like a nibble and more like a door slamming.

They grow to around 1m and 15kg, though most fish landed are in the 2–6kg range. Like all WA demersals they’re slow-growing and protogynous — they change sex with age — which is exactly why the bag limits are conservative.

Bluebone vs baldchin groper — get this right

Here’s the thing that trips people up. “Bluebone” gets used for two different fish: the northern bluebone — the blackspot tuskfish (Choerodon schoenleinii) this guide is about — and the baldchin groper (Choerodon rubescens), the West Coast species plenty of southern anglers also call bluebone.

They’re both tuskfish, both crush shellfish with peg teeth, but they’re separate species on separate grounds — the baldchin a West Coast fish, the blackspot tuskfish its bigger tropical cousin up north. When someone says “bluebone” on a regs page or in a tackle shop, it’s worth knowing which one they mean, because the rules differ by bioregion.

Where and When in WA

The blackspot tuskfish ranges from the Houtman Abrolhos northward — up through the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley. They live on coral and rubble reef in 10–60m, holding tight to structure on broken ground.

Northern WA fishes year-round, but the cooler months (May–September) give you the best weather windows in the Gascoyne and Pilbara. Tide changes — particularly the start of the run-in — trigger the bite, and neap tides make bottom fishing a lot easier than the bigger spring runs. Dawn and dusk produce the better fish.

The Rules (Read Them Before You Drop a Bait)

Bluebone sit within WA’s demersal scalefish rules, so the numbers matter:

• Bag limit: 2 per fisher in the West Coast Bioregion (counted within the demersal mixed bag), 2 in other bioregions, and just 1 at the Houtman Abrolhos.
• Minimum size: 400mm.
• West Coast demersal closure: a boat-based demersal closure applies in the West Coast Bioregion (Kalbarri to Augusta) until at least September 2027. During the closure you cannot target or retain demersal scalefish — bluebone included — anywhere in that zone.

North of Kalbarri the closure doesn’t apply, but the bag and size limits still do, and a possession limit applies. These dates and boundaries move, so confirm the current rules at DPIRD before every trip. “I thought it was open” has never once worked on a fisheries officer.

Northern Reef Grounds

The productive bluebone country is all north of the closure zone. These are the grounds to point the boat at.

Coral Bay

The southern gateway to Ningaloo and an easy introduction to tuskfish country. Coral Bay has accessible reef in workable depths, and the rubble edges off the bay hold bluebone alongside spangled emperor and coral trout.

Exmouth

Exmouth is the heart of Ningaloo fishing — gulf and outside reefs both. The mix of coral, rubble and ledge in 10–60m is textbook tuskfish habitat, and the town is the logical base for a serious northern demersal trip.

Mackerel Islands

Off Onslow, the Mackerel Islands sit over reef and rubble that holds quality bluebone. Classic Pilbara reef fishing — drop a crab on the bottom near broken ground and hold on.

Montebello Islands

The Montebello Islands are remote, sheltered and ringed by reef that sees less pressure than the mainland grounds. Bluebone are part of a strong mixed demersal bag out here for those who make the trip.

Dampier

Dampier and the wider Pilbara reefs give you huge areas of coral and rubble bottom. Find the broken ground in the right depth and the tuskfish are there.

Abrolhos Islands

The southern edge of the blackspot tuskfish’s range. The Abrolhos Islands sit inside the West Coast Bioregion, so check the demersal closure before you target bluebone here — the rules that don’t touch Exmouth absolutely apply at the Abrolhos.

Gear and Rigs

Fish heavier than feels necessary. A hooked tuskfish over rubble will test 80lb leader and a slow drag every single time.

• Leader: 50–80lb mono. Bluebone dive straight for cover, so the leader has to survive a few seconds of contact with sharp reef.
• Hooks: 5/0–7/0 on a paternoster rig with one or two droppers.
• Rig: paternoster with enough lead to hold bottom in the current, baits fished hard on the bottom right against structure.
• Baits: whole or half crab, prawn, squid, octopus, shellfish, or a tough fish strip. Crabs and prawns out-fish most other options.
• Lures (if you prefer): soft plastics on heavy jigheads worked along the bottom, or slow-pitch jigs in 60–150g over the reef edge.

The technique that matters

The bite is often a sharp double-tap followed by solid weight as the fish turns for cover. Strike immediately and lift hard to turn its head before it reaches structure — the first few seconds decide the fight. A soft drag means a bricked fish and a lost rig. Lock up and winch.

Tuskfish are territorial: they’re either present or they’re not. If you don’t connect within about ten minutes over a likely patch, move and try the next bit of broken ground.

On the Plate

Bluebone are among the best eating on the reef — sweet, thick, white fillets that hold together grilled, baked or in a curry, with the cheeks and wings rated a delicacy. Bleed and ice them on capture; the flesh is firm but rewards prompt handling. Tropical reef fish carry a small ciguatera risk, but tuskfish are considered low-risk in WA waters.

Carry a release weight. Any undersized fish brought up from depth needs to go back down properly, and given how slowly this species grows, every released fish counts.

Frequently Asked

Are bluebone good to eat?
Among the best on the reef — sweet, thick white fillets that grill, bake or curry beautifully, with the cheeks and wings a delicacy. Bleed and ice on capture. There’s a small ciguatera risk with tropical reef fish, but tuskfish are low-risk in WA waters.

What’s the difference between bluebone and baldchin groper?
They’re two different tuskfish. The northern bluebone is the blackspot tuskfish (Choerodon schoenleinii), from the Abrolhos up through the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley. The baldchin groper (Choerodon rubescens) is the West Coast fish some anglers also call bluebone. Separate species, separate grounds.

Can you keep bluebone during the demersal closure?
No. Bluebone are demersal scalefish, so in the West Coast Bioregion (Kalbarri to Augusta) you can’t target or retain them during the boat-based closure, which runs until at least September 2027. North of Kalbarri the closure doesn’t apply, but bag and size limits still do. Check DPIRD for current dates.

How big do bluebone get?
To about 1m and 15kg, though most are 2–6kg. The minimum legal size is 400mm.

What’s the best bait for bluebone?
Hard-shelled baits that match their diet — crab, prawn, squid, octopus, shellfish or a tough fish strip. Crabs and prawns out-fish most options. Fish them hard on the bottom against the reef.

Bluebone are one of the great northern WA demersals — hard-pulling, good eating, and worth the heavy tackle. Read the full bluebone species guide for rigs and handling, know the demersal closure boundaries before you fish anywhere from Kalbarri to Augusta, and check conditions on BiteCompass before you load the boat.