Tarwhine
Shore / JettySilver bream relative found around estuary mouths and sheltered coastline. Takes similar baits to bream — prawns, worms, bread. Reliable catch around jetties and rock walls.
Tarwhine are the often-overlooked cousin of black bream, found year-round around jetties, rock walls, and estuary mouths in Perth. They're reliable biters on simple baits and put up a good fight on light tackle. While they don't have the cult following of bream, they're a solid catch and perfectly good eating.
Prawns, tube worms, bread dough, mussels
N/A — primarily a bait species. Occasionally taken on very small soft plastics but bait is far more reliable.
Float rig with a size 4–6 hook set 1–2m below a bobby cork, or a running sinker rig with a small ball sinker on the bottom. Use light line and keep hooks small.
Fish around jetty pylons, rock walls, and estuary mouths with light tackle and fresh bait. A float rig drifted past structure is the classic approach. Berley with bread to draw them in and keep them feeding. Tarwhine feed in schools, so once you find them, you can usually catch several before they move on.
Active throughout the day, with peaks around the tide changes. Rising tide around structure is particularly good. They bite year-round but are most abundant in the warmer months.
Up to 2kg, commonly 300–600g
Year-round
Good eating — similar to bream with white, mild flesh. Pan-fry whole or fillet larger fish. Not as highly regarded as bream but still a decent meal.
Bag limit: 6. Minimum size: 25cm. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point, and the Fremantle boat harbour are reliable tarwhine spots. They respond well to berley, so keep a steady stream of bread going. Often caught alongside herring and skippies when fishing structure.