Fisherman wasn't reported missing until four days after disappearance

There are fears for the safety of a fisherman missing off the Western Australia coast with rough weather hampering search efforts.

Terry Jennings, 73, was last seen on CCTV having a conversation at 8.30am (AWST) on Thursday morning at the Gnarabup boat ramp in the Margaret River region.

He then set off on a solo fishing trip and has not been seen since.

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Hampering the search is the fact that police were only notified Mr Jennings was missing on Sunday afternoon, when a local cafe owner called to say his car had been at the site for days.

"We were behind the eight-ball before we started," Inspector Scott Morrissey said.

There are fears for Mr Jennings' safety, particularly due to the rough weather that has been in place since the weekend.

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Inspector Morrissey said Mr Jennings had been in a three-metre dinghy, which was not an ideal boat for bad weather.

That same weather is also hindering searchers, who are covering an area of 800 square nautical miles, stretching 80km off the coast.

Police are calling for the man Mr Jennings spoke to on CCTV to come forward, hoping he might be able to reveal where Mr Jennings was planning to fish.

The search will resume today.