Get fired up for some awesome pelagic fishing off WA’s Gascoyne, Mid-West, Metro, South-West and Southern coastlines!
In a significant boost to recreational fishing, the southern WA FADs fishing season has officially begun, with two Lancelin FADs, five Jurien Bay FADs and three Abrolhos Islands FADs already deployed.
An additional 26 more FADs are set to hit the water by DPIRD by mid-December between Steep Point and Albany, supported by fishing licence fees through the Recreational Fishing Initiative Fund (RFIF).
SEE ALL THE FADS LOCATIONS HERE.
As the summer season ushers in warmer weather, the FADs will create fantastic sportfishing opportunities off the WA coast for larger boats, with dolphinfish, billfish, wahoo and tuna catches expected to soar over the coming months.
To see all FADs coordinates and their deployment statuses, check out our dedicated FADs webpage on the link above and check out the kind of action you can expect to see at the FADs in Tacklewest’s video below!
To help improve fishing experiences, the current network of FADs also includes eight new generation reinforced FADs which are permanently deployed off Broome and Dampier. This makes them more resilient, meaning less likelihood of them breaking free.
“West Aussies love fishing the FADs and with warmer weather arriving and demersal stocks currently in the spotlight, they provide a fun alternative for recreational fishers hoping to have a great time out on the water while still taking home a delicious feed,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“We are pleased that the Government has recognised the importance of the FADs for WA fishers and continue to support this program, which has helped expand and improve the FADs numbers, locations and technology since Recfishwest’s initial FADs trial back in 2019.”
Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis said she was committed to supporting the FADs program in to the future.
“Our government is committed to supporting programs and initiatives that enhance sustainable recreational fishing opportunities and the FADs program is incredibly popular, providing recfishers and game fishing clubs with awesome opportunities to target sportsfish like dolphinfish and other pelagics.”
Plan on fishing the FADs? Make sure you message your FADs snaps to the Recfishwest Instagram page for your chance to appear on our socials and in our weekly Statewide fishing report!
