To celebrate the opening of the Marron season, thousands of fishers journeyed through the South West of WA in search of this truly West Aussie icon. It is one of the most uniquely West Australian fisheries, offering the chance to catch a feed of tasty native crustaceans all while enjoying picturesque freshwater settings. 
Encouraging reports came out of the first week of the Marron season with fishers saying that the moon and the weather set the stage for great outdoor experiences and great catches. Locations between Harvey and Albany were occupied by keen fishers hoping to get a feed.
The onset of the new moon also coincided with the first week and a half of the season, providing perfect coverage for Marron, allowing them to be on the move with confidence!
The Recfishwest team headed out last weekend on their annual Marron expedition, some for the first time, and got to experience why the 10,000 Marron licence holders head out in the 4 week fishing window every year in search for the crustacean.
For most, fishing for Marron is more about the experience. It’s the trudging around rivers and dams with a head torch strapped to your beanie searching for big black shadows, it’s the friendly banter between mates, it’s the rolling out of your swag after the excitement of seeing giant ‘moss backs’ out for their nightly hunt – it’s so much more than actually catching a Marron!
So how do you catch Marron? Scooping, snaring and drop netting are all options for Marron fishers, enabling the participants to tailor their expedition to their preferences and ability.
A reminder that you will need a licence, but Marron fishing is affordable and extremely accessible throughout the South-West, with no need for expensive gear or a boat, and it is a safe and enjoyable pastime for families with the added bonus of a great feed at the end of the day.
For the more experienced marroner wanting a challenge, there are fisheries which are snare-only and these include the Harvey River (upstream of the highway) and Harvey Dam, Big Brook Dam, Glen Mervyn Dam, Waroona Dam and Logue Brook Dam.
Trophy fisheries with different bag and size limits are the Harvey Dam, Waroona Dam and Hutt River.
The 2018 season for our native freshwater crayfish runs from 12 noon, 8 January to 12 noon, 5 February 2018.
In our November Broadcast, we shared some good news for Marron fishers, with the benefits of stocking juvenile Marron currently being investigated. If the breeding program is successful, a trial stocking program is planned which will see thousands of tiny “craylings” (juvenile Marron) released into Harvey Dam. For more information, click here.
