WA’s fishing club community was out in force at the annual WA Interclub Boat Angling Championships held from Hillarys Yacht Club earlier this month, with Recfishwest on hand to support the event and help celebrate one of the State’s great club fishing traditions.
Run in near-perfect conditions, the event attracted 63 competitors across 26 boats representing clubs including Hillarys Yacht Club, Marmion Angling and Aquatic Club, Fremantle Sailing Club and Quinns Rocks Fishing Club.
Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett said events like the WAIBAC Championships played an important role in bringing fishing clubs together and strengthening the broader fishing community.
Part of the community fabric
“Fishing clubs are a huge part of the fabric of WA’s recreational fishing community and events like this are important because they bring people together who share a passion for fishing, the outdoors and helping each other out,” Matt said.
“These comps are about much more than who catches the biggest fish. They help keep club culture strong, encourage participation across generations and create the kind of community connections that make recreational fishing so special in WA.”
The championships featured a strong mix of senior, junior, ladies and veteran competitors, with Michelle Ball claiming Overall and Ladies Champion honours after an impressive 10-species catch weighing 14.59kg.
Pat Shinnick, the event’s stalwart lead organiser, said the spirit shown throughout the day highlighted exactly why the event remained such an important fixture on the fishing calendar.
Thriving community fishing culture
“One of the great things about this competition is the teamwork and camaraderie between clubs,” Pat said.
“Teams are constantly helping each other out and sharing information on the water. It’s a genuine team-based event and that’s what makes it so enjoyable year after year.
“It was fantastic to see so many people come together again and we’re already looking forward to making next year’s event even bigger.”
The event also highlighted positive fish handling with several large Samson fish photographed and released during the competition rather than weighed in.
Recfishwest congratulates all competitors, volunteers and organisers involved in another successful championship and thanks the WA fishing clubs who continue to help keep community fishing culture thriving
