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After a deluxe display of species diversity last year, the King of the Reef competition is returning from 1 May – 31 August to allow fishers to contribute to science – and have a crack at some fantastic prizes!
Recfishwest is teaming up once again with Woodside Energy and the Exmouth Game Fishing Club (EGFC) to deliver the competition, inviting fishers of all ages to wet a line at the King Reef artificial reef and surrounding areas.
In its inaugural year last year, the competition proved to be a reel-screaming success with more than 280 fish caught by nearly 80 anglers spanning 20 different species (on King Reef alone), highlighting the rich biodiversity that continues to grow in the area as a result of the artificial reef.
Home to more than 120 species, King Reef’s six large, repurposed steel structures and 49 concrete purpose-built modules spanning across an area the size of five footy fields have quickly helped it become the fastest growing artificial reef in the southern hemisphere since its deployment in 2018.
Competitors can easily enter their catches via the Track My Fish App (more info here), where the data is analysed to help improve the understanding of the value of artificial reefs in West Aussie waters.
The prize pool includes a swag of mouth-watering prizes, with the top prize of a Shimano Stella 18000 worth $1,500 sure to get fishers ‘reely’ pumped!
Recfishwest’s Artificial Reefs Approvals Officer Eligh Quigley said, “The catch data we collected from the fishing community last year helped us better understand the species diversity at the reef which has been created usingrepurposed infrastructure.
“By contributing to our scientific understanding of the artificial reef, participating fishers are developing greater stewardship of their local environment – another positive spin off from the competition.
“It cemented the case for deploying more artificial reefs around WA in the future, including those using repurposed infrastructure, because it’s the prime example of how an artificial reef can greatly benefit both the environment and community.”
EGFC Events Manager Ben Knaggs said there was a great range of junior (18) and senior (60) competitors last year due to the proximity of the reef to town, allowing a wider collective of fishers to easily have a crack.
“Given King Reef is only 6.4km North-East of Exmouth Marina boat ramp even families in a tinny can enjoy that species diversity excitement.
“A lot of competitions are traditionally fishedfairly offshore, but you don’t need a massive boat to catchcoral trout, trevally, Spanish mackerel and other top speciesat King Reef given it’s right on Exmouth’s doorstep.”
Make sure you give the competition a go this year and a big Recfishwest thanks to all competitors who contributed to science by logging their catches last year!
For 57 years, GAMEX has cemented itself as one of Australia’s biggest and best fishing tournaments. Recfishwest Operations Officer Levi De Boni, an avid game fisher himself, was on the frontlines with our Fishing for Science team attending this year’s event. Here is his reflection on another brilliant GAMEX tournament.
Fellow Recfishwest employee Sam Russell and I headed north for the highly anticipated 57th GAMEX fishing tournament held by the Exmouth Game Fishing Club (EGFC).
This year, the tournament saw 60 boats and over 240 competitors make the most of the very hot, yet glamourous conditions to battle it out for over $140,000 worth of cash and prizes in 25 competition categories.
Of the 60 boats competing, a large proportion targeted the billfish sections of the competition out in the deep blue, encountering good numbers of sailfish as well as black and blue marlin, while the remainder were aiming to find as many different species on as many different line classes as possible.
This year’s tournament saw a great haul of catches. 780 billfish were raised, 585 hooked and 350 tagged in total. Of those 350 billfish tagged, 180 were black marlin, 147 were sailfish and the remaining 23 were blue marlin.
Lorena Hrbut landed this cracker of a queenfish during GAMEX along with a 4.44kg spangled emperor on 3kg line, making it a pending Female Australian record!
Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science program supported by Woodside Energy returned for the daily weigh-ins and a wide range of impressive Gascoyne species rolled in, including various mackerel, trevally, billfish, tuna and many others.
This year, the team also took otoliths from the mackerel and wahoo that came through which will directly inform DPIRD’s future mackerel stock assessments, a big thanks to all competitors who allowed us to sample their catch!
Our team also assisted with the Recfishwest & Santos Family Fun Day and kids’ fishing clinic, where more than 100 kids turned up to wet a line and thoroughly enjoyed catching some great species including trevally, bream, tuskfish and even a juvenile coral trout!
Recfishwest operations Officer Levi De Boni with one of dozens of youngsters catching great species during the Recfishwest & Santos Family Fun Fishing Day!
Every year, these great events are given great support from the club and local community, with crowds of people across all ages having a yarn and checking out the eye-catching species on our Fishing for Science table.
We were lucky enough to speak with people from all over WA and interstate who travelled to participate in the tournament. Thanks to their willingness to contribute their catches to science, our team recorded at least 50 fish coming through the gantry, with dolphinfish, Spanish mackerel and wahoo making up the brunt of the species being presented for sampling.
Recfishwest’s Levi De Boni removing the otoliths from a Spanish mackerel provided to our Fishing for Science team at GAMEX 2025. The otoliths will be analysed by DPIRD to assess each fish’s age.
EGFC Events Manager Ben Knaggs did a brilliant job coordinating another packed GAMEX tournament and Knaggsy’s dedication to this event over the past seven years has made him one of the unsung heroes of the Exmouth fishing community.
“Given the cost of living pressures going on at the moment we weren’t sure how many boats and competitors would turn up this year, but our numbers were well up from 2024 and it’s one of the biggest GAMEX turnouts for many years, which was great to see,” said Ben.
“This event has been around almost as long as Exmouth has and it’s now a fabric of the community that sees more than a million dollars contributed into our regional economy, so the attraction of our world-class fishing is incredibly important for our region.”
Notable catches
Some impressive catches included one that was logged before the competition had even started! Perth Game Fishing Club member Lochie Turrell and the crew on Seatrix weighed in a pending state record 84.6kg black marlin on 8kg line! Lochie followed up this great effort with a cracking 14.12kg wahoo on 4kg line during the competition, a pending Junior Male Australian record.
Other pending records included Kalvin Gates’ 4.04kg gold spot trevally on 2kg line (pending Junior Male Australian record) and Neve Hallat’s 6.34kg golden trevally on 2kg line (pending Small Fry Female Australian record).
We would like to extend a huge Recfishwest thanks to Knaggsy and the whole EGFC community for having us, we absolutely love this event and we look forward to seeing this tournament continue to grow in popularity into the future.
We love GAMEX and so do the kids! Check out some of these great captures from the Recfishwest & Santos Family Fun Day and kids fishing competition!
Exmouth’s King Reef is proving a win for both recreational fishing and marine science, with a growing body of research highlighting the ecological value of artificial reefs built with repurposed steel structures.
Driven by a partnership between Recfishwest and Woodside Energy, the project has grown into a broader collaboration including Curtin University, WA Museum, Blue Media Exmouth, Exmouth Game Fishing Club (EGFC), and Underwater Focus.
“From underwater video and citizen science, to sampling the marine environment for DNA, we’re building a deeper understanding of how King Reef is fostering a vibrant and productive marine ecosystem,” said Recfishwest Artificial Reefs Officer Eligh Quigley.
“This work is sure to become increasingly important as marine heatwaves and coral bleaching events are forecast to become more frequent, with artificial reefs assisting in building resilience in the marine environment.”
Below, we explore some of the diverse research being done on King Reef.
Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUVs)
Recfishwest conducts twice-yearly Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys to track reef development, supported by local charter operators. BRUV monitoring is done through an underwater video system attached to a bait basket and lowered to the seafloor at selected locations. Since 2018, over 120 species have been recorded at King Reef.
Curtin University Professor Euan Harvey noted King Reef’s biodiversity outpaces nearby natural habitats, underlining its ecological value.
Check out Recfishwest’s latest BRUV footage from King Reef in the video below!
Citizen science data collection – King of the Reef fishing comp
To celebrate King Reef’s biodiversity and great fishing, Recfishwest, Woodside and EGFC launched the ‘King of the Reef’ fishing competition. Running from June to September 2024, fishers submitted catches through the Track My Fish app.
With over 280 fish entered by nearly 80 participants — about 30% from outside Exmouth — the local engagement and tourism benefits artificial reefs can create are clear. A total of 20 different species were captured and logged at King Reef alone. The competition returns in 2025.
Just two of the great species that were landed during the King of the Reef competition, with black snapper and giant trevally turning up in good numbers.
Underwater media
Award-winning photographer Violeta J. Brosig of Blue Media Exmouth captures vivid reef imagery, identifying cryptic fish species not seen in BRUV footage and helping to illustrate the ecological development of King Reef. Violeta’s high-definition media provides a great window for fishers and the wider community into the rich marine life thriving on these amazing structures!
Some of Violeta J. Brosig’s incredible underwater photography from King Reef.
Remote Underwater Camera Systems
In 2024, Recfishwest partnered with Underwater Focus to trial live-streaming underwater cameras. More than 500 videos were extracted from the live steaming, capturing key species like mackerel, coral trout, and even first-time sightings like pennant trevally. An innovative UV-cleaning system kept lenses clear during the extended camera deployment.
eDNA Sampling
Partnering with Curtin University and the WA Museum, Recfishwest is exploring King Reef’s biodiversity using a combination of visual and environmental DNA (eDNA) methods, with a major focus on habitat-forming animals, including corals and sponges.
eDNA methods allow scientists to detect a wide range of species through sampling the marine environment for DNA, reducing the time that divers need to be in the water. Sampling at King Reef is set for mid-2025 and will help show how the marine communities flourishing at King Reef compare with nearby natural and artificial habitats.
Benthic biodiversity at King Reef, captured by Blue Media Exmouth.
King Reef’s various monitoring programs delivered by Recfishwest and facilitated and funded by Woodside Energy build on years of research, in partnership with Curtin University and the local fishing community. Outcomes from this research will assist in the planning and design of artificial reefs in the future, by showcasing the ecological value of different materials such as the repurposed steel modules. But best of all, it will show how these novel ecosystems can create more resilient environments and make fishing even better!
To celebrate the spectacular fishing on offer at Exmouth’s King Reef, Recfishwest is teaming up with Woodside Energy and the Exmouth Game Fishing Club to deliver the ’King of the Reef’ Fishing for Science competition!
The four-month-long comp invites fishers to fish around the King Reef artificial reef system and contribute to science by entering their catches via the Track My Fish App (more info here).
All entrants will be in the running for a swag of cracking fishing prizes valued at $15,000!
The competition features overall, monthly and mystery length prizes for the myriad of species commonly found around King Reef such as red emperor, coral trout, Spanish mackerel, trevally and many others – all you have to do is catch them, measure them, then log the data into the App!
While entrants are not limited to fishing at King Reef, a Surge Orion fishing kayak valued at $2,000 is up for grabs for the most species caught at the reef over the competition period!
Want the best fishing tips for King Reef? Check out the amazing advice from Exmouth Tackle & Camping’s Steve Riley in the video below!
Exmouth Game Fishing Club President Ben Knaggs said, “We’re particularly happy to see so many family groups entering and competing and we’ve had kids as young as three years old already reporting solid captures.
“The King of the Reef competition also has the added benefit of providing some important catch data to Recfishwest on the wide variety of species that call this reef system home.
“The catch data submitted by competitors will help strengthen the case for more of these artificial reefs to be deployed around WA in the future.”
In 2018, a collaboration between Recfishwest, the Exmouth community and other stakeholders resulted in King Reef – the first integrated artificial reef to be deployed in the southern hemisphere. King Reef involved repurposing decommissioned steel buoys from BHP’s Griffin Field augmented with purpose-built concrete modules.
With ongoing support from Woodside, King Reef has become a biodiversity hotspot, offering new fishing opportunities and major ecological benefits. Watch the recent under water footage of King Reef captured by Blue Media Exmouth in the video below, which showcases the reef’s rapid development and biodiversity benefits!
Ever wanted to know the history of how artificial reefs became so successful around the world and the future reefs set to make a splash off our coastline?
Recfishwest’s Programs Manager James Florisson also spoke with ABC Kimberley/Pilbara on the artificial reefs planned to be placed off the Broome and Carnarvon coasts along with FADs in our northern waters! Catch James’ radio interview by watching the video below!
Mark Pagano (DPIRD’s Aquatic Resource Management) also spoke to 6PR’s Glen Jakovich on artificial reef developments in the pipeline across WA, why certain reef materials are more productive, what species fishers can expect to catch and much more! You can catch Mark’s chat by clicking here.
Want to know more about how Recfishwest is driving artificial reef deployments around WA? Click here.
Gamex is one of Australia’s biggest game fishing tournaments. Recfishwest Operations Officer Levi De Boni, a keen game angler himself, was one of our Fishing for Science team attending this year’s event. Here, he reflects back on what was another magic Gamex.
Last week I and fellow Recfishwest employee Sam Russell headed north for the highly anticipated 56th GAMEX fishing tournament held by the Exmouth Game Fishing Club (EGFC).
This year, the tournament saw 50 boats and over 200 competitors make the most of the superb weather to battle it out for over $150,000 worth of cash and prizes in 29 competition sections.
Of the 50 boats competing, 15 were fishing the species section while the billfish section dominated, with 35 boats all trying their luck out in the deep blue. We were at the event to run the Recfishwest Fishing for Science program supported by Woodside Energy each day at the weigh-in as well as to assist with the EGFC Santos Family Fun Day and SunSmart fishing clinic.
These activities were once again given great support from the club and local community, and the significant contribution they make to the event becomes more evident year after year.
While we had our work cut out for us with over 50 fish coming through the gantry for sampling, we were lucky enough to speak with people from all over WA who have travelled to participate in the tournament, as well as some fishers coming from as far as New Zealand to compete.
Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science team comprised of Levi De Boni and Sam Russell collected more than 50 belly samples for future analysis from numerous fish species over the course of GAMEX thanks to the kind donations of local competitors.
It was a humbling experience talking to GAMEX veterans and learning from the wealth of knowledge they’d collected over many years fishing the tournament. Being able to talk about fishing issues, concerns and ideas with the Exmouth fishing community was a fantastic experience and just one of the many reasons why I love being part of the Recfishwest team.
We were also able to catch up with EGFC Events Manager Ben Knaggs. “Knaggsy” is one of the unsung heroes of the Exmouth and Gascoyne fishing scene and huge credit must go to him and the club for making GAMEX the stellar event it is.
He told us “GAMEX has been around pretty much as long as Exmouth has and it’s really become a fabric of the community. The last economic assessment we did for GAMEX back in 2016 showed it helps inject more than one million dollars into our regional economy. Given the growth of this great competition, it would be safe to assume that amount has increased significantly,” said Ben.
See what Knaggsy had to say in our GAMEX 2024 recap video below!
This year’s tournament saw the most billfish caught in over a decade, with nearly 500 billfish tags handed in throughout the course of the tournament.
These tags were dominated by black marlin, with a great range of sizes estimated from 10kg fish right up to 220kg. There were also many sailfish tagged as well as a few striped and blue marlin. The bycatch experienced by those offshore was also impressive, with multiple wahoo and yellowfin tuna nudging 20kg. Some fishers also reported good catches of dolphinfish on the FADs, with captures recorded as little as 24-hours after deployment, proving the value of deploying these devices prior to GAMEX in the future.
From a game fishing perspective, some of the most prestigious captures during the competition were the pending record claims. This included an Australian small fry dolphinfish record of 6.48kg caught on 1kg line by Dean Gates, an Australian small fry dolphinfish record of 4.16kg on 2kg line by Luke Mounsey, an Australian junior dolphinfish record of 7.90kg on 2kg line by Kalvin Gates and a Western Australian women’s black marlin record of 22.78kg caught on 3kg line by Nikki Sutton.
It is worth noting that we had the privilege of sampling Nikki’s impressive black marlin catch before filleting the fish and giving out fillets to the local community. Black marlin are known for their fast growth rates and this fish was estimated at under two years old.
On top of the economic value that GAMEX provides, it is obvious how important the event is to the local community. From a social standpoint, it’s a firm and hotly anticipated fixture in the Exmouth, regional, State-wide and national fishing calendar, bringing together like-minded people and teaching the younger generation the immense enjoyment and value that low impact sportfishing brings to regional communities.
All in all it was another great year of GAMEX, I’d like to extend a massive Recfishwest thanks to Knaggsy and the whole EGFC community for having us. We had a blast and I look forward to returning next year to see the great fishing continue and the tournament to continue to grow into the future.
With more than 150,000 tourists visiting Exmouth each year, you can guarantee that a majority of them are intent on wetting a line in Exmouth Gulf – and for good reason.
From bluewater speedsters – queenfish and trevally, to creek-dwellers – mangrove jack, cod and coral trout to hard-fighting cobia shadowing gliding manta rays – you could spend a month fishing the Gulf and have a different story to tell each day.
However, some of the pristine environment that supports these amazing fishing experiences could be under threat from two industrial development projects planned for Exmouth Gulf – namely the proposed Gascoyne Gateway Port and the K+S salt project.
Here’s what we know about these two developments so far and how they could potentially impact the Gulf’s ecosystems and beyond.
Gascoyne GatewayPort
Planned for construction around 10km south of Exmouth town, Gascoyne Gateway is a port and jetty planned to extend around 1km in length into the sheltered waters of the Gulf.
It’s a potentially imposing landmark that would require significant dredging of seagrass beds and nearshore limestone reef, which play a crucial role in providing shelter and nursery grounds for many marine species such as squid, turtles, dugongs and hundreds of fish species that thrive in the Gulf.
An artist’s impression of the Gascoyne Gateway jetty and port design situated 10km south of Exmouth township near Qualing Pool. Image source: Gascoyne Gateway website.
The proposed development is being promoted on the Gascoyne Gateway website as ‘providing the Exmouth Gulf’s existing marine traffic with a better place to berth’ including tourist and navy vessels. However, it would result in a higher volume of large shipping traffic coming in and out of the Gulf, potentially making navigation for trailer boats challenging as they head to prized fishing spots such as King Reef, the Shoals or the Muirons.
The increased shipping traffic could also potentially displace the 40,000-plus humpback whales, which grace the waters of Exmouth Gulf between June and the end of October each year for mating and calving. It’s one of the world’s largest known annual humpback congregations and the breaching mammals often put on a spectacular display enjoyed by thousands of boat-fishers who venture into the Gulf.
Land-based fishers could also be impacted from wetting a line around the proposed port and no guarantees have been given at this stage that fishers will have access to fish off the jetty structure if the development goes ahead.
While construction was initially planned for 2024, with the port operational by 2025 according to the Gascoyne Gateway website, that estimated timeline would likely be pushed back substantially if Government approves the project.
Exmouth Gulf’s pristine waterways are teeming with species of fish that anglers travel long distances to battle with, including permit, golden trevally, queenfish, cobia and mackerel to name a few. Photo credit: Mark Davis.
K+S Salt Project
The world’s largest salt company – German-owned K+S Salt Australia – is planning to construct a salt mine 55km north-east of Exmouth and 40km south-west of the township of Onslow.
The proposed project – dubbed the Ashburton Salt Project – is 52 times the size of Kings Park!
While the proximity of the salt mine to Exmouth and Onslow might not ring alarm bells for locals, the negative flow-on effects of constructing this site on an already fragile ecosystem certainly does.
A project of that size – around 21,000 hectares – requires a significant amount of habitat removal.
The flow-on effects could have dire consequences on the 120,000 hectares of wetlands and mangroves situated on the Gulf’s eastern side.
Not only are these mangroves teeming with species that fishers love to chase such as mud crabs, mangrove jack and countless others, but they are the life source for the vibrant marine life found in the Exmouth Gulf that is also crucial for supporting the 260km-long Ningaloo Reef stretching down the mid-WA coast.
The roots and trunks of these specially adapted trees provide shelter for the spawning and refuge of hundreds of species of fish, rays, prawns and crabs.
The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will make an environmental assessment and recommendation on whether the K+S Salt Project can go ahead, with the WA Environment Minister making the final call on proceedings. The EPA is currently taking comments from the public on this project.
The mangrove system in the Exmouth Gulf is crucial for providing shelter, food and spawning grounds for countless animal species, which underpins the Gulf’s world-class fishery. Photo credit: Blue Media Exmouth/Violeta J. Brosig.
A history of rejection
As has been the case numerous times in WA’s history for large-scale industrialisation projects in the Exmouth Gulf, environmental impacts and the potential repercussions on recreational fishing have not properly been factored in by developers– which has contributed to many previous projects being quashed.
Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett said, “Recfishwest is not opposed to projects that benefit regional towns, but they must not hinder the access or sustainability of fishing experiences in the region. These factors should be built into developers’ proposals for any projects like this before they even consider submitting them to Government. What’s at stake here is simply too precious to do otherwise.
“The Exmouth Gulf is one of the best fishing destinations in the world and is a very special place for tens of thousands of fishers each year. It is crucial that both project parties understand that any negative impact on fishing in this area will simply not be acceptable.
“A public environmental review of the K+S Salt Project is now open until September 4 and it is crucial that fishers have their say to express what is important to them. Recfishwest will ensure no stone is left unturned in this process and will continue to meet with traditional owners, community members and decision makers to protect this world-class fishery at all costs.”
It’s one of WA’s great fishing destinations and if you truly want to sample wilderness fishing at its best without having to go too deep off the grid – head no further than Exmouth Gulf.
With its fish-rich shallow waters, mangrove-lined creek system, numerous shoals and scattered reefs, the fishing and wilderness experiences on offer in Exmouth Gulf are world-class.
Exmouth Gulf is one of the State’s great accessible wilderness fishing areas and is the envy of sportfishers from around the country.
There is nowhere else quite like it in WA. It’s a place where we can cast a line for a wide range of species from bluewater speedsters to creek-dwellers, while seeing grazing dugongs, lazy turtles and gliding manta rays, or while enjoying the spectacle of dolphins and whales putting on a show in a pristine environment.
It’s a superb fishing location and the natural attractions are part of what makes this place so treasured by both local and visiting anglers.
The Gulf has come under threat recently from industrial development, and Recfishwest has, and will continue to do all we can to ensure we can all continue to enjoy what the Gulf has to offer and protect the values that matter most to fishers. We trust we can count on your support in the future to help us protect what’s important to our community.
With many of you heading north, we asked Western Angler Editor Scott Coghlan to profile the Gulf and the fantastic fishing available for those making the trip – not too far out of town.
Here’s what Scott had to share with us:
Something for everyone
I’ve been lucky enough to fish the Gulf for many years now and it is just an absolute delight to be able to spend time exploring its margins, from Exmouth south to Giralia, and then up the east coast towards Onslow.
It offers a wide range of fishing opportunities to please just about every fisho, from shore, boat and, as we have found, kayak.
From the shore-based giant trevally at Oysters, to the coral trout and mackies of the shoals, to the queenfish, trevally and even permit of the flats, the whiting off the beaches, through to the mangrove jack, cod and crab of the creeks, and even billfish at times, there is something for everyone.
There are beaches to walk, islands to explore, rocky points to traverse, oyster stacks to drift past, shoals to fish on and sandy cays that emerge on certain tides, all with resident fish and other marine animals around them.
Big brassy trevally are often found on Gulf shoals.
Kayak fishing heaven
Much of my time at Exmouth in recent years has been spent exploring the eastern side of the Gulf around our base at the Wilderness Island camp, which is just about heaven on earth for keen sport fishers.
Usually fishing in kayaks, we’ve enjoyed some amazing action on a surprisingly diverse range of species given the distance limitations with kayaks.
Almost always in shallow water around the flats, we’ve caught big Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna, cobia, massive giant herring, countless queenfish and even barramundi, as well as golden, giant and brassy trevally.
Metre-plus queenfish are a Gulf staple, this one caught by Matt McCarthy.
For the avid fly-caster, we’ve also seen prized permit and blue bastards, along with reef dwellers such as cod, coral trout and spangled emperor.When we head up the creeks, we find countless mangrove jack and cod, as well as mud crabs.
Gliding silently about at a leisurely pace in kayaks, we’ve had incredible encounters with grazing dugongs and whirling manta rays, while constantly surprising big rays and cruising turtles.It always amuses me how turtles will slowly surface right next to the kayak, unaware you are there, look around lazily to check the coast is clear, and then react with extraordinary surprise at our presence.
Squid are never far away and a walk along the beaches can produce anything from hordes of whiting, flathead and bream to big queenies, trevally and barra that are cruising the margins.
Even if the bigger fish aren’t playing, light tackle fishing with bream gear along the shallows can be awesome fun, as it is often a fish a cast for small stuff like whiting, little trevally, flathead and bream.
It is a similar story around the islands in the Gulf, where almost all the same species can be found, often in huge numbers on the right stage of the tide. And just about any rocky point, sand bar or outcrop will have fish lurking around it as long as there is enough water for them to get there.
A huge giant herring for Glenn Edwards off the yak.
Easy beach access
The Exmouth side of the Gulf is a similar story, with shore fishing opportunities for all the same species from the southern end to northern tip. Bay of Rest is a popular spot, especially for jacks and mud crabbing.
The Learmonth Jetty is great for families, producing both bread and butter species and bigger fare, even turning up some very lost Australian salmon a few years ago!
The beaches south of Exmouth are easy to access and walk, and can be dynamite for whiting, bream and flatties, while the marina and connected canals is another great family fishing spot.It holds some big jacks, loads of cod and bream, and plenty of small trevally and queenies at times.The outer walls often produce bigger queenies and there have seen Spaniards and even a sailfish caught inside there.
Walking the shore during a break from the kayak paid off for Glenn Edwards.
The biggest flathead I have ever caught was on fly at the boat ramp! You can also pop into the Exmouth Game Fishing Club of an evening and grab a feed while enjoying one of the best sunset views going around.
Just north of town, Old Bundegi can produce golden trevally and queenfish for shore anglers, while near the top of the Gulf, Oysters is famed for big GT’s from the shore and a range of other species including queenies and mackerel.
For those with boats, the Gulf possibilities are almost endless. Although it’s not a particularly deep area generally and indeed a lot of it is very shallow and requires some navigational care, the shoals that rise out of deeper water hold plenty of different species.
At times, golden and brassy trevally are thick and can easily be found by their surface activity, and there are always pelagics like Spanish and school mackerel, and longtail tuna patrolling them. Bottom fishers will pick up coral trout, spangled emperor and cod, and even the odd black jewfish shows up.
At the top of the Gulf, bait often aggregates late in the year and draws sailfish into the area, offering some incredible shallow-water billfish excitement unlike nothing else in WA.
Closer to the town marina, King Reef – the artificial reef deployed by Recfishwest – has become a fish magnet for a wide range of species, not the least of which are some huge golden trevally that will test any angler.
Precious and unique
Exmouth is most famous for its bluewater fishing out from the incredible Ningaloo Reef, but the Gulf is a precious and unique fishing location with an allure all of its own, and especially for lure casters like me.
In recent years, the Gulf has been recognised as a fishing destination of immense value, including attracting fly-fishers from across the globe to target permit.The more you explore the Gulf, the more you find – its waters hold many angling surprises and boasts a superb range of fishing options to suit all styles of anglers and every level of experience.
Not only that, but it’s also relatively protected from the weather than can affect the west coast and can offer a great alternative when conditions at Ningaloo are no good for fishing, although don’t think it doesn’t get rough, as the combination of wind and short chop can be horrific!
I love spending time in Exmouth Gulf and maintaining access to this unique part of the coast for recreational fishers should be of vital importance to not just local and visiting anglers, but anyone who has ever enjoyed casting a line in WA.
Fishing on foot in front of the camp at Wilderness Island.
Industrial development threatens the gulf’s unique fishing experiences
As we reported back in September 2020, a major proposal were shelved to build a pipeline construction and loading facility in the south-west corner of Exmouth Gulf, right next to some of the most popular fishing spots of Wapet Creeek and the Bay of Rest.
Industrialising a place of wild beauty and highly valued wilderness fishing opportunities like the gulf seemed to be a ridiculous proposal to Recfishwest and many members of the fishing community.
Subsequently, Recfishwest submitted our objection to this development through the EPA process, and with many other organisations taking a similar view, the proponent for the project decided not to proceed. This means that for, now at least, the wilderness fishing experiences offered in that part of the gulf are protected.
It’s no time for complacency, however, as there are two other developments currently proposed for Gulf waters that we are keeping a close eye on. One is a solar salt development on the eastern side of the Gulf, the other a proposed jetty and port facility south of Exmouth township. Both of these developments could have significant impacts on fishing experiences in the area.
Recfishwest is continuing to monitor these projects as they progress toward gaining the relevant approvals. We will keep you updated during these processes and ensure that your views are put forward when decision-makers are asked to judge these developments. In the meantime, stay updated through our newsletter, website and social media channels to keep up to date.
With 237 tag-and-released billfish, including 161 black marlin, 68 sailfish and two pending State and national queenfish and spangled emperor records — the 55th GAMEX fishing tournament once again lived up to its reputation as one of the premier fishing competitions in Australia!
A healthy contingent of 245 avid competitors on 58 boats flocked to Exmouth from across the State between 17-25 March, with Recfishwest researchers also in attendance to collect vital species data for our Fishing for Science program and to coordinate a fishing clinic for dozens of excited kids.
A smorgasbord of point-scoring species were weighed in across the comp, including Spanish mackerel, shark mackerel, school mackerel, queenfish, golden trevally, cobia, dolphinfish, yellowfin tuna, striped tuna, wahoo, barracuda and spangled emperor.
From these captures are two pending records, both from the same angler in Luke Mounsey, who landed a 5.16kg queenfish on 4kg line — a pending Western Australian Male Small Fry record — and a 2.24kg spangled emperor on 1kg line — a pending National Male Small Fry record.
68 sailfish in total were tagged and released across GAMEX, including this stunning electric-blue fish by Chris Tanti.
Not only does GAMEX produce some of the best catches of any fishing tournament in the land— but it also had the most impressive booty of prizes up for grabs which included a $50,000 Northbank trailerboat package draw for one lucky competitor, fuelling fantastic fishing and fierce competition across the tournament.
The team aboard Fatal Attraction enjoyed a fantastic tournament, winning a range of categories including the Overall Capture/Tag & Release category with 11 species across 11 line classes landed, Matt Gates winning Champion Male Angler with nine species across 10 line classes, along with their crew member Dean Gates winning Champion Small Fry Angler.
Bri Bollard aboard Dickens Cider claimed the Champion Female Angler title for five species across eight line classes, with Jessica Hournhardt winning Champion Junior Angler (16yrs/U) of five species across eight line classes and Luke Mounsey winning Champion Small Fry Angler (11yrs/U) with three species across four line classes.
Bri Bollard had a cracker of a tournament, taking out the Champion Female Angler title for five species across eight line classes.
With over $1 million pumped into the Exmouth regional economy each year from GAMEX visitors thanks to the hard-fighting and abundant fish species on offer, it’s clear how important fishing tournaments like GAMEX are to regional towns across Western Australia.
Ben Knaggs, Club Manager of the Exmouth Game Fishing Club (EGFC), said it is the most highly anticipated fishing event on the calendar each year for Exmouth and it has been part of the fabric of the town for over half a century.
“GAMEX is a highly important milestone on the social calendar each year, particularly for mad-keen fishers. Economically, it has a huge part to play each year and it marks the start of the tourist season around Exmouth, which forms the foundations of the livelihoods of many businesses in the region,” said Ben.
“There is such a wide variety of species on offer during the competition and it showcases the fishing in Exmouth on a national and international perspective. It puts the spotlight on Exmouth as the world-class sportfishing destination it is.”
Thanks to the kind fishers who let Recfishwest Operations Officers Sam Russell and Levi De Boni sample their catches, they were able to collect data from loads of fish during the Exmouth Game Fishing Club-held (EGFC) comp.
Data collected included weight, length, condition, sex and maturity stage, while tissue samples from each fish’s belly were also taken for future research.
“Thanks again to the EGFC and its weigh-in committee for the help throughout this year’s GAMEX and for supporting Fishing for Science, along with all fishers who let us sample the fish that they caught – you’ve helped collect valuable data regarding important recreational species,” said Sam.
“Our fishing clinic was also a great success for the youngsters, we had dozens of kids landing some impressive catches that are highly abundant and easily accessible year-round from the Exmouth marina. This region is always rewarding when it comes to teaching kids about sustainability and catching fish.”
Recfishwest’s Operations Officers Sam Russell (pictured left) and Levi De Boni were kept busy baiting lines and unhooking great catches for dozens of kids during the recent Exmouth fishing clinics!
From a featureless seafloor to a flourishing marine oasis where fishing world records are being broken – King Reef in Exmouth has become a fishing haven in less than four years.
Since six large, repurposed steel structures and almost 50 concrete modules were deployed across two acres of sandy seafloor to the north-east of Exmouth in 2018, the underwater desert has now become a fish city, teeming with large pelagic and demersal species prowling the artificial reef.
One family that has taken full advantage of the improved fishing action surrounding this artificial reef spanning an area roughly equivalent to five footy ovals is the Grasso’s, who are all King Bay Game Fishing Club members in Dampier.
The source of many of these world and Australian fishing records is King Reef – just 6.4km northeast of the Exmouth Town Boat Ramp.
12-year-old Max Grasso’s line-class world record golden trevally weighing over 13kg and measuring 105cm, caught off King Reef. Give the Grasso family’s Instagram page a follow to keep up to date with the amazing fish they catch!
King Reef shows how rapidly an artificial reef can help boost the marine life around the structure, with 100 fish species monitored around it, including prized demersal species such as red emperor and cod patrolling the depths, while pelagic species such as golden trevally and even sailfish have been spotted patrolling the topwater.
One of the line-class world records taken out on the reef included a 13.06kg whopper of a golden trevally measuring 1.05m, caught by talented young angler Max Grasso @junior_grassy on Platypus Pretest line. This impressive catch broke two world records at once – the 10kg line class male world record and the small fry male world record.
“Max’s world record line class golden trevally was taken at King Reef, on the maiden voyage of our new boat and only 20 minutes into running in the motor. It is amazing to now have a fishing location like this so close to home and so easily accessible for everyone,” said his father, Mick Grasso.
These stunning underwater snaps taken by professional photographer Violeta J. Brosig from Blue Media Exmouth show what is happening beneath the surface at King Reef, with the repurposed structures now teeming with fish, marine life, algae and coral.
Both Max, 12 and his younger sister Mia, 8, cleaned up at the recent Game Fishing Association Australia (GFAA) awards after numerous trips to King Reef.
Max set a target to tag 120 game fish for the 2021/22 season. Not only did King Reef play a key role in helping him pass this mark with three months to spare, but Max also had to buy an extra-large cricket bag to fit in all his trophies from the GFAA awards night!
Max took out the Junior Male Angler Capture, Junior Male Angler Release and Peter Bennett Trophy for most meritorious tag and release achievements by a junior angler, along with the Neil Patrick Trophy for most gamefish tagged in Australian waters.
Max’s younger sister Mia also sweeped multiple GFAA awards, taking out the WA small fry female capture and release divisions. She then went on to claim the national Small Fry Capture Award, winning the ‘big trophy’ she set her eyes on after her brother had won it previously.
Max Grasso (pictured left) and Mia Grasso (pictured right) both cleaned up at the recent Game Fishing Association Australia (GFAA) Awards, with many of their tagged and record catches from King Reef in Exmouth.
“It is fantastic to see that artificial reef structures such as King Reef boost marine life and create fantastic fishing opportunities, whether it’s by trolling or bottom fishing” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“King Reef is a perfect example of how repurposed structures can create thriving new habitats and support a huge range of species that bring benefits to the local community, economy and environment.
“It’s why Recfishwest is targeting approvals and funding for new artificial reefs in various locations from Albany to Broome to add to the seven reefs currently flourishing in WA waters.”
The deployement of the King Reef structures came from a collaboration between Recfishwest and the Exmouth local community, BHP, NERA, DPIRD, Subcon and Curtin University.
