You appear to be using an outdated browser. Some features on this page will not function properly. Please consider upgrading your browser to improve your experience and your online security.
A break-away FAD has been “at large” for an epic 4,000km-plus drift up to Shark Bay, before looping back and eventually beaching at Walpole on the South Coast (see map below).
FAD #6 broke off from its anchor point around 50km off Woodman Point earlier this year.FADs can break away for a number of reasons such as boat strikes, violent swell, wind and gear failure. Therefore, all FADs are fitted with satellite trackers.
That’s how the wayward fish aggregation device was tracked as it drifted up to 650km off the coast, before being carried northwards up to 400km west off Shark Bay.
It then looped around, being dragged within 50km of the Abrolhos Islands, before catching the Leeuwin Current and drifting all the way down to the South Coast, landing at Conspicuous Cliffs Beach, near Walpole.
Taking the scenic route! FAD #6 started its journey out from Woodman Point and ended up drifting north of Kalbarri, before moving southwards and eventually washing ashore in Walpole due to our strong currents.
The FAD was retrieved by DBCA rangers of the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, and while the FAD had an extensive journey, it is still thankfully in great nick, allowing it to be redeployed later this year as part of the ongoing Statewide FADs program.
The FAD’s voyage highlights the strength of the Leeuwin Current along the WA coast, which pelagic fish species such as billfish, tuna, mackerel, yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish use as a “highway” to navigate up and down our coastline.
The wayward FAD finally washed up at Conspicuous Cliffs Beach, near Walpole looking none too worse for wear on the back of its 4,000km trek!
Tapping into the bountiful pelagic fishing action provided by the current is a great boon for recreational and charter boat fishers, whose love for fishing the FADs fuelled Recfishwest and the fishing community’s establishment of the successful three-year FADs program trial.
The State Government has committed to maintaining and developing the State-wide FADs network until at least June, 2025.
Two FADs have been deployed for the first time off the coast of Mandurah to provide exciting new sportfishing opportunities for boat fishers in the Peel region.
Both Mandurah FADs are positioned in 100-110m depths and with this latest deployment – it now means there are 20 FADs in the water between Mandurah and Jurien Bay, with an additional two FADs soon to be deployed off Lancelin in the coming weeks.
The local community have welcomed the Mandurah FADs development according to local tackle dealer Tackle World Miami’s Ash Ramm.
“It’s awesome to see these FADs deployed after many years of hard work from the crew at Recfishwest and within our doors at Tackle World Miami,” said Ash. “We’re very humbled and excited to see the accessible and adrenaline-filled sportfishing opportunities now on Mandurah’s doorstep,”
“The potential of the fishing at these FADs is untapped and I know from many years of experience that these FADs hold pelagic fish so well. We’ve seen a huge growth in the number of boats switching to trolling based on better awareness of improved catches – it feels like it’s the dawn of a new era.
“We even saw a wahoo caught in recent weeks off Mandurah, which we had never seen before. There are loads more boats trolling lures out the back in the hopes of catching dolphinfish, tuna, mackerel and wahoo and these new deployments will only help heighten the growing passion for sportfishing.”
This stunning dolphinfish was recently caught by Matt Durell from one of the Cape Naturaliste FADs – and now Mandurah fishers can enjoy the sportfishing opportunities at their two FADs.
Forming a ‘FAD Freeway’
With Mandurah’s latest deployment over the weekend and with Lancelin’s FADs set to make a splash in the coming week or so, it means there will soon be over 22 FADs deployed between Cape Naturaliste and Jurien Bay, forming a ‘FAD freeway’ that will help accumulate great species and numbers of sportfish.
The State Government has now committed to funding a fully established State-wide FADs program going forward with DPIRD taking over the funding, running and development of the FADs program from June. This follows the success of the FADs trial program Recfishwest initiated and ran from 2019.
“Recfishwest is proud that the FADs we have deployed over the last four years have provided such great fishing experiences for so many,” said Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett.
“It is great to see that all the hard work and support we have had from so many in the fishing community and fishing clubs like Perth Game Fishing Club has paid off with a fully established FADs program backed by the State Govermment into the future.
“We look forward to seeing how DPIRD will develop the program in the north of the State in the coming months.”
Lure prize pack up for grabs for first dolphinfish or wahoo caught at Mandurah FADs
To celebrate Mandurah’s first FADs deployments, Tackle World Miami will reward $250 worth of Richter skirt lures and Nomad stickbaits – perfect for FADs fishing, to the first fisher who lands a dolphinfish or wahoo at either of the two Mandurah FADs coordinates!
To be in the running, all you need to do is:
Travel out to either of the Mandurah FADs (coordinates found here) and catch a dolphinfish or wahoo;
Take a snap of yourself holding your catch with the fish still alive and held horizontally with the Mandurah FAD where you caught it clearly visible in the image behind you;
Message a photo of your catch to the Recfishwest Facebook or Instagram page with your full name, details on how you caught your catch and the Mandurah FAD that you fished and stay tuned to see if you’re a winner!
With Mandurah’s FADs now deployed, there are 22 FADs in total now ready to fish between Cape Naturaliste and Jurien Bay, all available to avid boat fishers!
Don’t forget – our State-wide FADs photo competition runs until May 1 and you could win some great prizes simply for taking a snap of your catch at any of the WA FADs and sending it to us!
Don’t forget – there are ten prizes up for grabs in our State-wide FADs photo competition running until May 1, with three Madfish cooler bags up for grabs to the three best pictures of catches from any of the deployed WA FADs!
Working in conjunction with local fishing clubs, Recfishwest is developing and deploying a network of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) off the coast of the Perth metro and WA regional centres as part of a three-year trial program.
FADs have been used across Australia and off the coasts of places such as Costa Rica and Hawaii to great effect to enhance sport-fishing opportunities for spectacular-fighting pelagic species such as mahi-mahi (dolphin fish), tuna, billfish and mackerel.
Funded by recfishing licence fees through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund, we have developed the trial program working closely with local fishing clubs and have coordinated the production and physical deployment of the FADs.
This is exactly how we believe RFIF funds should be spent – as seed money to test ground-breaking projects such as this, that create great fishing opportunities for which there is high demand and support within the recfishing community.
For those who might not be familiar with the concept, FADs are essentially large floats anchored to the seafloor in open water, where they aggregate schools of baitfish, which in turn draw sizeable aggregations of pelagic species.
This creates spectacular sport-fishing opportunities for boat fishers – to get a flavor of just how good the fishing can be – check out this sensational footage filmed by Luke Ryan of TackleWest on the existing metro FADs.
If you’ve got a medium-size or larger boat (or even a tinnie if you’re in Broome!) sensational fishing like this could be accessible to you in the locations below.
*Once the FADs for each location are deployed, the exact GPS coordinates will be updated on our website.
UPDATE June 2020
All Metro, Albany and Cape Naturaliste FADs have now been brought back in for the winter and will be redeployed in late November 2020. Exmouth and Broome FADs will remain in place.
Perth
Expected time of re-deployment: Currently pulled in for winter, expected to be re-deployed in late November 2020.
Number of FAD’s/strategy: Two additional FADs going in West of Rottnest in addition to existing Perth Game Fishing Club FADs as well as four FADs for to be deployed further north, which can be accessed by boats launching out of northern metro ramps.
Expected time of re-deployment: Currently pulled in for winter, expected to be re-deployed in late November 2020 Number of FAD’s/strategy: Trialing four FADs in the more temperate waters off Albany, they could potentially draw species like yellowtail kingfish. First time recreational fishing FADS have ever been deployed off Albany.
Expected time of re-deployment: Currently pulled in for winter, expected to be re-deployed in late November 2020 Number of FAD’s/strategy: Trialing four FADs for the first time off the cape in an area where the Leeuwen current flows – we’re expecting to see good aggregations of mahi-mahi here.
Expected time of deployment: Late November 2020 Number of FAD’s/strategy: Trialing three FADs West of the Abrolhos and one in closer to shore. Out-wide you can expect mahi-mahi, wahoo, tuna and marlin, while mahi-mahi and mackerel could be the go along the FAD that is closer to shore.
Expected time of deployment: Deployed March 2020 (GPS coordinates up to date) Number of FAD’s/strategy: Trialing four FADs west of Ningaloo Reef. We are expecting good numbers of mahi-mahi, along with the possibility of wahoo and various species of tuna and billfish. FAD 1 yet to be deployed.
Expected time of deployment: Deployed June 2020 (GPS coordinates up to date) Number of FAD’s/strategy: Fishing for mackerel and big trevallies could be accessible to even small boat owners.
It’s been a long journey and we’ve had to wade through a mess of red tape and push hard uphill all the way, but finally we’re here.
We’re really excited to be able to deliver this trial program, build our understanding and expertise in this space and be in a stronger position to source future investment in FADs from recfishing licence money and potentially industry sponsors.
So once they’re in, get out there and have a crack – we’re sure you’ll quickly become a FAD fanatic if you’re not already!
Check out what Recfishwest CEO Andrew Rowland had to say about the FAD rollout here:
