Tag: Fishing for Science

Fishing for Science – Pilbara anglers powering research

Pilbara fishers played a hands-on role in fisheries science at two of the region’s biggest comps – the Dampier Classic and Mack 10K in Onslow – through our Fishing for Science program.

The idea is simple but powerful – anglers donate their catches at the weigh station, and our team records vital data and samples. At this year’s events, that meant more than 150 Spanish mackerel provided for research – adding to the 1,000-plus fish sampled across Pilbara tournaments over the past five years.

Why it matters

Working alongside DPIRD scientist Paul Lewis and Fisheries Management Officer Liv Rynvis, we collected otoliths (ear bones), genetic samples, and measurements to reveal fish age, growth, feeding habits and stock structure. This information feeds into DPIRD’s next mackerel assessment, giving researchers a clear picture of Pilbara mackerel stocks by comparing recfishers’ catches with commercial samples.

This knowledge is gold for managing our fisheries – helping track recruitment, maturity and age structure to ensure healthy stocks for the future.

Learn more about our Fishing for Science program here.

Check out the video below to see the kind of work that goes into our Fishing for Science program from the recent MACK10K competition!

Fishing for Science program now flourishing

Ashburton Anglers Secretary Suzanne Wilson said the competitors’ willingness to learn more scientific details about Spanish mackerel is gathering steam each year.

“Each competitor receives a team pack that has scientific details of the fish being caught from the previous year and we now have youngsters and adults easily recognising what fish are male or female, so it’s great to see this keen interest in fishers wanting to learn more,” said Suzanne.

“A few years ago around a quarter of fishers would donate their mackies for sampling at the MACK10K, now it’s more than half of them – fishers are happy to give back to a program that works for a species that provides memorable fishing experiences.”

More than just science

Fishing for Science isn’t only about data – it’s also about community. At both events, we ran kids’ fishing clinics and saw the social and cultural value fishing brings to Pilbara towns was once again joyfully highlighted and celebrated.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “ What stood out this year was the teamwork – anglers, Recfishwest and DPIRD working shoulder-to-shoulder around the sampling table. It’s a genuine example of community, Government and industry pulling together for the future of WA fishing.

“Tight-knit communities, healthy fish stocks, kids fishing clinics and strong partnerships – these all help make fishing in WA so special. With Woodside Energy’s support, Fishing for Science bridges the gap between anglers and researchers for the benefit of everyone.”

Mackerel mayhem: record-breaking catches and samples collected at MACK10K

Ashburton Anglers annual MACK10K competition is always jam packed with Spanish mackies, but 2025’s competition has showcased the Pilbara as a powerhouse for these predators.

The vibrant coastal town of Onslow came alive from 23-24 August for the competition, and this year’s event marked a significant milestone – not only due to a surge in participation and catches, but also the number of fish samples donated to our Fishing for Science program.

A record-breaking 100 boats and 328 keen competitors took to the waters, with the adults landing 212 Spaniards and the juniors catching an additional 33 across the two-day competition, a promising sign for the future of this popular competition.

As a result of more fish captures and the backing of the Pilbara fishing community towards our Fishing for Science program supported by DPIRD and Woodside North West, a record 133 Spanish mackerel catches were kindly donated for sampling.

Our Fishing for Science team assisted DPIRD’s Research Scientist Paul Lewis and Fisheries Manager Liv Rynis collecting otoliths and genetic samples from each fish and record the weight, length, gender and maturity stage.

Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell said, “Across the two days we had more Spanish mackerel sample donations than we’ve ever had at any WA fishing competition, so it’s great to see a growing eagerness from the community in wanting to do their part for a better scientific understanding of this species.”

The finalised data will help analyse the health of Spanish mackerel stocks directly informing assessments in the Pilbara Management Area.

“We also had 50 kids enjoying themselves at the Healthway Kids Fishing Clinic run in partnership by Recfishwest and the Club, so hopefully these youngsters turn into adult competitors at the MACK10K down the track,” added Sam.

It might not look pretty, but these donated Spanish mackerel samples are vital for gaining a better understanding of this cherished species off the WA coastline, with our team assisting DPIRD in collecting the otoliths and belly samples from each fish.

 

Some of the highlights from our jam-packed Healthway Kids Fishing Clinic!

 

Big fish = big paydays!

With impressive prizes up for grabs across 17 categories, it was John Palermo aboard On The Chew with his 30.52kg beast that took home the whopping $20,000 payday for the biggest overall mackie, with his vessel also taking out Champion Boat Overall with a total of 57.92kg of Spanish mackerel weighed in.

In the junior category, young Macie Gusthart wowed the crowd with a solid 18.08kg Spaniard, just edging out strong junior contenders Blake Gibson and Blair Fitzgerald, with both assisting each other to land a 17kg fish.

Cause and effect! John Palermo’s 30.52kg Spaniard landed him a $20,000 payday!

Click here to see all results from the 2025 MACK10K.

“A big thanks to all competitors and the Ashburton Anglers Club this year for their ongoing support in Fishing for Science and we always look forward to this landmark event on the Recfishwest calendar, we’ll see you in 2026,” said Sam.

Dampier fishers back science and sustainability at Classic comp

Challenging weather couldn’t dampen spirits at the 49th King Bay Game Fishing Club Dampier Classic, with the iconic event once again highlighting the importance of fishing to Pilbara coastal communities.

It also showed how much Pilbara fishers care about their fishery, with many donating their catches to Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science program, supported by Woodside North West.

Fishing for Science in action

Across four days and 19 boats, competitors contributed 79 samples from species including Spanish mackerel, queenfish, cobia, trevally and spangled emperor. In return, our Fishing for Science team filleted fishers’ catches and provided DPIRD Research Scientist Paul Lewis with mackerel samples to support a Department stock assessment.

We also ran a popular Healthway Kids Fishing Clinic, where more than 60 young fishers learned how to catch, handle and release a variety of Pilbara species such as whiting, bream, tuskfish and cod.

Check out the highlights from the Dampier Classic and our kids’ fishing clinic in the video below!

Competition highlights

  • Most species (boat): Hashtag with 19 species.

  • Tag and release (boat): MICX crew with 58 tags across 13 species.

  • Junior tag and release: Max Grasso with 39 tags across 11 species.

  • Junior most species: Mia Grasso with six species.

  • Stand-out catch: A near 17kg Spanish mackerel landed on just 3kg line.

What they said.

Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russel:

“It was a fantastic response from the Dampier fishing community, who are just as passionate as we are about fish sustainability and research. Fishing for Science is a great way for fishers to learn more about the species they love to catch, while contributing to data that will benefit the fishery in the future.”

King Bay Game Fishing Club President Scott Sharp:

“Kids are the future of fishing, and it was fantastic to see so many youngsters excitedly wetting a line and asking questions at the Fishing for Science table. Despite the weather, the strong junior presence bodes well for next year’s 50th edition.”

It was fantastic to see the youngsters in Dampier getting stuck into catching and releasing numerous Pilbara species and helping out our Fishing for Science team at the samples table!

A special thanks to our sponsor Woodside North West and all the competition sponsors for making this another brilliant event, we look forward to seeing you in 2026 for the big 50th edition!

Looking ahead

Recfishwest looks forward to returning in 2026 to help celebrate the half-century edition of this much-loved Pilbara competition — and thanks all fishers who generously donated their samples to Fishing for Science.

Billfish tags and fish samples galore at GAMEX 2025

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! 

Find out more about our Fishing for Science program here.  

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!

Dampier’s Accenture Mackerel 5000

Recfishwest’s Sam Russell and Levi DeBoni recently attended Dampier’s Accenture Mackerel 5000 competition – here Levi reflects on the trip and the community’s strong passion for fishing they both encountered there.

Both Sam Russell and I were delighted once again for the opportunity to represent Recfishwest at the Accenture Mackerel 5000 in Dampier, running the Fishing for Science and Kids Fishing Clinic programs.

Supported by Woodside North West, we partnered with the Nickol Bay Sportfishing Club to host a kids’ clinic and collect Spanish mackerel samples at the weigh-in to assist with the stock assessment of this popular species.

We held a Healthway fishing clinic at the Dampier Foreshore for around 50 local and visiting kids. Though the fishing was slow, they still caught yellowfin bream, grunter, garfish, and even an octopus. Their enthusiasm for fishing was infections and every child left with a Recfishwest lure, sticker, and kids’ fishing guide to help feed their new favourite activity!

A big shout-out to all the kids and their parents who attended our fishing clinic at the Dampier Foreshore on October 5th!

After the clinic, we set up our sampling station for the competition weigh-in, working alongside DPIRD’s mackerel scientist Paul Lewis and fisheries manager Liv Rynvis. We collected 66 biological samples from Spanish and grey mackerel, recording length, weight, gender, and their reproductive stage before removing the heads to extract otoliths for ageing.

This data will be crucial for DPIRD’s Pilbara mackerel stock assessment as sampling efforts increase in coming years to ensure a healthy future for this important fishery.

The 66 sets of mackerel samples collected during the Accenture Mackerel 5000 by our Fishing for Science team will provide vital data for DPIRD’s upcoming Pilbara mackerel stock assessment.

The competition saw more than 150 anglers fishing from 50 boats, with Hampton Harbour Boat and Sailing Club filled with spectators enjoying the event. The community’s response was fantastic, with over 90 per cent of the fish weighed in voluntarily donated for sampling, reflecting great local stewardship for the mackerel fishery. Sam and I were greatly impressed by the 66 mackerel samples collected, topping last year’s total.

Brenton Cartledge won the $5,000 prize with a 26.2kg Spanish mackerel, while the biggest donated mackerel weighed 24.4kg.

The Accenture Mackerel 5000 continues to grow as an important event in the Pilbara fishing calendar, and with Recfishwest’s involvement and Woodside’s support, we can ensure vital fisheries data is continually recorded.

Click here for more information about our Fishing for Science program 

Speedy Spanish mackerel shine for science in Pilbara fishing comps

Everything about Spanish mackerel screams aggression, speed and strength. 

These dynamic pelagics can reach speeds of 50kmh chasing down prey, launch many metres into the air hitting lures and can grow up to 40cm in their first year eventually reaching up to a whopping 50kg! 

This combined with their excellent table quality makes it little wonder these amazing fish are such a popular species and were at the forefront of two recent cracking Pilbara fishing events – Munro’s Mack10k run by the Ashburton Anglers Club and King Bay Game Fishing Club’s Dampier Classic. 

Due to their fast growth rates and predator-evading speed, Spaniards remain a relatively abundant species in WA. 

However, it’s important to keep tabs on mackerel stock numbers as they have declined in other parts of the country, such as in Queensland. 

Subsequently, the Recfishwest Fishing for Science team was at both events working with DPIRD research scientist Paul Lewis and fisheries manager Liv Rynvis, collecting biological samples taken from mackerel caught by competitors. In return, the team offered a fileting service for those providing samples from fish they had caught in the competition.

Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science program, supported by Woodside North West, is a community engagement program that enables local communities to better understand scientifically the fish species that underpin prized fishing experiences.

CHECK OUT OUR MACKEREL FACTSHEET BELOW FOR SOME INTERESTNG NUGGETS ABOUT THESE COOL FISH! 

Ageing ear bones  

One of the key parts of the fish for Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell and Operations Officer Levi De Boni were their earbones or their “otoliths” to give them their scientific name. 

The otoliths when examined under a microscope reveal the age of the fish by displaying growth circles like the rings in a tree. Understanding the age of fish in a population is critical information to ensure they are managed sustainably.  

The otoliths and other parts of the fish were provided to DPIRD fisheries scientists to assist in their ongoing stock assessments of Spanish mackerel in WA.  

Between them, Sam, Levi, Paul and Liv took the otoliths from 93 mackerel kindly donated by participants in both competitions over the course of six days’ fishing.  

Operations Officer Levi De Boni carefully removed the ear bones or “otoliths” as seen in this image from 93 Spanish mackerel across both competitions, which will be analysed to determine the age of each fish donated for sampling to the Fishing for Science team.

If that didn’t keep the pair of them busy enough, they also managed to squeeze in running a couple of kids fishing clinics at each competition, which went down brilliantly with the kids who took part and their grateful mums and dads.  

As Sam reflected, all their efforts were greatly appreciated and welcomed at both events by both clubs. 

“It was an absolute pleasure for Levi and I to participate in these events in our Fishing for Science capacity,” said Sam. “They are such well-run events and clearly are a cornerstone of both Dampier and Onslow’s fishing social calendar.  

“It was so heartening to get such an enthusiastic response for the sampling work we were doing. We had many good and interesting conversations with the guys and some fascinated kids around the filleting table. 

“What really stood out to us was just how much people were interested and cared about the fish they caught – and we just have to give a massive thanks to all who contributed and of course, both Ashburton Anglers and King Bay Game Fishing Club for looking after us so well. We can’t wait to come back next year.”  

Recfishwest game for GAMEX 2024

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.

Find out more about our Fishing for Science program here.

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.

Dampier’s Mackerel 5000 sets new Fishing for Science record for most mackie samples donated in one day

The Accenture Mackerel 5000 held in Dampier by the Nickol Bay Sportsfishing Club in mid-October needs to take a bow, it just produced some of the most jaw-droppingly big Spanish mackerel ever seen in a West Aussie fishing comp! 

Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science team ventured up to the sun-kissed Pilbara town for the competition on October 15, backed with the support of Woodside North West to collect more Spanish mackerel samples to be used by DPIRD to inform the future Pilbara’s Spanish mackerel stock assessment. 

It resulted in a mighty 65 narrow-barred Spanish mackerel heads being kindly donated by many of the 153 competitors in what was one of the most red-hot mackie sessions witnessed in WA, which ultimately set a new Fishing for Science PB for the most mackerel samples collected in one day.  

In a great show of support from the Dampier community, more than 80 per cent of Spanish mackerel brought to the competition’s weigh-in were happily handed over for sampling.  

It might look rather tedious, but the 65 Spanish mackerel samples taken during the Accenture Mackerel 5000 competition by our Fishing for Science team to be donated to DPIRD for analysis will play a big role in helping better understand the Pilbara mackerel stocks. Big kudos to Dampier’s future generation of fishers for showing a great interest in our mackie biology lesson!

The samples collected included the gonads and ovaries for a sexual maturity analysis and the removal of the fish’s heads to collect otoliths for aging purposes back in Perth. In addition to this, our Fishing for Science team recorded the length and weight of each fish.  

The data collected during this competition will be vital to inform the current Pilbara mackerel stock assessment being put together by DPIRD. 

While the biggest Spanish mackerel donated topped out at just over the impressive 30-kilogram mark, it was another gargantuan monster of a Spanish mackerel that nearly joined the audience’s jaws on the floor from the scales.  

The 34.4kg beast landed by Casey Roskell scored him a big cheer from the crowd and $5,000 as the biggest specimen landed during the one-day-long competition, which maxed out the first scale brought out by the King Bay Game Fishing Club before a heavier scale was required! 

The audience’s reaction says it all! Check out this massive 34.4kg Spanish mackerel landed by Casey Roskell which was well over six feet long and took out the Mackerel 5000 competition!

“We were quite stunned at not only the sheer number of Spanish mackerel being caught and kindly donated to our team, but also some of the sizes of the fish as well. They were easily some of the biggest Spanish mackerel we’ve seen in recent memory,” said Recfishwest’s Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell.  

“It just highlights how productive the pristine Pilbara waters are along with the importance of fishing competitions to regional communities like Dampier. We had a great yarn with all attendees and the competitors made a great contribution to our Fishing for Science program, 65 mackies in one day is now the number to beat! I’d also like to give a massive shout out to the Nickol Bay Sportsfishing for running an amazing comp and being so accommodating for our Fishing for Science program.”  

In a partnership between Recfishwest and Woodside North West, this new event on the Pilbara fishing calendar is expected to grow over the next three years, based on the enthusiastic response to the Accenture Mackerel 5000 competition with the 50-boat capacity rapidly filling up.  

Recfishwest also had the pleasure to have a friendly yarn with key stakeholders in the Pilbara region, including the Nickol Bay Sportfishing Club, King Bay Game Fishing Club and Karratha Adventure Sports, with valuable insights on addressing issues such as shark bite-off and how recreational fishing can be improved in the area.  

Click here for more information about our Fishing for Science program 

A big Recfishwest thanks to the Dampier community for giving us such a warm welcome and for their tremendous support of our Fishing for Science program.

Anglers donate big mack sample haul at Onslow Mack10k!

With 78 boats brimming with 266 competitors all hoping to catch the biggest Spanish mackerel at the recent MACK10K competition in Onslow – our Fishing for Science table was jam-packed with macks!  

The annual competition, hosted by the Ashburton Anglers Fishing Club, attracts scores of avid fishers who travel from far and wide across WA to the coastal Pilbara town, with its pristine waters providing the perfect playground for competitors and for various mackerel and billfish species to thrive.  

With impressive prizes up for grabs across more than 17 categories and with Recfishwest once again working in collaboration with DPIRD Research Scientist Paul Lewis, our crew collected scientific data from dozens of Spanish mackerel that were brought to the weigh-in station. 

Thanks to the contribution of the friendly and helpful competitors, our Fishing for Science program, supported by Woodside North West, collected data from a whopping 76 Spanish mackerel, including their weight, length, condition, sex and maturity stage.  

“The number of Spanish mackerel samples collected for Fishing for Science at this year’s MACK10K is the most fish donated since the Fishing for Science program was initiated, so a huge kudos to the Onslow locals who are clearly passionate about helping us better understand this species,” said Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell. 

DPIRD’s Paul Lewis and Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett took samples from 76 Spanish mackerel across the 2023 MACK10K competition, which was the most Spanish mackerel donated since the Fishing for Science program started.

 

With top prizes like this on offer at the 2023 MACK10K along with spectacular fishing opportunities it is no wonder 266 competitors had a crack in the comp this year!

In addition to our Fishing for Science program, DPIRD’s Paul Lewis took the otoliths from the 76 sampled fish on the filleting table for further scientific analysis. The finalised data will then be used in conjunction with commercial catch data to provide a clearer assessment of the Spanish mackerel stocks in the Pilbara Management Area.  

“The biggest mackerel caught this year at the MACK10K (23.90kg landed by John Higgens) would be around 14 years old and that is normally the maximum age we see from Spanish mackerel each year at this competition from analysis of the otolith bones,” said Paul.  

“We consistently see a strong class of fish every third year and Spanish mackerel reach legal size within about two years. 2019 was a particularly strong recruitment year for Spanish mackerel to thrive off the Pilbara coast and we thankfully saw that flow through to 2022 and 2023.”  

A big Recfishwest thanks to the Onslow fishing community and Woodside North West who strongly support our Fishing for Science program, Paul Lewis who worked tirelessly to collect the data and the Ashburton Anglers for their hospitality during this great annual competition.   

“I thought this was supposed to be a mackie competition?!” said Zoe Moon after landing her first sailfish during the 2023 MACK10K, which saw plenty of impressive billfish landed. Photo credit: Chris Tanti.

 

Fishing for Science and hard-fighting pelagics at the 2023 Dampier Classic!

With scores of spectacular catches rolling through at the recent Dampier Classic last weekend, the weigh-in scales and our Fishing for Science team at the filleting table were certainly kept busy!  

And with our latest SunSmart Fishing Clinic allowing kids to learn how to catch, handle and release a range of great species in the pristine Pilbara waters – our Dampier fishing clinic was booked out in a matter of days.  

With a fantastic community response to our Fishing for Science fish program, supported by Woodside North West at King Bay Game Fishing Club’s (KBGFC) 47th annual Dampier Classic, scores of comp entrants provided the Recfishwest team with plenty of samples of commonly captured Pilbara species such as wahoo, mackerel and tuna. 

Fishing for Science is a community engagement program that enables local communities to better understand scientifically the fish species that underpin prized fishing experiences. With each day’s weigh-in showcasing many impressive captures, competitors were happy to assist Recfishwest in taking 63 belly samples from a range of fish species.  

Other data gathered for our Fishing for Science program across the competition included the weight, condition, sex, parasites and maturity stage of each fish, providing some interesting insights for locals while allowing them to give something back to fishing.  

The kids in Dampier absolutely loved learning about the gender and biology of many different species on our Fishing for Science filleting table from Recfishwest’s Levi De Boni, with a strong flow of captures keeping the next generation of fishers entertained for days.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR FISHING FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM HERE 

It wasn’t just 70-plus Dampier Classic competitors aboard 19 boats who enjoyed some great fishing action. Our SunSmart Fishing Clinic in Dampier drew in 50 local kids eager to wet a line off the shore, with plenty of great catches ranging from 10cm Moses perch to 30cm tuskfish.  

This fishing clinic introduced future fishing generations to the great species on offer in the pristine Pilbara waters and also provided Sam Russell and Levi De Boni from Recfishwest the opportunity to educate kids on how to be SunSmart under the new KBGFC gazebo – funded through a Recfishwest Community Grant – while also teaching them how to catch, handle and release fish correctly.  

“This was Recfishwest’s biggest attended SunSmart Fishing Clinic to date with plenty of fish caught throughout the whole three-hour clinic. It clearly outlines how important fishing is to the Pilbara community when our clinics rapidly book out with dozens of kids all buzzing to wet a line,” said Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell.  

“A big thanks to the Dampier fishing communities, King Bay Game Fishing Club and SunSmart for allowing us to run these clinics and actively engage with hundreds of Dampier and Karratha locals again for 2023 – and a big kudos to our Fishing for Science partners Woodside Energy for supporting this great community program that continues to expand across northern WA.”  

The smiles tell the story! Here is some of many great catches from our packed-to-the-rafters SunSmart Fishing Clinic in Dampier, with more than 50 kids learning how to catch, handle and release fish.

President of KBGFC Leon Brislane has helped coordinate the Dampier Classic for the last three years and has seen first-hand the importance and growth of this renowned fishing competition and Recfishwest’s Fishing for Science program throughout our northern communities. 

“This annual competition always brings loads of families and friends together to share a beer, have a laugh and catch some top-quality fish in one of the best fishing locations in WA,” said Leon. 

“The kids can’t get enough of the Fishing for Science program and they are always super-excited to become engaged with the Recfishwest crew taking fish samples. It always leads to fun ‘guess the fish gender’ games and they also receive an invaluable biology lesson to better understand these great species of fish. 

“A big thanks to all of our sponsors for their generosity in helping support the King Bay Game Fishing Club and this great annual event.”

A big Recfishwest thanks to the Dampier community and the King Bay Game Fishing Club for their warm hospitality during the 2023 Dampier Classic.