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Fancy a crack at catching one the best land-based sportfish in the world? Would you like to learn some cool tips and tricks to improve your salmon fishing, including lure and bait fishing, beach casting tuition and how to prepare and fillet your fish?
This years 3rd annual Salmon Campout at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park is a must entry in your fishing calendar. It kicks off on Friday afternoon 27 March through to lunchtime on Sunday 29 March.
The Great Southern Salmon Campout is designed for education, appreciation and loads of fun with your friends and family!
The event only costs $80 per adult or $40 per child, has plenty of activities to keep you busy and your mind on fishing the whole weekend. Camping or cabin accommodation is available at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park. Please contact them directly to book accommodation.
The weekend will include the following:
Complimentary BBQ Dinner on the Friday Night – meet and greet
Registration pack including information and Recfishwest’s top Salmon lures
Demo and ‘How To’ workshops:
Lure casting for salmon – rigging and lure selection
Bait fishing for salmon – bait rigging and gear selection
4×4 safety
Beach casting tuition
Fish filleting and preparation
You will have the opportunity to learn new skills from industry experts, fish from world class beaches and make memories that will last forever.
If this sounds like your kind of adventure, make sure you get in quick and register!
Recfishwest always love an opportunity to connect with the fishing community, and on December 8 we were invited to be part of the Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club’s first Boat ‘N’ Trailer Day at their Lancelin clubrooms.
The idea of the event was to bring fishers in with their boats and help them keep on top of their trailer, boat and engine maintenance ahead of the coming summer/autumn fishing season.
There was a circuit set up for all the boats and their trailers to be able to cycle through and have their boat inspected by professionals from Big Five Marine who knew what to look for. One lucky boater even had his wheel bearings repacked as part of a demonstration!
It was a great opportunity to have a yarn with all the local fishers who came through the event and it was great to hear they were all very happy with their local fishing opportunities, with many out the morning before pulling pots and bring home a great feed of crays.
The event was also attended by St John WA – Lancelin, the Volunteer Fire Brigade and the passionate Lancelin Volunteer Marine Rescue Western Australia team. This allowed fishers to meet the kind and energetic emergency service people that have their back if something ever goes wrong out on the water, or even on their way to and from the ramp.
We were also privileged to be shown around the VMR’s new premises after the event and it was inspiring to hear about all the businesses and companies that had rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help build their new shed and office. We chatted to the vollies about their recent rescue efforts and their beloved vessels they keep in premium condition between rescues. The event shows the Lancelin fishing community is in great shape. Their upcoming John Bray Classic on 27 December is another popular community event and has had over 140 children attend in previous years. It was heartening to see the community coming together to help keep everyone safe, maintain their gear and meet the enthusiastic crews that will be there if all else fails.
Check out the club’s website here to see all the upcoming events and competitions here – http://www.laac.org.au/
With this week marking the lifting of the west coast demersal closure, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) have released the latest stock assessment science.
We hope those of you who have already headed out to try and bag yourself a dhuie, pinkie or a baldie have managed to get amongst ‘em.
It’s been 10 years since wholesale rule changes were brought in to recover some of these species after all the research showed the stocks were in strife. Since those changes were implemented, recfishers have played our part – a big part – in sticking to the rules designed to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in the catch from 2005/6 levels and recover these slow-growing species’ stocks within a 20-year timeframe.
Now we are at the recovery plan’s mid-way point, the Department have released a west coast demersal update based on their latest research.
It will come as no surprise to many of us who target bottom fish in the metro and the South West that there are some good signs with many more, smaller dhuies being seen in the last few years. This is certainly grounds for cautious optimism, showing that our good work and stewardship, sticking to bag and size limits, and the annual two-month closure, is paying off.
However, we’re not out of the woods yet with the research showing limited evidence of recovery for demersal scalefish stocks in the Mid-West and Kalbarri areas. In addition, there appears to be few older dhuies and pinkies in the Department’s samples from across the whole bioregion (Kalbarri down to Augusta).
This shows there is still away to go and, while the recovery is progressing well, we need to keep doing what we’re doing to ensure the recovery stays on track.
That means doing everything we can to ensure released fish go back healthily. Barotrauma can impact on these species significantly, with the research summary showing that ‘post-release mortality’ – fish dying after being released – is potentially having an impact on the recovery.
So, it’s imperative to handle the fish carefully and use release weights to give them the best chance of going back well, if returning them.
It also highlights why catch and release fishing for demersals is not OK and once you’ve hit your bag limit, it’s important to move on and target other species like pelagics and squid.
Clearly, the Department needs to keep gathering scientific evidence to monitor the recovery’s progress. And this is also where we can all play a big part by donating some of our demersal frames to the Department’s Send Us Your Skeletons sampling program.
The more samples the scientists get – the clearer and more robust picture they can build of the stocks’ health. So do the right thing by the fish and help the Department collect more samples by donating some of your frames to science (you can keep the wings and the cheeks – they just need the heads and the guts intact).
So, we hope you get to bag a demersal or two for Christmas – but let’s continue to work together to ensure the recovery continues to progress and that there will be plenty of these fantastic fish to go at for us and for future generations of West Aussie fishers.
The new management changes for blue swimmer crabs in Perth and the South West will result in more protection for the female crab breeding stock will ensure bigger, better crabs in the near future.
Permanent removal of commercial fishing licences in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds and from Mandurah to Bunbury through a voluntary buy-back scheme will ensure more protection for the female crab breeding stock and more crabs and bigger crabs to fish for.
The buy-back of commercial fishing licences in Cockburn Sound opens the real possibility for recreational crab fishing in the Sound.
Introduction of a three-month seasonal closure – September 1 to November 30 – in all waters from the Swan and Canning Rivers (inclusive) to 15km south of Bunbury.
See our map below to show you what the changes mean for you in your favourite crabbing locations.
Fishing clubs have been a staple of our great pastime for many years, as they provide an opportunity for hands-on learning amongst a social setting full of like-minded individuals.
Fishing Clubs remain an integral part of their local communities and the landscape of the WA fishing scene.
The traditional model of a fishing club has lost some of its appeal to up-and-coming fishers. The days of sharing fishing stories at the monthly club meeting have been replaced with the instant gratification of sharing stories on social media.
Due to the change in the way many of us share our fishing knowledge, some clubs have struggled to adapt to changes and now find themselves unable to attract fresh faces or ideas to their organisations. Being innovative and making fishing club’s attractive to the next generation is a vital part of continuing to deliver the numerous benefits that clubs provide to the members and their local community.
Pictured above is Russell Hanley from the Australian Trout Foundation and Matthew Gillett from Recfishwest.
We’re pleased to report that there is a great number of fishing clubs in WA that are as strong as ever. These clubs have continued to innovate and provide members with opportunities to socialise and go fishing in a way that aligns with current social norms and values.
As a part of our commitment to improve fishing in Western Australia, recently Recfishwest ran our inaugural Fishing Clubs Conference, aimed at building and developing fishing clubs across WA. The two-day conference provided information on current fisheries management and research approaches in WA, along with an update on Recfishwest projects.
The conference had a focus on assisting clubs to improve their services and discussions on ways to improve shore, boat and freshwater fishing.
From left to right: John Curtis from Australian Anglers Association, Craig Wells from WellStrategic and Malcolm Cruickshank from WA Anglers attended the conference over the two days.
Representatives from a number of fishing clubs from both the metropolitan and regional areas attended the conference, eager to learn new approaches and also share their experience and expertise with other fishing clubs from around the state.
Recfishwest took many learnings away from the two days and from the feedback received, the clubs took plenty away from the presentations and subsequent discussions.
This is the first time Recfishwest has held a forum like this, and we plan to hold similar events in the coming years to further understand and assist with the issues faced by fishing clubs around the state.
Thanks to the following clubs for attending the conference:
Australian Anglers Association
Australian Trout Foundation
Broome North Fishing Club
Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club
Exmouth Game Fishing Club
King Bay Game Fishing Club
Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club
Mangles Bay Fishing Club
Nickol Bay Sportfishing Club
Perth Game Fishing Club
WA Trout and Freshwater Fishing Association
WA Anglers
WA Undersea Club
Recfishwest will continue to work closely with clubs to ensure they remain an integral part of their local communities and the landscape of the WA fishing scene.
Having seen first-hand some of the great work of many successful fishing clubs in WA, we are now more certain than ever that the future of fishing clubs is strong.
Pictured above is Scott Medling from Nickol Bay Sportfishing Club with Ben Knaggs & Dave Thomson from the Exmouth Game Fishing Club.
Earlier in the month you may have read the latest announcement regarding just how much fishing matters to West Aussies, after a report titled ‘Economic Dimensions of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia’ detailed the boost to the economy from fishing. Continue reading “What $2.4 Billion Dollars Means for Your Fishing”→
WA’s hundreds of thousands of fishers choose to spend $2.4 billion every year on fishing;
There is $1.8 billion spent on fishing trips alone;
Healthy abundant fish stocks are the key to great fishing experiences.
Recfishwest Chairman Tim Bray with Premier Mark McGowan.
Recfishwest, Premier Mark McGowan and Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly today launched the Economic Dimensions of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia report in Fremantle.
In a WA-first, the economic study detailed the annual economic spend by recreational fishers on fishing related activities such as fishing trips and travel, fishing gear and boat fishing costs.
It found a staggering $2.4 billion is spent by the State’s recfishers each year.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said the figure was considerable, but not a surprise.
“We know almost 750,000 Western Australians choose to go fishing as part of their lifestyle, that’s at least one person in every third house who goes fishing each year,” Dr Rowland said.
“The $2.4 billion yearly injection into the state’s economy demonstrates that recreational fishing in WA matters.
“It’s important to note this is a voluntary spend from our community, it’s not a tax, people aren’t forced to spend their hard earned dollars to go fishing, they choose to.
“The $2.4 billion is the new baseline for recreational fishing value, as long as fishing experiences are protected and enhanced this figure will continue to grow.
“We have known for a long time that fishing provides a huge number of health and wellbeing benefits for our community and now we know the huge economic benefits it also provides our economy.
“The $2.4 billion is the new baseline for recreational fishing value, as long as fishing experiences are protected and enhanced this figure will continue to grow.
“We have known for a long time that fishing provide
Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly, Recfishwest CEO DR Andrew Rowland, Premier Mark McGowan and Recfishwest Chairman Tim Bray.
s a huge number of health and wellbeing benefits for our community and now we know the huge economic benefits it also provides our economy.
“The best way to maintain and grow these benefits is to ensure people have a great time whenever they go fishing in our great State.
“To achieve this, we need more than simply sustainable fish populations, we need healthy oceans and waterways managed for abundant and plentiful fish stocks.
“Imagine if you had the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime, every time you went fishing – wouldn’t you go fishing more often?”
The report found West Australians love to travel throughout WA for fishing, spending $1.8 billion on fishing trips each year, $160 million on fishing gear such as pots, rods and reels and $390 million on purchasing and maintaining new and used fishing boats.
“We are very pleased to see the Premier today supporting our desire to see fishing incorporated into the state’s tourism agenda, we’d much rather see people spending time fishing in our regions than heading overseas,” Dr Rowland said.
Economic Dimensions of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia was conducted by Economic Research Associates and supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Recfishwest. The project was funded through recreational fishing licence fees through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund;
The total expenditure figure in the research is not the total ‘value’ of the recreational fishing industry, simply what West Aussies spend each year on their fishing activities;
The report found 45 per cent of fishers State-wide only fish from the shore, 24 per cent from a boat only, 31 per cent from both boat and shore;
An average boat based fisher spends $13,559 per year (this does not include boat purchase) and average shore based fishers spends $2,253 per year;
What residents of each WA region spend on fishing per year:
