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As a thank you to our cast of thousands of Recfishwest free and premium members for their support, we’re giving away some cracking prizes every month courtesy of our partners Shimano!
Shimano has not only supported our Recfishwest fishing rules app for many years along with our State-wide fishing report, Awesome Autumn of Salmon campaigns and our SunSmart fishing clinics across WA – but they have also provided stacks of fishing goodies to award to some of our lucky members throughout 2024!
Just by joining as a free or premium Recfishwest member, you’ll go in the running to win any of the prizes below!
But there’s more! In addition to the Shimano prize packs three members drawn from the hat will also win an exclusive Recfishwest members’ lure pack containing three of our unique members’ lures produced in partnership with Halco as part of our annual lure design competition.
This year’s winning lure the Fish Catcher 3000 Laser Pro 120 features in the pack too – it’s a beauty! Check out the new lure here!
Already a member? You’re already in the monthly draws!
Three lucky Recfishwest members will win a Shimano Big Bundle from three members’ prize draws held throughout the year.
Each of the three Shimano prize bundles includes:
Shimano Miravel C3000HG reel
Shimano tackle wallet
3x packs of Squidgy Reef Wrigglers soft plastics
15lb Power Pro fishing line
16lb Ocea Fluorocarbon leader
A few Recfishwest membership lures to keep all of this company out on the water!
Shimano’s prize pack featuring all the above plus a few exclusive Recfishwest membership lures will be sent out to three lucky Recfishwest members in 2024!
Monthly draw prizes
Members will also have the chance to win a Shimano Miravel C3000HG reel valued at $229 every month!
Purpose-built for finesse fishing in both freshwater and inshore saltwater environments, Shimano’s Miravel reel is backed by their CoreProtect water repellent technology which increases durability and water resistance without creating a heavy winding feeling.
Three lucky standard or premium members each month will have three of our exclusive Recfishwest lures mailed out to them so you can have a fine time wetting a line!
Outside of our core funding contribution from recreational fishing licence fees via DPIRD, a growing range of valued partners are helping us do more for West Aussie fishers in 2023. Without additional support for projects that make fishing better, we couldn’t do as much as we do in Australia’s largest state making fishing better for 700,000 fishers each year.
We would also like to thank our 2022/23 Business Supporters, who contribute to our organisation and the work we do on the ground in WA – a massive thank you to those businesses. You can check out our Business Supporters here. If you would like to be a 2023/34 Business Supporter, please contact info@recfishwest.org.au.
Here’s a look at our 2023 Supporting Partners and the programs they are supporting to make fishing better in WA:
Shimano – community and sustainability
Shimano is supporting sustainable fishing practices in WA, through its backing of the Recfishwest fishing rules app with near to 90,000 users of the latest version! Shimano’s support helps ensure the app remains free for everyone and plays a vital role in the sustainability of our fish stocks.
Our SunSmart Fishing Clinics are also proudly supported by Shimano, seeing a need to support grassroots fishing and get WA kids in the outdoors wetting a line. Recfishwest SunSmart Fishing Clinics introduces children and families to fishing, getting people outdoors, promoting sustainable, safe fishing practices and connecting families to the fish they catch.
The partnership with Shimano also extends to helping us run and promote our Salmon Slam competition – the biggest land-based fishing comp in Australia! The comp taps into the mighty salmon run up the WA coast, helping fishers get onto one of the world’s best land-based sportfish on some of the world’s best beaches.
Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries – industry investment
The State Government, through the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, is a major supporter of Recfishwestand our aspirations of achieving top shelf governance and representing fishing communities through greater participation and providing enhanced opportunities and experiences for all West Aussies.
Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) – research and development
Photo Credit: Blue Media Exmouth
FRDC supports Recfishwest’s quest to better understand how we can enhance marine habitats through repurposing alternative and recycled materials to form productive artificial reefs in local WA waters. Man-made structures in the marine environment are scientifically proven to create fantastic fish habitats which can as a result play an important role in providing fishing communities access to abundant fish stocks and great fishing.
Traditionally, reef projects around Australia have been funded by public money through government agencies, in particular regional development, research or fisheries grants. More recently in WA, new reefs such as Exmouth’s King Reef (pictured above), have been brought to life through funding partnerships between government, not-for-profit and other private/industry sectors. Finding ways and protocols to source alternative materials to create habitat enhancement structures is critical in maximising the benefits artificial reefs can create for our oceans and communities.
FRDC funding is helping us to investigate how we can do this more effectively through our research project Artificial Reefs: Suitability of recycled materials for integration into purpose built artificial reefs for enhancing marine productivity, biodiversity and social outcomes.
Woodside –community and sustainability
Woodside is supporting Recfishwest’s activities in North-West WA through a number of community programs, which are outlined below.
Fishing for Science (Dampier, Onslow and Exmouth)
Fishing for Science is a community–focused program giving regional fishers a better understanding of the fish species that underpin their prized fishing experiences. Operating mainly through fishing tournaments, this kind of engagement program promotes greater community stewardship of the ocean and its resources. It also empowers fishers to play a more informed role in the management of our fisheries.
Community fishing clinics (Dampier and Cossack):
Recfishwest fishing clinics introduce children and families to fishing, getting people outdoors, promoting sustainable, safe fishing practices and connecting families to the fish they catch – nurturing great stewards of the marine environment for now and the future.
Recfishwest connecting with Aboriginal groups and communities in the North-West (Dampier, Onslow, Exmouth) through fishing:
Recfishwest is building our capacity to better understand local Aboriginal people’s culture in WA and bring theirs and the fishing communities together around common interests and values. Connection between cultures is best fostered through shared values, such as a love for fishing as a way of life, access to fishing areas and the sustainability of fishing environments.
Healthway – community SunSmart fishing clinics
Recfishwest SunSmart fishing clinics are proudly funded by Healthway promoting the SunSmart message under a long-running partnership. These clinics have been running successfully for more than 20 years. The primary purpose of Recfishwest SunSmart Fishing Clinics is to introduce children and families to fishing, getting people outdoors, promoting sustainable, safe fishing practices and connecting families to the fish they catch – helping them become better stewards of the marine environment.
BHP – community
BHP has partnered with Recfishwest by providing funding for the future deployment of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in local Port Hedland waters. FADs are a great type of fishing experience designed to attract larger pelagic species such as dolphinfish and tuna. These species are fast–growing, abundant and a great source of protein for the tables of WA fishing families.
DAIWA – community
Daiwa is again supportingRecfishwest’sStatewide community fish stocking program. Well-planned, practical, science-backed fish stocking and stock enhancement activities can support great fishing for the Western Australian community and Daiwa is helping us achieve this vision.
Santos – Community and Capacity Building
Santos is supporting the expansion of Recfishwest and its capacity in the Pilbara through an on-the-ground representative based in the Karratha/Dampier community. This will help foster more engaged and better represented fishing communities in WA’s North-West. Recfishwest’s move into the Pilbara was discussed and supported as a positive development with local stakeholders.
We are always open to welcoming new partners on board to help us enhance fishing in WA while helping achieve their objectives through a strong working collaboration with Recfishwest and fishing communities. We have an array of programs that need support right across WA so if you’d like to help make fishing better, get in touch.
With loads of great salmon catches rolling through across our pristine southern and South-West beaches, it’s been a cracking start to the 2023 Salmon Slam!
After some intense fishing competition, the winners of the opening round of the 2023 Salmon Slam are set to take home some impressive prizes after the first phase wrapped up today, 17 March.
Salmon Slam 2023 is now in its second phase, which will end on 31 March, with a Shimano Vanford 5000 reel up for grabs for the four longest salmon overall caught during that time!
Not only are salmon very easy to catch off our coastline – but doing so could win you plenty of great prizes for the 2023 Salmon Slam comp, so make sure you:
Upload a pic with your catch and the #SS2023 code written in the sand or on the brag mat and;
Get stuck into the spicy salmon action for your chance to win!
Phase one winners
Tyson Groom scooped the overall phase one winner title for which he will receive a Shimano Maikuro 9ft rod, a surf shoulder bag and Western Angler pack valued at more than $450 – thanks to his four longest salmon measuring 3,260mm in total!
It was a tight battle at the top, with three fishers submitting more than three metres of salmon catches each – which just goes to show how lucky we are to have such rod-bending, heart-racing fishing action on our southern and South-West coastlines.
Like the design of Tyson’s Salmon Slam collectible shirt in the picture below? While stocks last, you can receive this 2022 Salmon Slam shirt for FREE when you order our ‘On the Run’ Salmon Chaser shirt! Click here to go shirt shopping!
Tyson Groom got off to a brilliant start in phase one of the Salmon Slam while fishing on the south coast, with all four of his salmon catches entered into the comp measuring over 80cm!
A 91cm salmon? Now that’s worth some prizes!
Not only does Western Australia have the largest salmon on offer in all of Australia thanks to their sheer abundance and our pristine conditions – but the catches will frequently cross the 80cm mark and can even break into the 90s!
Adam Pimm and his daughter had a “magic session” with an entire beach to themselves on the south coast which is a fishers’ dream – before they landed this 91cm beauty (pictured below) that put the icing on the cake!
This great snap and 91cm whopper of a salmon landed Adam Pimm and his daughter the Adult and Junior Random prizes for Phase One of the 2023 Salmon Slam!
With this great photo and bragging rights of the longest salmon catch of the Slam thus far, Adam took out the Adult Random prize for phase one with a $100 voucher Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle, while his daughter won the Junior Random prize of a $100 Compleat Angler Nedlands voucher!
A picture’s worth a thousand words – and a $250 Halco tackle pack!
Not only did Jas Gibbs catch her first ever salmon on the south coast near Foster Beach recently alongside her partner Tyler Forbes – but this great snap was chosen as the best overall photo in phase one – winning the pair a Halco goodies bag filled with great salmon lures to help them catch even more!
This photo of Jas Gibbs with her first salmon catch won the best overall photo for phase one and encompasses what salmon fishing is all about – catching one of the best-fighting, highly-abundant sportfish on the planet off some of the world’s best beaches.
Want to improve your odds of winning a best photo prize and tips on submitting your salmon catches into the Salmon Slam app? Check out the tips in the images below!
Want to know the best rods, reels and lures for catching salmon during the Salmon Slam? Stay tuned for our massive article with all the tips you need to know from the pros on Monday!
Most importantly – now that the salmon have been reported moving along our southern coastline and up into the South-West regions, make sure you spend your time wetting a line!
Whiting, herring, flounder, skippy, tarwhine and black bream were just some of the fantastic fish that put big smiles on the dials of our next generation of fishers taking part in our Southern Tour of SunSmart fishing clinics.
Run in partnership with Healthway and supported by Shimano, the tour saw Recfishwest host 10 free fishing clinics in south coast estuaries, rivers and marinas showcasing the variety of fish kids can enjoy catching in these special environments and why these clinics are so important for local communities.
Free of charge and with all gear provided, kids spent two hours learning fishing tips and tricks from the pros at Bremer Bay, Albany, Denmark, Walpole and Augusta, with Recfishwest Operations Team Member John Dempsey and DBCA’s Stephen Crane teaching the kids about the basics of fishing, fish handling tips, the importance of fishing sustainably and the value of the waterways.
“It’s great to see these Southern Tours brimming with excited kids and their families coming along to experience safe, accessible and rewarding fishing sessions – you can see how important fishing is for communities on the south coast,” said John.
“Not only do these healthy estuarine environments provide ideal nursery habitats, but they also lead to great fishing and impressive catches – we certainly had our hands full keeping up with the number of fish being landed!
“In addition to all the valuable fishing knowledge these clinics have provided, they also focus on keeping kids safe under the sun and we’re grateful to Healthway for helping us continue to run these great community events.”
Were you one of the young guns getting amongst the fishing action? Check out some of the great snaps from some of our recent SunSmart fishing clinics below!
Albany
Bremer Bay
Denmark
Augusta
Recfishwest’s next fishing clinic will take place between 8:00am-10:00am, 22 April at A.P Hinds Reserve in Bayswater, come wet a line with us!
