Tag: Spanish mackerel

New FADs season launched: 30 devices with some cutting-edge tech

Recfishwest is excited to announce the launch of this summer’s new Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) season, with 30 devices being deployed across the southern half of WA in the coming weeks.  

This year’s rollout also includes innovative fish-monitoring technology that will be trialled for the first time in Australia. Check it out in the video below! 

Ten FADs are already in position off the north metro coast, behind Rottnest, and off Rockingham and Mandurah, ready for action.

An additional 20 FADs, stretching from Steep Point to Albany, will be deployed by the end of November, setting the stage for another fantastic summer of pelagic fishing for dolphinfish, tuna, billfish and the like.  

CHECK OUT OUR FADS WEBSITE PAGE FOR THE FADS’ CURRENT STATUS AND COORDINATES  

Sounding out an even better future for FADs

At the season launch at Hillarys, Minister for Fisheries Don Punch joined Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland to unveil the sonar technology that will be trialled on FADs this summer. 

These buoys will provide 24/7 live data on the number and size of fish gathering around the devices, offering valuable insights into the behavior of pelagic species and supporting the continuous improvement of sportfishing opportunities on the FADs. 

The new Satlink SLX+ sounders being trialled will deploy a 35-degree beam and provide 24/7 information on the biomass of fish aggregating within 10 depth intervals (down to 115m depth).  

To save bandwidth, data from the sounder will be streamed hourly, with five-minute intervals captured from an hour before to an hour after sunrise, a key period for pelagic fishing.  

This will help DPIRD assess fish abundance under the FADs and correlate it with factors like temperature and depth.  

The data will potentially help refine future FAD placements and deployment timing.

Ongoing evolution

CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “It’s great to see the Government backing in this program, which began almost 30 years ago with the Perth Game Fishing Club and has since evolved through Recfishwest’s successful Statewide FADs trial.  

“We welcome DPIRD trialling these sonar buoys on six of the locations from the Abrolhos through to Albany to help better understand what fish are turning up and at what time of year.” 

“We look forward to more innovation of this kind supporting better recfishing. 

On behalf of the cast of thousands, Recfishwest will continue to keep all fishers up to date with all FADs developments.  

The FADs have produced some beautiful captures over the years for both both fishers and spearfishers, with dolphinfish a commonly encountered species at the devices. Images: Beau Suladra and Spearwest.

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.”  

State Government’s Metro wire trace ban “goes too far”

Recfishwest believes Minister for Fisheries Don Punch’s decision to ban the use of wire trace 800m from shore between South of Mandurah to Two Rocks goes too far. 

We agree that fishing for large sharks in the Metro area does not meet communities’ expectations around responsible fishing.  

However, the Minister’s decision will unnecessarily impact on fishers who choose to use small wire trace to fish for species like tailor and mackerel either from the shore or trolling lures close in out of boats.  

Fishers use wire trace to fish for Spanish mackerel either fishing from the shore or trolling close in. In this picture Sam Vanduin @samvanduin‘s great Spanish mackerel was landed from Ammo Jetty using wire trace.

“Recfishwest had proposed reasonable and workable solutions to limit the diameter and length of wire trace – restricting fishing for large sharks without preventing tailor and mackerel fishers using their preferred gear,” said Recfishwest CEO DR Andrew Rowland.  

“For example, limiting wire trace to 30cm length or shorter would have restricted shark fishing without unnecessarily impacting on fishers who target mackerel along the metro shores each summer. We can’t understand why this commonsense approach was not adopted.

“That said, we support the Minister’s call for local governments to rescind their multiple and ill-conceived local laws related to fishing that continue to contradict the overriding State-based fishing regulations.”  

 Andrew said he would be discussing the decision with the Minister. 

 “We will be asking for clarification from the Minister around if this new legislation will prohibit using a wire trace while trolling lures for mackerel close to the shore – as we don’t believe that was the intent of this legislation,” he said.  

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.

 

Common sense prevails with reinstatement of three pelagic finfish bag limit at the Abrolhos Islands

The Geraldton and Mid-West fishing community is relieved to hear that, following Recfishwest’s constructive discussions with the Fisheries Minister, the bag limit for popular large pelagic species like mackerel and tuna has been reinstated back to three fish around the Abrolhos Islands.

The initial revised daily bag limit down to one large pelagic fish around the Abrolhos was announced as part of the package of new west coast demersal fishing rule changes announced by the Minister in December last year.

The bag limit change had left many Mid-West fishers bewildered and disappointed, given there are no sustainability concerns around these fast-growing pelagic species which are highly abundant around the Abrolhos.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “The Minister has made a sensible decision to reinstate the original daily bag limit back to three large pelagic finfish.

“We are glad that the Minister listened to us and common sense has prevailed. Recfishwest is now looking forward to seeing fishers rightfully enjoy the full benefits of the pelagic sportfishing opportunities available throughout the Abrolhos Islands.

“Generations of fishers have travelled to the Islands for the fantastic sportfishing opportunities on offer, so this is great news. We are glad to see DPIRD has now clarified the reinstatement of the original three large pelagic fish bag limit on their website and in the online version of their fishing rules booklet.

See the updated version of DPIRD’s fishing rules booklet here.

“This change was also inconsistent with the overall push to develop greater sportfishing opportunities to support the recovery of demersal scalefish species along the west coast.”

With the latest revision, it also means charter operators and their customers can rightfully enjoy the full sportfishing opportunities on offer throughout the islands during the April-May period, which is one of the most popular times of the year for visitors to travel to the region and wet a line in the hopes of catching one of these hard-fighting pelagic species.

A spokesperson for the Minister’s Office told the Geraldton Guardian, “A bag limit of three large pelagic finfish has been reinstated following feedback provided by Recfishwest about how the reduced bag limit was impacting the recreational fishing experience at the Abrolhos Islands.”

“The reduction was originally introduced as part of a new wilderness fishing concept at the Abrolhos Islands and not due to sustainability concerns.”

The Abrolhos Islands are teeming with pelagic finfish species such as this wahoo, landed by this fisher onboard Blue Juice Charters.

Recfishwest’s position on fishing for large sharks from popular beaches

Given ongoing public discussion on shark fishing from popular beaches and, in light of some Local Government Authorties stepping out of their jurisdiction seeking to ban some fishing activities, this is Recfishwest’s position:

Recfishwest recognises shore-based fishing for large “trophy” sharks (greater than three metres ) at popular swimming beaches does not meet the community’s expectations of responsible behavior and Recfishwest supports action being taken by the State Government to address this issue.

For more than a decade, various Local Government Authorities have attempted to address these types of issues through ill-conceived, impractical and unenforceable local laws that are often inconsistent with overriding state-based fishing regulations. Recfishwest favours state-based fishing legislation that can address the community’s concern while minimising impacts on fishing for other species and fishing access to beaches that are not popular for swimming.

Recfishwest believes a change to fishing tackle rules will provide the most appropriate approach for managing public concerns around fishing for large sharks from Perth’s popular beaches. Limiting the shore-based use of wire trace to 2mm diameter and 1m length, combined with limiting the size of shore-based hooks to 12/0 and under, would effectively prevent the targeting and landing of large sharks. Importantly, this approach would not impact on fishers targeting other species such as tailor or Spanish mackerel.

Any changes to the gear used for shark fishing should not impact fishers targeting other large metro species such as Spanish mackerel, pictured above in a great catch from Ammo Jetty.

Implementing these gear arrangements for shore-based fishers between Two Rocks and the Dawesville Cut would address public expectations associated with responsible fishing at swimming beaches within the metropolitan area.

Recfishwest sees no evidence that fishing activities pose increased risk to public safety and supports research to assess all potential risk posed to beach-users from a broad range of activities along the metropolitan coastline. Such research will better inform the community, local government and policy-makers resulting in science-based management solutions for all relevant risks rather than management simply designed to address unquantified public fears.

Tailor are another species caught off metro beaches for which some anglers use wire and ganged hooks to target. Photo credit: Perth Fishing Safaris.

Scott’s Species – Spanish mackerel, a prolific pelagic sportfishing staple

Hard-fighting, mean-looking and great-tasting — Spanish mackerel are among Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan’s favourite species to catch. In this week’s edition of Scott’s Species, written exclusively for Recfishwest, Scott outlines why he believes Spaniards are one of the most underrated table fish on offer.

Continue reading “Scott’s Species – Spanish mackerel, a prolific pelagic sportfishing staple” →