Tag: Spanish mackerel

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.

World-record breaking cobia and a magic marlin run – marine heatwave powers up Perth pelagics

WA is riding a marine heatwave with ocean temperatures 2–3°C above average, sparking both challenges and incredible fishing opportunities.  

Experts warn of risks like fish kills and coral bleaching and Recfishwest is calling for more focus and investment on resilience-building measures to offset some of the impacts and protect our marine ecosystems. Investments into measures such as artificial reefs, seagrass re-seeding, and other habitat enhancement will build resilience against future heatwave events – read more here. 

The good news is the warmer waters have are also delivering a pelagic fishing bonanza, especially in the metro region.

Cobia cracker

Perhaps one of the most eye-catching examples of this hot pelagic metro action that recently sent social media into overdrive is the record-breaking 79.6kg cobia caught south of Rottnest aboard Jazz Charters, shattering the previous world record by nearly 20kg.  

This 79.6kg All-Time World Record cobia landed off Rottnest aboard Jazz Charters will be very hard to beat!

While cobia do show up in the metro from time to time, to have a record-breaking fish caught on the doorstep of WA’s capital city will go down in history, and this impressive capture will take a lot to be beaten – even from further north where they are more prevalent.  

There’s been a range of unexpected sightings and encounters on the back of the heatwave – manta rays have been spotted cruising through Cockburn Sound, a whale shark encountered off Two Rocks, a pod of sailfish was seen off Fremantle, and a dolphinfish was seen beaching itself in Esperance.  

The warm waters, pushed south by a strengthening Leeuwin Current, have delivered a pelagic season reminiscent of the incredible fishing seen during the 2011 heatwave and the chance to have a crack at these fast growing and sustainable targets has never been better. 

Reports of mackerel patrolling the inshore reefs, bonito showing up at the groynes and jetties, and marlin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna wide of Rottnest, highlight just how special this season is for Perth anglers. 

The Rottnest Trench has been firing, with blue, black, and striped marlin appearing in numbers rarely seen in local waters, with 66 marlin seen over two days of fishing during the Perth Game Fishing Marlin Cup on February 15-16. Even more astonishing has been the arrival of black marlin in the shallows, with one being seen in just seven metres of water behind Garden Island and another caught by Gametime Charters while tuna fishing on the 30m contour near Rottnest. 

Stacks of macks  

Mackerel action has been heating up with Spanish, school, and shark mackerel being caught on the inshore reefs and near the islands. There has even been reports of mackerel as far south as Albany!  

The @sendnbend_sportfishing crew enjoyed “one of our best ever metro pelagic sessions” earlier this week, landing two solid Spanish mackerel, along with a a cracker of a yellowtail kingfish and longtail tuna in a day’s work!

Bonito have made a long-awaited return to the Perth jetties and rock walls after several sparse years, providing land-based fishers with an exciting light-tackle pelagic fix. Their arrival has been a welcome surprise for the die-hard land-based guys, offering great sport for those willing to put the time in casting lures from shore. 

To add to the impressive captures over the last few weeks, Gametime Charters caught a hefty 39.5kg yellowfin tuna west of Rottnest, reinforcing just how exceptional the fishing has been this season. 

As the Leeuwin Current continues to strengthen into March, the exceptional fishing opportunities are only set to improve in the southern half of state. Pelagic species will likely remain active along the metro coastline, with mackerel, tuna, and billfish to continue thrilling anglers for months to come. If water temperatures remain above 22°C, anglers will have a great chance at encountering these prized species right up until the first winter cold fronts cool things down. 

And let’s all play our part tracking the impacts of the marine heatwave by reporting any unsual captures to Red Map. Download the app on Google Play or the App store.

Get on a troll for pelagics 

That means if you’ve never had a crack at trolling or casting lures for pelagics – now’s the perfect time to give it a crack.  

Not only is it great fun and a relatively easy way to fish once you’ve mastered the basics – come the demersal season reopening in autumn, it’s a great way to mix up your catch targeting fast growing pelagics and potentially taking a bit of pressure off slow-growing demersals like dhufish and pink snapper.  

Click here to see Chris Tanti’s top trolling for tuna tips.  

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.