sunsmart fishing clinics Archives

Family fishing fun lures kids to enjoy the great West Aussie outdoors

January 20, 2025

The great West Aussie summer holidays are seeing thousands of mums, dads and kids making golden memories at family fishing events in the South of our State.

Family-fun-packed events like the ever-popular Mandalay Fishing Competition in Busselton and our SunSmart fishing clinics in Binningup and Bremer Bay have lured thousands of happy kids outside in the fresh air to wet a line and enjoy our majestic coastal environment.

The summer sun is shining a light once again on the immense social, physical and mental wellbeing benefits of fishing, with bent rods glued to kids’ hands rather than electronic devices.

It’s why Recfishwest is calling on all political parties ahead of the State election in March to commit to investing in a statewide community stewardship program teaching kids the right way to fish in our manifesto aimed at improving fishing across WA. Click here to see our election manifesto,

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Teaching the next generation how to fish right, safely and caring for what they catch is vitally important for the future of fishing and the huge part it plays in the West Aussie way of life.

“Using our fishing clinic model in a statewide community stewardship program will help kids enjoy fishing’s social and well-being benefits today while teaching them to fish safely and responsibly.”

How’s this for a turn-out! Hundreds of mums, dads and kids wet a line at Busselton’s biggest community fishing event of the year at the 15th annual Mandalay Fishing Competition. Photo credit @coastingoutback.

Wetting a line in the sunshine

Feast your eyes on some of the great snaps and catches from some of the great community fishing events so far in January!

Kids’ Fishing Day – Harvey Districts Water Sport Association (HDWSA) Binningup Fishing Club – Sunday 4th January

This event was aimed at teaching kids fishing basics, how to fish sustainably and safely, looking after the environment and how to stay SunSmart. Along with the dozens of yellowfin whiting turning up on the beach, South-West local and Minister for Fisheries, Don Punch, also put in an appearance!

Bremer Bay SunSmart Kids’ Fishing Clinic – Monday 5th January

This fishing clinic has been a local favourite for more than 20 years now and the ever-reliable Bremer Bay jetty never fails to produce quality catches, with schools of small skippy providing great fun for the youngsters who learned how to catch, handle and release the fish with care. A big thanks to all volunteers who helped with this fantastic annual community event!

Mandalay Fishing Competition – Tuesday 14th January

Supported by a Recfishwest community grant, this South-West fishing event has long been one of the biggest community fishing events in WA and is a major drawcard for locals in Busselton and the surrounding regions to come wet a line at the picturesque Mandalay Beach Resort – one of Recfishwest’s business supporters. Seeing hundreds of families having fun while enjoying catching herring and whiting is a sight we want to keep on seeing, and it shows how important fishing is to our regional coastal communities.

The fantastic images below from the day were snapped by @coastingoutback – give their Instagram page a follow!

Want to help Recfishwest create more great community fishing events like this? Support us by joining our cast of thousands as a Recfishwest member!

Fishing families flock to Denham for 2024 Shark Bay Fiesta!

May 30, 2024May 30, 2024

For the 29th year running, the coastal town of Denham swelled in size for the hugely popular Shark Bay Fiesta that celebrates the fantastic fishing on offer in the Gascoyne region.

Recfishwest joined the Denham community for the cornerstone event of its social calendar, which offers not just plenty of excitement, but also a vital boost to local businesses as scores of visitors from all corners of our state and country join in the festivities.

What started in 1996 as a simple weekend fishing competition has since grown into a week-long extravaganza, brimming with top-notch fishing competitions for adults and kids, live music, bustling food stalls and, of course, incredible fish species turning up at the evening weigh-ins.

Recfishwest Operations Officers Sam Russell and Levi De Boni ran our annual SunSmart fishing clinic to teach local and visiting kids how to catch, handle, and release various species, with some cracking catches being landed off the jetty in the centre of town.

There is never a shortage of impressive catches off the local jetty in Denham during the Shark Bay Fiesta, with Recfishwest Operations Officers Sam Russell and Levi De Boni (pictured) helping kids catch and release loads of great species during our SunSmart fishing clinic!

“Around 30 kids had an awesome time releasing close to 100 fish of at least 10 different species. Some of the standout catches included legal-sized tuskfish, some black snapper and an impressive longtom,” said Levi.

“This event is a standout in the Recfishwest fishing clinic calendar every year and it’s always one of the most energetic fishing clinics we run.”

The Fiesta’s major fishing competition saw over 40 boats and 120 competitors making the most of the great fishing opportunities Shark Bay has to offer, with its sheltered waters producing fantastic catches of black snapper, pinkies and golden trevally to name a few.

Numerous fishing teams aimed for renowned offshore fishing locations like Dirk Hartog Island and Steep Point, chasing some of the larger species the area is famed for such as Spanish mackerel, cobia, tuna, red emperor, Rankin cod and goldband snapper on the deeper reefs.

A summary of the best results across the Shark Bay Fiesta! Some impressive catches included a 12.3kg red emperor and 98cm tailor!

“It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm that surrounded the event from people of all ages, from kids as young as four in the fishing clinic to retirees enjoying the high tea and fishing competition,” added Levi.

“I’d like to give a big Recfishwest thanks to Jamie Burton, the Executive Officer and her team at the Shark Bay Community Resource Centre for their awesome job organising the event and the Denham community as a whole for their great hospitality and participation while we were in town. We’re looking forward to returning in 2025.”

Check out more highlights from the 2024 Shark Bay Fiesta here!

Recfishwest on the road – highlights from October’s fishing clinics and kids fishing competitions across WA!

October 24, 2023October 26, 2023

It’s been a very busy October for our Recfishwest crew and nearly 180 kids who had a crack at fishing in our Metro, Mid-West and Pilbara region’s fishing clinics and competitions!

Recfishwest is always pleased to see the next generation of fishers having a fine time wetting a line and catching a wide range of great West Aussie species off our jetties and pristine beaches, with herring, whiting, tarwhine, skippy, bream and many others providing top-quality fishing for our youngsters and their families.

Check out some of the kids’ fishing clinics and competitions which took place over the last few weeks below and if you want to find out more about our SunSmart fishing clinics across WA, check out our SunSmart Fishing Clinics Webpage!

City of Cockburn Youth Services fishing clinic – Ammo Jetty

Early October saw Recfishwest join forces with the City of Cockburn Youth Services at one of Perth’s most iconic land-based fishing spots – the Ammo Jetty.

Run in partnership with the City of Cockburn, the weather lined up beautifully and 24 kids thoroughly enjoyed hooking up to multiple tarwhine, herring, whiting and juvenile tailor.

Kudos to the City of Cockburn for ensuring young people within this program are supported, engaged and valued and we look forward to running more of these fishing clinics in future.

Ammo Jetty in Cockburn Sound producing the goods! Big thanks to the City of Cockburn Youth Services crew who ensured 24 young people experienced the joys of fishing off one of Perth’s most popular land-based fishing spots.

Kalbarri Kids’ Whiting Competition

One of WA’s biggest annual kids’ fishing competitions returned to the Mid-West coast on 5 October – the ever-popular Kalbarri Kids’ Whiting Competition!

Taking place over the September-October school holidays, Recfishwest attended the second day of the competition where 126 kids were ankle deep in crystal clear water on Chinaman’s Beach, with a steady flow of top-quality catches rolling through.

With quad bikes transporting kids along the beach and impressive prizes up for grabs for a mix of easily accessible species, the Recfishwest crew were kept busy de-hooking catches, taking snaps, teaching the kids how to handle fish with care and gently releasing them to fight another day.

Organised by the Kalbarri Offshore and Angling Club and supported by one of Recfishwest’s Community Grants – this fabulous community event has drawn thousands of kids and their families over the years to have a crack at catching the town’s celebrated yellowfin whiting.

Check out some of the snaps from the Kalbarri Kids’ Whiting Competition below!

We love this competition and so did the kids in Kalbarri! Recfishwest was proud to support the Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club’s Kids’ Whiting Competition for another year, which draws hundreds of excited youngsters to Chinaman’s Beach for the great fishing and prizes on offer.

Nickol Bay SunSmart Fishing Clinic

Prior to our Recfishwest crew attending the Accenture Mackerel 5000 competition in Dampier on October 15 for our Fishing for Science program, they coordinated a SunSmart Fishing Clinic on the sand in front of Hampton Harbour Boat & Sailing Club.

Despite the hot conditions, 28 kids and their parents joined Recfishwest in spending two hours having a flick and cooling off within the bay’s turquoise waters, with Vince Amico from Karratha Adventure Sports lending a helping hand and with support from the Nickol Bay Sportsfishing Club.

Before the fishing action kicked off, Recfishwest taught the kids about safe SunSmart practices, proper fish handling, fishing regulations, sustainability and safety guidelines around wetting a line in WA’s beautiful Pilbara region.

To keep the smiles on the kids’ faces, all participants received a Recfishwest sticker and lure to help promote chipping away at developing their fishing skills.

Big thanks to the kids below who enjoyed wetting a line with us at the Nickol Bay Fishing Clinic!

Teaching kids how to be SunSmart and how to catch top -quality fish in the pristine Pilbara waters!

“It’s been a very busy October full of fishing clinics and competitions across WA and throughout all of these events, every kid had a smile on their face and had an awesome time along with plenty of memorable catch-and-release experiences,” said Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell.

“Hopefully they’ve been bitten by the fishing bug and it becomes a lifelong passion that gives them and their families years of enjoyment and all the well-being and health benefits fishing provides.”

Sun, smiles and fish aplenty – our SunSmart southern fishing clinics were a winner this summer

January 27, 2023January 27, 2023

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!