Tag: sunsmart

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

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!  

Fantastic kids fishing clinics turn-out highlights importance of fishing on the south coast

Every one of our 10 SunSmart Fishing Clinics Southern Tour was completely booked out this year, highlighting once again how popular and important fishing is on our south coast.

More than 350 excited kids took part in the clinics running from East of Esperance all the way along the coast to Augusta – with all participants enjoying learning about fishing basics, looking after the environment and being SunSmart.

This was a record attendance for the tour with record numbers of fish caught and released by the young eager anglers to match!

Check out some of the fishing action below in GWN7’s recent news item on the clinics.

Scores of whiting, flounder, skippy, tarwhine, black bream, leatherjacket and flathead catches put brimming smiles on the dials of our next generation of anglers over 11 days in January, with many participants enjoying the thrill of catching and releasing their first ever fish.

Many parents were delighted to be able to get their kids off their devices and out in the fresh air enjoying the healthy and educational experience the clinics provided.

Despite some windy, overcast and rainy conditions along the south coast, all fishing clinics at Duke of Orleans Caravan Park, Esperance, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Denmark, Walpole and Augusta were fully booked out, with some clinics even resulting in kids happily sharing rods with extra participants keen to get casting.

With fishing access to some of these cherished fishing spots along the south coast in question pending the release of the Government’s south coast marine park plans, these fishing clinics firmly showed that the social, physical and wellbeing benefits fishing provides to so many fishers need to be protected.

Packed to the rafters! Every clinic between Duke of Orleans and Augusta was fully booked, with local beaches and jetties full of kids hoping to catch one of the species on offer along the south coast.

“This was by far Recfishwest’s most jam-packed and successful Southern Tour since it kicked off more than 20 years ago,” said Recfishwest’s Communications Coordinator Jarrad Lawford. “The response from the community has been a fantastic illustration of just how passionate they are here about fishing and how important it is in this part of the world.

“Recfishwest’s Sam Bock and I were kept very busy baiting lines, helping carefully unhook the catches and taking snaps of ecstatic kids with their fish. Many of them created memories of their first ever catch that will last a lifetime and we’re hoping they’ve now learned enough to safely enjoy fishing as a pastime that will give them a lot of joy for the rest of their lives.

“A big thanks to Healthway for supporting these great community events and cheers to our instructors Stephen Crane and Kevin Murphy who also did a fantastic job coordinating some of the clinics. Make sure you get in quick and register your spot in 2025 for when our Southern Tour returns next year.”

In addition to all the valuable fishing knowledge provided at these clinics, all kids were taught how to stay safe while fishing and were rewarded Recfishwest stickers and lures, along with dozens of SunSmart and Shimano hats for their next fishing adventure.

Were you one of the 350 young guns getting amongst the fishing action during our recent SunSmart Southern Tour? Check out some of the great snaps below!

Fourteen FREE kids fishing clinics on offer in our SunSmart Southern Fishing Clinic Tour this summer

Looking to get the kids off their screens and devices over the summer school holidays and outdoors doing a free, fun and educational outdoor activity?

Recfishwest’s popular SunSmart Southern Fishing Clinic Tour is making a triumphant return to eight locations along WA’s stunning southern coastline to introduce kids to the joys of fishing!

In conjunction with our partners Healthway and Shimano, Recfishwest is once again hosting our Southern Tour of SunSmart Fishing Clinics between 6-17 January along our stunning southern coastline from the Duke of Orleans caravan park all the way up to Augusta.

A total of 14 FREE fishing clinics are set to take place at eight of some of the best fishing locations on the south coast of WA, with the Duke of Orleans caravan park, Esperance, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Denmark, Walpole and Augusta all providing fantastic opportunities for mums, dads and their kids to wet a line and learn about fishing.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THESE FISHING CLINICS AND TO RESERVE A BOOKING AT ANY OF THE EIGHT LOCATIONS! 

At the clinics, kids are provided loan fishing gear and shown the basics of fishing by Recfishwest’s friendly expert fishing instructors. The instructors also teach the kids about fishing for the future, caring for the environment and being SunSmart making for a super fun fishing session for the kids, as well as an educational one.

The enduring popularity of Recfishwest’s Southern Tour shows how important fishing is to the south coast lifestyle and culture as well as highlighting all the great benefits it provides.

Winners are grinners! Smiles on youngster’s faces are always present at our SunSmart fishing clinics. Make sure you book your spot before they fill up!

Recfishwest Fishing Clinics Coordinator Sedin Hasanovic said, “The clinics are heaps of fun and they provide a great introduction to fishing for kids, an appreciation of estuary and marine environments along with the great benefits and enjoyment to be had from healthy outdoor activities.

“Fishing is a huge part of the south coast way of life and provides a fantastic range of mental, physical and social wellbeing benefits – these clinics provide a gateway to all of that and can help spark a love of fishing for those kids who get involved that can last a lifetime. We look forward to seeing you and your kids there!”

Spots are limited across all 14 clinics with 35 spots available at each clinic, so mums and dads are advised to get in quick to reserve your place as these fishing clinics are very popular over the summer school holidays!

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

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.”

Fishing clinics program brings net benefits for socially at-risk young people

Young people who are doing it tough are enjoying the mental, well-being and physical net benefits fishing has to offer thanks to a partnership between “at risk” youth program Youth Futures and Recfishwest.  

Funded through our Community Grants Program – students from the Youth Futures Community School in Midland are being given the chance to enjoy fishing through Recfishwest’s SunSmart fishing clinics proudly supported by Healthway and Shimano Australia, which are being run on several locations on the Swan River.  

And the ‘Next Cast’ project is proving to be a huge success with the school’s students truly bitten by the fishing bug.  

“I’ve been inundated with questions from the students asking where and when the next fishing clinic is taking place because they had so much fun,” said Youth Futures Education Assistant Jonathan Higham.  

“We’ve been seeing first-hand the immediate and prolonged benefits that these fishing clinics have been having on our students. Engaging activities out in the fresh air close to nature such as fishing also helps boost the students’ engagement in class. They’ve told us they all really look forward to coming to school when the fishing clinics were coming up.” 

Youth Futures have reported the fishing clinics as a huge success for improving the mental and physical wellbeing of their students, with higher engagement in classes following the fishing trips.

Next Cast aims to give alternative learning opportunities to young people who are socially disconnected because of their circumstances and are at risk of falling through the cracks of the education system. 

Most importantly it gives them the opportunity to enjoy the social and physical benefits fishing provides, as well as promoting peer support and positive social interaction. 

“Different students had different levels of experience,” said Jonathan. “Some of them had never fished before while others were quite skilled and experienced. It resulted in the more experienced helping out the inexperienced, which adds to the social element of it all.” 

Recfishwest Fishing Clinics Coordinator Sedin Hasanovic, who has been running the clinics with fellow instructor, Kim Burton said, “Time and time again, we see young people come alive with a rod in their hand at these fishing clinics and the Youth Futures students are no exception. Fishing is such a highly engaging activity and as well as showing them how to fish, our clinics teach participants about fishing sustainably, looking after the environment and being SunSmart.  

“It’s been fantastic to see these young people from some tough backgrounds getting into fishing so much – hopefully it can give them some relief from some of the challenges they have to face and maybe sew the seeds for a lifelong passion for fishing just like we have.”  

Seven fishing clinics, for young people aged between 12-14 years, took place over the school’s first semester of 2023 at a number of locations in the Swan River, along with metro-based ocean marinas and jetties. 

Another 11 fishing clinics are planned for the second semester of 2023 for the schools’ 15-18-year-olds, with a view to making the Next Cast program a permanent fixture of Youth Futures.  

Based on the great feedback from their first seven fishing clinics in the first semester, Youth Futures have booked another 11 fishing clinics for their older students for the remainder of 2023, with hopes of making fishing trips a permanent social activity in future.

Granting wishes to great local projects  

Since the Community Grants program began in 2011, Recfishwest has proudly provided more than $500,000 in funding for more than 200 fishing clinics, equipment upgrades, safety training and numerous community-driven fishing projects thanks to funding through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF) and supported by DPIRD.  

Find out more about our Community Grants Program here  

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

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!

Dampier community fishes for fun and for science!

We had a fantastic response to our Fishing for Science fish sampling table and fishing clinic in Dampier coinciding with King Bay Game Fishing Club’s recent Dampier classic.

The great response to these activities and the dozens of boats in the competition shows just how important fishing for regional communities continues to be.

Wahoo, Spanish mackerel, queenfish, longtail tuna, barracuda and golden trevally – these were just some of the species local anglers landed throughout our five-day visit to the northern coastal fishing jewel.

Our Sunsmart Fishing Clinic saw more than 40 eager kids wet a line off the shore, with plenty of great catches of species such as bluebone and stripey snapper providing great memories and snaps for the next generation of anglers.

We had a great time showing future generations how to safely catch, handle and release fish!

Following the Sunsmart Fishing Clinics in the mornings, the icing on the cake for our Recfishwest team was the many fish given to us to sample for our Fishing for Science Program at the end of each day’s weigh-in from 67 competitors wetting a line from 21 vessels.

Fishing for Science is a community engagement program that enables local communities to better understand scientifically the fish species that underpin prized fishing experiences.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR FISHING FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM HERE

In total, more than 50 fish across 15 different species were brought to the sampling table, for measuring, sexing and having belly tissue samples taken to freeze for future scientific studies and monitoring of our fish stocks.

Other data gathered for our Fishing for Science program across the competition included the weight, condition, sex, parasites and maturity stage of each fish, providing useful knowledge for locals while allowing them to give back in protecting our fisheries.

Sam Russell and Danielle Hartshorn always had a great bunch of kids eager to see the fish gender reveals!

Operations Officer Sam Russell said both the fishing clinics and positive engagement with the competition participants provided invaluable information on the importance of these special ocean habitats to our northern communities.

“A big thanks to the Dampier fishing communities, King Bay Game Fishing Club and Sunsmart for allowing us to run these clinics and engage with hundreds of Dampier and Karratha locals again this year – and a big thanks to our Fishing for Science partners Woodside Energy for supporting this great community program”