DAY / DATE

SUNRISE

SUNSET

MOONRISE

MOONSET

Sat 11/02

05:51

19:11

19:22

05:49 f

Sun 12/02

05:52

19:10

20:02

06:50 f

Mon 13/02

05:53

19:09

20:38

07:50 f

Tues 14/02

05:54

19:08

21:14

08:47 f

Wed 15/02

05:54

19:07

21:48

09:43 f

Thurs 16/02

05:55

19:06

22:21

10:37 f

Fri 17/02

05:56

19:05

22:57

11:31 f

Please Note: Where a rise time is noted with a 'p', it means that the time listed is for the previous day. Where a set time is noted with an 'f', it means that the time listed is for the following day. This complication is because the Moon rises, transits and sets almost an hour later every night, so every few days there is a 24-hour 'calendar day' in which the Moon either doesn't rise, or doesn't set. These times will be adequate for general purpose use in the Perth metropolitan area, however corrections must be applied for other locations in Western Australia.

PREDICTED TIDES FOR FREMANTLE THIS WEEK

DAY / DATE

TIME AND PREDICTED HEIGHT

Sat 11/02

05:59

0.48

21:50

1.04

Sun 12/02

06:02

0.52

22:07

0.98

Mon 13/02

06:05

0.57

12:47

0.77

15:40

0.71

22:13

0.92

Tues 14/02

05:43

0.59

13:03

0.80

16:28

0.73

22:23

0.87

Wed 15/02

05:34

0.60

13:25

0.83

17:20

0.75

20:40

0.82

Thurs 16/02

05:48

0.60

13:53

0.87

Fri 17/02

06:02

0.60

14:25

0.90

NOTE: These are the predicted tides for Fremantle and there may be some variation due to wind strength and direction.

SNAPPER RELEASE EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER:

This Saturday’s (Feb 11th) Community Snapper Release event at Cockburn Sound has been postponed due to the inclement weather. The event is now scheduled for the 18th of February at 09:00 at Jervoise Bay in Cockburn Sound adjacent to the Cockburn Power Boat Club. The Community Fish Release will start at around 09:30. Recfishwest apologise for the inconvenience and will keep all interested parties advised of any update on the event.

Current Event Details Are:

Where:                                        Jervoise Bay, Woodman Point

When:                                          9am-11am Saturday, 18th February 2017

What You Need to Bring:            Family, Camera, Hat, Sunscreen, Snorkel for those who want to get in the water.

Number of Fish Being Released: 5,000

GENERAL FISHING:

This last couple of weeks has seen some excellent fishing in and around the Perth metropolitan area. Again there have been several spanish mackerel taken by both boat and land based anglers in the metropolitan area. Kayakers have also made their mark by taking some excellent snapper in Cockburn Sound. Several have been fishing after dark in some of the shallower sections of the Sound and taking some big snapper on jigs and soft plastics fished close to the bottom.

Spanish and shark mackerel have been turning up in Cockburn Sound together with the occasional longtail tuna. Schools of small southern bluefin and striped tuna have been found in depths starting at 20 m off Rottnest and north towards Mindarie and Two Rocks.

Anglers chasing mulloway over the last couple of weeks have done very well from locations such as A Berth and the E Shed wharf in Fremantle. There are times when several fish hit the deck and they are often between 10 and 20 kg. Other boat anglers are working their favourite spots in Blackwall Reach and Mosman Bay with a modicum of success. There have been several mulloway taken from the metropolitan and outer metropolitan beaches over the last couple of weeks.

Several fish up to 20 kg have been reported from the beaches around Mandurah and through up to Port Kennedy. Beaches north of Mindarie through to Yanchep and Two Rocks are also producing some good fish. In addition to the mulloway, anglers fishing the afternoon sea breezes from the beach report good fishing for tailor, along with a few herring and sand whiting. There have been reports of early run salmon being taken from the beaches south of Mandurah, from in the estuary at Mandurah and also from the beaches around Rockingham. Records indicate that this is not unusual at this time of the year and is hopefully a precursor to some good winter fishing.

In the river, anglers have not been disappointed with the flathead action on the sandflats. The flats along the southern shore of the river through Alfred Cove and Melville have been producing some good fish. Anglers chasing black bream are moving a little upstream to spots in and around Ascot, Maylands, Heirison Island and Shelley. Also in the river at the moment there are plenty of good crabs to be had.

Due to the unbelievable rain experienced in the last few days, along with the cooler weather and stronger winds, all of the above is now turned on its head. There have been several flood warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, for low lying areas in the Swan River (almost unheard of in summer months) and for areas around Mandurah and Bunbury and several locations in the south west of the state.

The rain is definitely welcome as the metropolitan water supply dams were in dire straits, however with the heavy rain comes its own concerns. This weekend’s rain will create havoc in the river system. There will be excessive run-off and this raises other issues. One of the problems associated with the huge amounts of rain is the amount of water borne sediment, nutrients, organic matter, rubbish and detritus washed into the river system. This in turn will lead to other problems such as oxygen depletion that will possibly lead to algal blooms later in the summer resulting in fish deaths, a reduction in salinity and also it will wash a variety of unwanted chemicals and oil into the system to poison a variety of species and plant life. All we can hope for is that not too much damage is done to the river as a result of this unusual excess of fresh water at this time.

As for its immediate impact on fishing, water levels will be higher and make accessing popular spots a little more difficult. There will be, due to the density differential, a lot of fresh water flowing over the top of the heavier saltwater. This water will be discoloured and probably not hold too many fish. However anglers in the know will fish in deeper water and still find fish. The rising tide will still bring fresh saltwater into the system and this will come in underneath the freshwater on the surface of the system.

For mulloway anglers the increase in water flow will bring benefits in the form of a tide line forming at the mouth of the river. Where the fresh water outfall meets the ocean a dark stained water will form up and depending upon the offshore currents, will move north or south. This tide line will see predators such as mulloway and snapper feeding along the edges of the stained water. Anglers fishing from the rock walls of the North and South Moles will reap the benefits of this with some good captures.

AMMO JETTY CLEAN-UP DIVE

Last Sunday a group of volunteers and some Recfishwest staff combined to lend a hand to help keep our marine environments clean and healthy. The area worked on was the waters around the old Ammunition Jetty at Woodman Point, Coogee. A report from Recfishwest on the event indicated that “it was great to see so many people from a range of groups giving their time on a Sunday morning for the Ammo Jetty Dive Clean up last Sunday.”

“A range of people helped out with around 40 people working on the below water dive clean up, while a similar number helped out on the surface hauling out larger gear that divers found (such as camping chairs which had fallen in) and cleaning up any rubbish from the jetty.

Recfishwest staff and local anglers came down to help out the clean-up at one of their favourite locations (particularly during the bonito and salmon runs which will start in the next few months) and it was great to see fishers, divers, and conservation groups all working together for the same cause of a cleaner ocean.”

A reminder to all anglers to dispose of your rubbish thoughtfully as clean oceans make for great fishing.

If you have some fishing information, have caught a good fish and want to brag, or have an item that may be of interest to other anglers and wish to share it, you can send the details to abc720saturdaybreakfast@yahoo.com.au

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS

If you are going to fish in open ocean waters or from the rocks, please - wear a life jacket.

MANDURAH:

A few larger tailor are being caught around dusk and after dark from Tim’s Thicket and White Hills. The beaches south of the city are generally all producing good fishing. The Dawesville Cut is always worth dropping a line as there are herring, tarwhine, skippy and whiting being taken, along with some good tailor. Several smaller salmon have been reported being caught in The Cut as well as in the estuary.

The beaches around Mandurah are producing herring and whiting during the day with tailor early morning and evening. Mulloway are active, although not in large numbers, along the San Remo, Madora, Singleton region with some good yellow-finned whiting also being taken at Singleton Small sharks have been turning up at most of the beaches south of Mandurah.

Beaches to the north, around Golden Bay, have been producing some good tailor, herring and whiting. There have been some larger mulloway taken from these beaches with several reported from between San Remo, and Golden Bay.

The estuary is still producing good sized crabs, and anglers fishing from the Old Traffic Bridge are catching some very good skippy. Dinghy anglers in the estuary have been locating tailor by looking out for birds working over the bait schools. Tailor and other larger predators are often lurking under these bait schools.

Bream anglers have reported that most of the action is further upstream with some good fish well up. Kayak anglers quietly sneaking in and out of spots are accounting for some very good fish. Areas around Murray Bend are producing some good fish.

SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY

Warnbro, Long Point, Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour beaches have all been producing good tailor during the last week. There has been some excellent fishing for yellow-fin whiting, with good reports of herring and plenty of crabs out in the deep water. The jetties are turning on herring early in the morning, along with squid and both blue and scaly mackerel. Several salmon have been taken from these beaches in the last week or so.

COCKBURN SOUND:

Dinghy anglers report that there have been some good squid around at the moment. There are plenty of herring, skippy, whiting and garfish just inside of the Causeway. Snapper are wide spread and there have been a few good fish taken

Reports from anglers fishing in the lower sections of the Sound indicate that there are fair to good sized King George Whiting being taken. They are also reported being taken from the broken ground around the Sound out towards Rottnest.

KWINANA / NAVAL BASE / WOODMAN POINT / COOGEE:

The old Ammunition Jetty at Woodman Point has been turning on a few tailor of an evening with herring, garfish and scaly mackerel during the day. This location has produced a number of small, and not so small, shark captures over the past few weeks. There have been several different species caught with some around 2 metres in length.

FREMANTLE / INNER HARBOUR / LOWER REACHES OF SWAN RIVER

Anglers fishing the South Mole and adjacent beach of an evening are taking some good tailor when the breeze is in. The North Mole is producing a few tailor and a variety of small sharks.  There are still a few bonito around and there are reports of a spanish mackerel being caught on a ballooning rig earlier in the week.

ROTTNEST

Not only are there some good King George whiting here, but also yellowtail kingfish and their cousins, the samsonfish. Anglers also report taking Westralian jewfish, and pink snapper. Land-based anglers fishing the West End have been catching large ( by land based standards) yellowtail kingfish. One of the better baits for these is a small herring, and there are plenty of herring and some good skippy in the reef holes around the island. Shore based anglers who know how to fish the reef platforms are getting their bag limits of these fish without too much trouble.

Anglers fishing west of the island out on the FAD’s set along the Rottnest Trench have been doing well on a variety of species. This list has included various tuna species, spanish and shark mackerel, mahi mahi and also tagging and releasing billfish.

PORT BEACH / LEIGHTON / COTTESLOE / SWANBOURNE:

Anglers fishing from the Cottesloe groyne have been taking some good tailor and herring early in the morning. A little to the north of the groyne, beach anglers have been catching some very big tailor, with some of the larger fish up to 90 cm. Reading the beach and noting the locations of the low reefs in this area will assist in catching some of these larger specimens. Casting baits adjacent to the reefs in the white water is generally productive. Tailor, whiting and flathead are being caught regularly along these beaches. With water temperatures up, one would expect that evenings are the preferred fishing times but it seems that there are still plenty of fish in the early to mid-morning.

CITY BEACH / FLOREAT / SCARBOROUGH / TRIGG ISLAND

City Beach / Floreat is fishing well for tarwhine and some big skippy.

There are still plenty of larger yellow-finned whiting on most beaches early mornings and late afternoons. Most anglers are taking home a feed of herring and garfish as well, particularly in the mornings. The City Beach to Scarborough surf beaches have been producing good catches of tailor. These fish seem to prefer a bit of wind and wave action, so afternoon sea breezes are helping ensure good catches.

NORTH BEACH JETTY / HILLARYS / OCEAN REEF / MINDARIE:

Tailor anglers fishing the walls at Hillarys have been rewarded with some good sized tailor up around the 50 -60 cm mark of an evening. During the day the area has been fishing well for herring and garfish. Beaches adjacent to the marinas have been producing some good whiting with herring and garfish and an odd tailor. Anglers fishing from the rock walls of Ocean Reef marina have taken tailor after dark and skippy and herring during the day.

There have been some good tailor caught from off the rocks at the Mindarie Marina and from the beaches to the south.

QUINNS ROCKS /YANCHEP / TWO ROCKS / MOORE RIVER

The Two Rocks Marina has been producing some good tailor after dark. Yanchep Lagoon has continued to produce good tailor particularly after dark with fish to 2 kg not uncommon. There is also an occasional mulloway being taken with fish up to 10 kg reported.

At Quinns, mulloway have been taken from the beach near the groyne and tailor are being taken from the groyne.

SWAN AND CANNING RIVERS:

In the recent hot weather most anglers find that the fish prefer cool locations where shade is afforded by natural structures and don’t forget the man-made ones such as the bridges and jetties. If you are fishing from a dinghy, tie up adjacent to the reed beds and quietly drop the anchor and fish along the edges of reed beds and under the overhanging trees. Don’t fish into the middle of the river away from the fish.

Down in Fremantle, anglers fishing around the traffic bridges on the sand flats are catching some good whiting. A few mulloway are also still being taken from these lower reaches. Tailor and tarwhine are being caught from the Old Traffic Bridge and the Ferry Terminal wharf.

Mulloway are also being taken in the middle reaches of the river with Mosman and the Narrows Bridge areas being the best options at the moment. Flathead and flounder seem to be a little more active in the lower reaches with some good fish coming from the spit at Point Walter. Another location producing some excellent lure and soft plastic fishing are the sand flats along the Applecross and Melville shore lines. Anglers wading the flats throughout the river have found some very good flathead and flounder fishing. This is a great way to escape the heat on these hot nights in Perth and it is a great start to the day with a couple of fish in the bag.

There are also schools of tailor in the middle of Freshwater Bay and Claremont. Dinghy anglers trolling small deep diving lures and keeping an eye out for birds working, will do well.

Black bream are still working throughout sections of the river upstream of the Causeway. Locations such as Midland, Ashfield and Bassendean have been productive.

BOAT FISHING:

In the northern suburbs, anglers fishing the Three Mile reef system are taking some good yellow-finned whiting and an occasional King George whiting. One group fishing last Thursday took their bag limit of whiting in some indifferent weather conditions with a few scattered showers and variable winds which made drifting somewhat difficult. This area has also been producing small southern bluefin tuna, with most of the catches being made between Hale Road and Brighton Road.

In Cockburn Sound there are reports of some good snapper and herring being taken. Boaties chasing a feed of squid have been doing quite well in Sulphur Bay on Garden Island and in Mangles Bay as well. Anglers fishing out the back of Garden Island along the Five Fathom Bank report that the area is fishing well for King George whiting and other smaller reef species.

The FAD’s are producing some good fish with a few good sized mahi mahi with a few fish between 6 and 8 kg being taken. These fish grow very rapidly and a fish of that size may only be 12 – 15 months old. They are an exciting fish to catch as they fight to the end, they look absolutely stunning both in and out of the water and are an excellent table fish.

Anglers trolling around the west end of Rottnest are taking an occasional spanish mackerel and yellow-tail kingfish. Anglers who are anchoring up and berleying are attracting samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish and are having some good workouts on big fish.

Large schools of samsonfish have been found over the reef systems north west of Rottnest and fish have averaged out at around 18 – 20 kg. Further out, anglers are successfully jigging over the wrecks and catching and releasing fish to 40+ kg, however, the resident shark populations have exacted their tolls and a lot of fish are being lost to them. There are plenty of bait fish schools around the island and anglers should now be considering trolling a lure or bait when moving between bottom fishing locations.

Boat anglers chasing snapper and Westralian Jewfish out from Hillarys and Mindarie have found some good fish in 35 – 40 metres of water. Catches have also included some good sized baldchin groper and blue morwong. Another point for boat anglers is that the crayfish have moved well offshore and are now being taken in depths around 50 - 60 metres. A long way up when pulling pots without a winch but there are plenty of demersal species in this are as well.

FISHING DATES FOR 2017

18 February 2017 Marmion Angling and Aquatic Club’s Blue Water Classic. This year this event is offering over forty two thousand dollars in prizes including a lucky competitor prize of a 4.27m dinghy on a trailer with a 30HP motor and 4 life jackets and anchoring kit. It is also registered for 12 months.

Early Bird registrations for this competition closed yesterday. All Early Bird entries go into the draw for the opportunity to win a Daiwa rod and reel valued at over five hundred dollars.

This event is a species oriented event and this year the Heaviest of Species prize list includes; whiting, herring, breaksea cod, garfish, baldchin groper, tailor, flathead, Westralian dhufish, harlequin, skippy, pink snapper, King George whiting, blue morwong, samsonfish/amberjack, mackerel all/wahoo. Should there be inclement weather on the day the reserve day is Sunday 19th of February. Further information on this event is available from the club or pick up a brochure from your local tackle shop. Also check the MAAC web site for details at http://www.maac.com.au/ .

25/26 February Swanfish:

A public fishing competition based in the Swan and Canning rivers. Swanfish will be held on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th February. Headquarters and weigh-in location is, as always, McCallum Park, Taylor Street, Victoria Park. Brochures and other details are available in tackle shops. Also look on the web site and Swanfish Facebook page for entry details. See A LITTLE BIT EXTRA for more details.

The 31st Kalbarri Sports Fishing Classic is on again on the 3rd, 4th & 5th March 2017, during the best weather of the year. The “Classic” offers categories in game fishing and bottom fishing with teams of 2 to 5 anglers, and an individual kayak and river category. Anyone is invited to compete in this prestigious tournament where some of the best fishing is available within the state for $10,000 worth of great prizes. See A LITTLE BIT EXTRA for more details.

The Exmouth Game Fishing Club is to host the Australian Invitational Billfish Tournament. AIBT will be a three day tag and release event from March 12th-15th. The last time EGFC had both the AIBT and GAMEX was in 2014 and there were 2399 billfish raised and 904 tagged! Entry forms and further details are available at the EGFC web site at http://egfc.com.au/.

GAMEX 2017 - Exmouth Game Fishing Club.

GAMEX, which would celebrate its 39th anniversary in 2017, attracted more than 200 intrastate, interstate and international competitors ranging from novices to professionals. Exmouth is regarded as one of the world's best fishing destinations with more than 40 different game fish species on offer, including all six Australian billfish species. Fishing is a popular tourism activity, with almost one million overnight visitors in WA participating in a fishing activity during their trip. Hosting events such as GAMEX helps to further promote the State as a fishing hotspot. The State Government has signed a three-year deal to sponsor Western Australia's premier game fishing tournament. GAMEX will run from March 17-25, 2017

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA:

SNAPPER RELEASE EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER:

Media Release from Recfishwest 10 February 2017

This notification to let you know that this weekend's Snapper Guardian Release Event has been rescheduled due to the current storms. We want you and your family to have the best experience possible, so we will hold the fish and get you to release them when the weather is a bit more bearable. At this stage we'll be aiming for next Saturday, 18th February. You will receive a notification to confirm all the details.

Please share this around with your friends and family to make sure they've got the correct dates in their calendar and bring them all down with you next weekend.

Thanks for your support and we'll see you soon.

UPGRADE NOW WITH OLD4NEW

If you have old tired life jackets get them replaced and save money and maybe your life.

Make The Move To Modern Lifejackets With The Old4New Program.

The Old4New lifejacket program is all about making more boaters aware of the range of modern lifejackets. Not only are they slim-fitting but there’s also a style to suit all different types of water activity.

The next day will be held at Ocean Reef Boat Ramp, between 9:00 am and 11:00 am on the 12th of February 2017. Keep an eye on the website for details of where and when to find us in regional WA and at other metropolitan locations later in the year. Those wanting a more information about safe boating and lifejackets are encouraged to visit transport.wa.gov.au/marine

RECFISHING VISIONS SURVEY - UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

RecFishing Visions is a university research project interested in recreational fishers' views about how we manage our local waters here in Western Australia. Participants who fully complete the survey by midnight WST on Sunday 26th of February 2017 will have the chance to enter into a prize draw to win a $500 prepaid credit card.

Complete the survey here.

BARRA BONANZA IN LAKE KUNUNURRA - FUTURE MECCA FOR BARRAMUNDI FISHING

From Recfishwest’s “Broadcast” 3 February.

For a lot of Australians catching a big Barramundi is high on their bucket list. The iconic sportfish is a favourite target for lure fishing, and a highly regarded table fish. Striking hard and providing strong runs once hooked, Barramundi put up a challenging and spirited fight as they manoeuvre around snags and launch into impressive aerial leaps attempting to shake the hook. The experience sells itself.

Most people think that to access the best Barramundi fishing you need to travel to remote creek systems in Australia’s north or impoundments along the East coast. Many regard places such as Kakadu and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory or Tinaroo Dam in Queensland as the best option for thrill seekers chasing a Barramundi fix. You will be pleased to learn that Australia’s next big barra fishery is much closer to home, with locals and tourists already tangling with fish over the ‘holy grail’ metre in length. “To put it into perspective, fish which were released as 5cm fingerlings three years ago are now over a metre in length!”

Lake Kununurra in the state’s North East is producing Barramundi fishing like nothing experienced before. Local champions have worked passionately to enable the stocking of Barramundi to be a success and over 500,000 Barramundi fingerlings stocked into the lake since 2012 are now providing some of the most exciting fishing around.

The barramundi in Lake Kununurra cannot naturally reproduce in a closed freshwater system. The fish spend their entire lives eating and growing and with no natural predators, some enormous barramundi have been able to gorge themselves to significant size on the abundance of natural bait in the system.

The stocking program which finished last year has shown us enough of what potential Lake Kununurra holds as a Barramundi hotspot. To put it into perspective, fish which were released as fingerlings three years ago are now over a metre in length!

Key stocking facilitator, Kununurra local and Barramundi enthusiast Dick Pasfield says “The barra fishing in Lake Kununurra is world class and should only get better”. A local group has formed in the absence of continued stocking to investigate potential avenues. “ Now that the stocking program has been completed and the building blocks of an amazing fishery have been laid the local stocking group will continue working to develop it into one of Australia’s premier impoundment fisheries” Pasfield stated.

Barramundi fishing is huge for Kununurra locals and the economic and social return from the stocking program will far exceed the actual cost of the program. It is a fitting tribute to the hard work and vision of the local community over the last 20 years that Lake Kununurra is now on the world sportfishing stage.

Former president of the Broome Fishing Club and Portfolio Manager at the North Regional TAFE aquaculture facilities Jeff Cooper says “what we have here is the start of something very exciting, the untold potential of impoundment Barramundi fishing in Lake Kununurra is something we should not take for granted. This opportunity is unmatched and the possibilities are endless”.

Recfishwest will continue to follow Lake Kununurra Barramundi developments and are in full support of realising the untapped potential of Lake Kununurra Barramundi fishing as well as assisting in the continued growth and tourism benefit to North West communities.

HAVE YOUR SAY! - LICENCE SANCTIONS FOR SERIOUS FISHERIES OFFENCES

From Recfishwest’s “Broadcast” 3 February.

The Department of Fisheries would like your views on the use of licence sanctions for serious fisheries offences. The results from the survey will help the department to draft guidelines for broad formal consultation with the community and peak bodies Recfishwest and WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC).

Want to complete the survey? Click here.

DO THE RIGHT THING ON SYDNEY’S FERRY WHARVES

From Fishing World e-News 9 February 2017

Anti-social behaviour by some anglers using Sydney’s ferry wharves is seriously jeopardizing future access for all anglers to these popular fishing spots. While most anglers fishing the wharves do so responsibly, a small minority continue to do the wrong thing. There has been a recent upsurge in public complaints about excessive noise late at night upsetting nearby residents as well as litter and anti-social behaviour.

In order to ensure continued angling access to these facilities it is vital all fishers do the right thing now, as failure to do so will likely result in continued loss of access. If you enjoy fishing from Sydney’s ferry wharves, make sure you:

Be considerate of nearby residents and keep your noise down, especially after 10pm.

Vessels and passengers have priority. Clear your lines and move aside when ferries approach.

Please be respectful to passengers and do not block access.

Dispose of all litter, bait and unwanted tackle responsibly.

Clean up any fishing mess before you leave.

Follow recreational fishing rules.

NSW DPI is launching an education campaign this month advising anglers of the need for responsible fishing at the ferry wharf network. Help maintain your access to Sydney ferry wharves network by doing the right thing and encouraging your fishing mates to behave responsibly.

Unfortunately the same is occurring here in Western Australia and we need to be aware of that idiotic minority who are ruining it for the majority. If this behaviour persists at fishing locations we will be prevented from using them. Don’t let that happen here in Western Australia.

LIFE JACKET PHOTO COMPETITION

There is still a couple of weeks left in “summer” so if you are going to participate in the summer land based life jacket photo competition you will need to get your entries in by the closing of the 28th of February. Some quality pictures have already been entered but there is still plenty of room for more.

For your chance to win a share of $3500 in prizes including a Shimano Stella 5000 spinning reel as part of an Ultimate Land Based Fishing Pack, plus many more great prizes, simply dust off the camera and shoot a pic of your safe rock fishing adventures wearing a life jacket. The competition closes on February 28th 2017. For further details go to www.recfishwest.org.au/photocomp

FISHING, FAMILIES AND FUN – MUST BE TIME FOR SWANFISH 2017!

Another summer has nearly passed and what better way to enjoy some of the last rays of summer sunshine and the great fishing that it brings than to be a part of the annual Swanfish competition.

Swanfish is Melville Amateur Angling Club’s iconic, family-friendly fishing event held on the banks of the Swan River, this year on the 25th and 26th of February. Every year Swanfish brings families and the fishing community together to appreciate the majestic and iconic Swan River waterway and the quality fishing it hosts.

The river’s health is improving every year and with healthy waterways comes great fishing. Recreational fishing licence funded stocking of key species in recent years, such as Mulloway and Western School Prawns, is now providing increased opportunity and quality fishing experiences for the community.

Hundreds of participants take part in the two-day fishing event, armed with their best-kept fishing secrets in hope of a winning catch on the day. Anyone and any fish can win and there are a tonne of prizes and categories in which all types of fishers can enter their various catches. “Catch, Click and Release categories mean you can win by catching a fish, snapping a photo and releasing it straight away without the need to carry it along to the weigh in.”

Proving that the three-decade-old event is capable of shifting with the times and accommodating the community’s aspirations, ‘Swanfish’ has made changes in a move towards sustainable fishing and protecting the Swan River’s most targeted recreational fish species by making Black Bream a catch and release only species this year. ”The Catch, Click and Release categories mean you can win by catching a fish, snapping a photo and releasing it straight away without the need to carry it along to the weigh in.” said Melville Amateur Angling Club President Tony Ayrey.

The Swan River hosts fishing for all types of fishers from all walks of life and opportunities abound. The flats in the lower reaches hold good numbers of Yellowfin Whiting and Flathead with the surprise of Giant Herring a real chance. Tailor will be found around the drop-offs marauding the hordes of baitfish taking refuge in the shallows. Mulloway will delight the experienced or just lucky fisher anywhere in the deeper pockets and channels of the low to upper reaches and Black Bream are abundant throughout. Herring as well as other bread and butter species like Tarwhine, Sand Whiting and Garfish can be found in the lower reaches of the Swan.

Recfishwest continues to support this great tradition in celebrating the importance of fishing to the Western Australian community, and the value our precious waterways play in our lifestyle.  Show your support this year and enter you and your kids into Swanfish 2017. You’ll not only help celebrate the value the Swan River holds to Western Australian recreational fishers by fishing the event, but you’ll spend hours enjoying some quality family time on the banks of one of WA’s safest and accessible fishing locations.

Head over to www.swanfish.com.au for further details and to complete your registration for the event. Check out the video shared by the Swan River Trust showing the abundance of fish life in the depths of the Swan River that come out to play at night, here.

Need some help navigating where to fish in the Swan? Head over to www.ilovefishing.com.au for all your fishing needs. It may just help you win the big prize!

KALBARRI SPORTS FISHING CLASSIC

The 31st Kalbarri Sports Fishing Classic is on again on the 3rd, 4th & 5th March 2017. The “Classic” offers categories in game fishing and bottom fishing with teams of 2 to 5 anglers and an individual kayak and river category are invited to compete in this prestigious tournament where there are $10,000 worth of great prizes. We also have runner-up prizes for the individual champion trophies again this year bringing the total number of categories up to 45.

Offshore competitors can expect to catch any of 3 species of mackerel, 6 species of tuna, samsonfish, yellow-tail kingfish, trevally, cobia, dhufish, snapper, baldchin groper, coral trout, cod, red emperor, tailor, mulloway and more, while river fishermen (an individual event) can expect prime black bream, mangrove jacks, whiting, flathead, cobbler, mulloway, tailor, mullet and cod.

The Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club has promoted a general attitude of conservation by restricting anglers to a maximum bag of 7 fish per angler, and within Fisheries bag and boat limits. We also encourage river anglers to bring in their catch alive to the weigh-in. They will be held in aerated display tanks at the weigh-in for tag and release by the weigh master at the end of each day. Special prizes will be awarded for supporters of the river “catch & release”. If you wish to eat fish, rather than let the bream go after weigh-in, ask one of the committee members and they will easily find someone who will be willing to give you a fish from the ocean. Our river is important to us.

The boats are split into 4 sections, kayaks, under 6 metres, 6m to 7m and over 7m, making for a fairer competition among the boats. The Catch & Release Game Fish category will continue again this year. Points scored in this category will not be added to individual game or boat game scores; however those lucky enough to catch and release a billfish will have those points added to their boat and individual scores.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the following websites:

www.westernangler.com.au

www.murchisonboathire.com.au

https://getawayoutdoors.com.au/Downloads

http://www.kalbarri.org.au/whats-on/events/event/87474-kalbarri-sports-fishing-classic

Application forms for this competition are only available from the various web sites. No application forms will be posted out. Ph Glen (08) 9356 5177 for bookings.

KEEP INFORMED AND UP TO DATE ON FISHING MATTERS IN WA – JOIN RECFISHWEST.

Our Purpose: Great fishing experiences for all in the WA community forever.

Our Commitment: To protect, promote and develop sustainable, accessible, enjoyable and safe fishing for the benefit of the community.

What Recfishwest has done for recreational anglers in 2016

Some of Recfishwest’s 2015/16 achievements included;

• RFW took a lead role in the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification of the Peel Harvey Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery. A world first for a recreational fishery.
• RFW ran the highly successful Snapper Guardians program that saw 50,000 Pink Snapper released into Cockburn Sound. (Watch this space – more to come)
• RFW deployed the Mandurah artificial reef (the first WA reef paid for entirely by rec fishing licence money).
• RFW membership grew by 25%
• Releasing WA’s first ever fishing rules Smartphone App, an important sustainability tool.
• Another 1 million prawns released into the Swan River, making over 4 million released in total.
• The 550,000 Barramundi stocked in Lake Kununurra are now approaching the magic 1 metre mark.
• More rock fishing safety equipment was installed with the help of the community from Quobba through to Esperance.
• Undertook extensive consultation with the community about a Department of Fisheries proposal to use fish traps in the Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Fishery. late March, the then Minister for Fisheries Ken Baston announced that the trial would not go ahead.
• Provided $50,000 in funding thorough the Recfishwest community grant scheme.
• In a partnership with Breast Cancer care WA RFW ran a specialised ‘Purple Fly Fishing’ weekend for clients recovering from breast cancer.
• RFW led Reef Vision citizen science artificial reef monitoring team has collected over 100 hours of video footage of the reefs.
• Four rubble reefs were created in Oyster Harbour to test the viability of recreating fish habitat through the creation of oyster reefs.
• Monthly newsletter now sent to over 560,000 people
• 43 kids fishing clinics with over 1,544 participants during 2015/2016
• Recfishwest, along with local fishing clubs, conducted a Southern Tour during January 2016 for over 500 children
• Represented fishers in numerous state and national issues affecting recreational fishing.

Help Us Help You, Become a Premium Member of Recfishwest!

Our team continues to provide you, your family and your mates with the highest quality free fishing information and we always will. Do us a favour and become a Premium Member Today!

We have been bringing you the best, most up to date information on all issues affecting your fishing in WA for many years now. You would have read our monthly Broad Cast, our weekly Fishing Reports plus seen various Breaking News stories where we've battled to make fishing better for all West Aussies.

Recreational anglers often get misinformation and form opinions after receiving bad or incorrect information. To stay across what is currently happening and what is planned, get Broad Cast.

Broad Cast is a recreational fishing newsletter being sent out each month to almost 65,000 recreational fishers and is providing a valuable service by keeping recreational anglers accurately informed of the many issues affecting recreational angling in Western Australia.

Recfishwest is working to make fishing in WA better. Subscription to this newsletter is free, so follow this link to sign up to receive it each month.

Invest in your 'Fishing Future' by becoming a member today!

Become a FREE member today.

Want more in your Membership?

For $25 you can become a Financial Member of Recfishwest and receive a members T-shirt and the new Limited Edition Custom Made Halco Lure - check it out!

Recfishwest FREE ! Loan Life jackets are available from the following tackle stores:

Albany Rods and Tackle – 40 Stirling Terrace, Albany

Trailblazers Albany – 184 Albany Hwy, Albany

BCF Albany – 319-331 Cr Hanrahan & Mawson Street, Albany

Little Grove General Store – 639 Frenchman’s Bay Road, Albany

Tateys Bait n Tackle – 39 Norseman Rd, Esperance

Southern Sports and Tackle – Shop 16 The Boulevard, Esperance

Esperance Diving and Fishing – 72 The Esplanade, Esperance

Dempster Sporting and Tackle – 65 Dempster St, Esperance

Quobba Station – 80 km NW of Carnarvon

Carnarvon Tackle and Marine – Harbour Road, Small Boat Harbour South Carnarvon

Duke Of Orleans Caravan Park – 1-5 Warden Road, Chadwick

Kalbarri Sports and Dive – Shop 3 Kalbarri Arcade, Kalbarri

Tel-O-Mac Tackle – 348 Robinson St, Carnarvon

Augusta X-Treme Outdoor Sports – 3/66 Blackwood Ave, Augusta

Down South Camping and Outdoors – Shop 1/40 Station Road, Margaret River

Steep Point Ranger Station, Shark Bay

Bremer Bay Rural and Hardware, 144 Wellstead Road, Bremer Bay

Dunsborough Outdoor Sportz, Shop 5, Dunsborough Pk Shopping Centre, Dunsborough WA

Hopetoun Iceworks, 24 Tamar St, Hopetoun WA 6348

This fishing report is brought to you by John Curtis and The ABC Breakfast Team!