There is certainly something about fishing in freshwater that once you have given it a go will get under your skin and have you going back time and again to give it another shot.

Trout and redfin perch make up the majority of our freshwater fishing experience here in the west and is mostly limited to the southwest corner of the state. The trout fishery is primarily maintained as what is called a “put and take” fishery.

This refers to the fish being bred and reared in a hatchery and then “put” into dams and rivers for anglers to “take”. We have two types of trout, the most common is the rainbow trout, and the other is not stocked as heavily and is considered the prize species of the two and is the brown trout.

Redfin perch were released back in the late 1800s and have been here ever since. Redfin are not found in all waterways but the waterways that do have them are very popular locations to fish as they are very tasty to eat and offer a great by-catch when chasing trout.

Trout stocking takes place every year to replenish popular freshwater fishing rivers and dams. Trout are stocked in three discrete age classes. The biggest amount stocked is the fry.

These fish are about 3cm to 5cm and in most years the quantity is about 450,000 fish. These fish will take a couple of years to grow to legal size. The next size of fish released is the yearlings.

These fish are from eight to 12 months old which will range in size from about 20 to 25cm in length. These fish will become legal size in the year of release or the next year. The third type of fish released is the ex-broodstock, or the old breeding fish.

This ex-broodstock brown trout was released into Drakesbrook Weir during the 2019 Troutfest!

These are used for a year or two for their eggs and sperm and then replaced. Broodstock stockings, while very low, are big fish and are prized captures by those that manage to land them.

Not all suitable waters are stocked with trout. Water catchment dams used for supplying drinking water are not allowed to be used for fishing.

Rivers of high conservation value are also not stocked. One particular river is simply not stocked so that there can be a reference point for unstocked waters if we ever need to use it for any sort of analysis. This river is the Shannon River and should not be fished at all by anyone.

Freshwater fishing in WA requires you to hold a freshwater angling licence and has its own set of rules and regulations. The great news is freshwater fishing is now open all year round.

Each year about 10,000 people give freshwater fishing a go in WA. If you have not given freshwater fishing a go then maybe you should get out there and see what these 10,000 anglers are getting out there and experiencing.

Want to try and catch a trout? Learn more here!

Rainbow Fry

Recfishwest welcomes today’s announcement by new Fisheries Minister Joe Francis, that the much anticipated Mandurah artificial reef is to be deployed in the coming days.

The Australian made Mandurah reef will be a carbon copy of the Bunbury and Dunsborough reefs which are already proving to be a hit with fishers. The 3m x 3m purpose built cubic concrete reef modules are on their way to their reef site, currently an underwater sandy desert only 9km from WA’s second largest city.

Recfishwest Chief Executive Officer Dr Andrew Rowland said the preferred location was carefully selected in consultation with the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club, the Port Bouvard Fishing Club as well as various community stakeholders.

“The local fishing community has real ownership of this development and has provided expert advice so that this new reef maximises fishing opportunities for everyone in the region.” Dr Rowland said.

“The Mandurah reef will be 9km from shore in an area easily accessible for families with small boats leaving from either the Mandurah Estuary mouth or the Dawesville Cut,” Dr Rowland said.

“Once deployed, the reef will develop into a complex marine habitat in a short time supporting a diverse fish community, which will provide new fishing opportunities for many iconic fish species including Pink Snapper, Skippy and Samson fish.”

“This project has been a long time in the making and Recfishwest and the community are thankful for the strong support from local MP and keen fisher Dr Kim Hames.”

“Recfishwest and the wider fishing public are extremely pleased that recreational fishing licence money is being reinvested into projects that enhance the recreational fishing experience,”

“These types of projects are highly valued by the community.” Dr Rowland said.

Snapper Guardians – Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve put together some FAQs to hopefully help you answer some of your questions.

Q: Shouldn’t my recreational fishing licence money be paying for this?

A: Recreational fishing licence money made this project possible by funding the initial egg collection project. This has provided an opportunity to stock these fish which is too good to miss.

Q. Why don’t we just release the snapper now?

A. If the snapper are released at their current size of 20mm, their chance of survival is far less that if we hang onto them for a little longer. At a size of 40mm or above, these fish will have the best chances of survival in the wild and this will take 8 weeks.

Q. If these snapper are released back into Cockburn Sound, won’t they just die like the others?

A. These fish will be released at various locations close to Perth which meet specific criteria such as presence of suitable nursery habitat and high water quality.

Q. Isn’t this money better used to find the cause of the recent fish deaths in Cockburn Sound?

A. This project does not mean we are giving up on finding solutions to improve the health of Cockburn Sound. Recfishwest is an active member of the Cockburn Sound Management Council as well as working with Fisheries and Environment Managers to ensure appropriate responses and actions to any further issues in the Sound.

Q: How come the people responsible for the fish kills are not paying for this?

A: All the evidence gained from fish and water samples following the event last month indicated an algal bloom caused critical gill failure in the fish killed. This algal bloom was most likely caused by natural origins and limited water flushing in the southern section. For the full explanation from the Department of Fisheries, please see the report here.

Q: Why did you collect eggs if you didn’t have the money to grow them?

A: The objective of the egg collection project was to test if viable fertilised Pink Snapper eggs could be collected from the wild. It was a forward thinking conceptual project that, if successful, might one day be used to assist pink snapper recruitment or as a potential means of future proofing fish stocks.

It was not known at the time of collection if this project was going to be successful, however we now have an opportunity to grow and release these fish so they have the best possible chance of survival and add to our understanding of pink snapper in local waters.