Big things are underway in NSW recreational fishing this month, with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development delivering a record-breaking fish stocking season and launching a new high school program to inspire the next generation of sustainable fishers. Applications are also open for NSW Gone Fishing Day 2025 community grants and fishing packages, and a tagged Mulloway has made headlines after being caught and released for the fourth time– now measuring an impressive 130cm!
NSW Gone Fishing Day Grant Applications Now Open!
NSW recreational fishing clubs and associated organisations are now invited to apply for fishing packages or grants to help run community fishing events and activities in their own local area on or around Gone Fishing Day – 19 October 2025.
The following options are available
- a fishing package consisting of rod and reel sets, bags, giveaways and advisory information for participants attending events, or
- a grant of up to $2,000 to purchase items required to run their own Gone Fishing Day fishing events, such as casting and fishing activities and information sessions.
Conditions apply, check out the funding guidelines on the DPIRD website for more information – https://bit.ly/4jHQWM4
Applications close 5pm 24 July 2025.
Free community fishing events will also be hosted by DPIRD across NSW to celebrate our love of fishing and encourage everyone to get out on the water. NSW DPIRD event locations will be announced soon.
Gone Fishing Day is run in collaboration with the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation. Activities in NSW are supported with funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts.
NSW high schools encouraged to join the new Get Hooked, Fish For Life program
Last week NSW DPIRD has launched a new innovative statewide high school program, Get Hooked… Fish for Life, to empowering young people to become champions of sustainable fishing practices and fisheries stewardship.
The comprehensive program available free to all NSW high schools, and is aimed at stages 4 and 5, years 7-10, it comprises of four curriculum-aligned units designed to educate students on environmental stewardship, biosecurity, and the health and social benefits of recreational fishing.
The program is funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust and builds on the success of the Get Hooked primary school program, which has been running since 2008.
📢To learn more, or register your NSW high school, head to the DPIRD website here.
NSW fishing licence fees are making a real difference – empowering the next generation of responsible anglers and sustainable fishers! This is all part of Fish for Life – building a healthy fishing future.
Bumper Fish Stocking Season!
Around four million fresh and saltwater sportfish were produced and stocked by the NSW Government’s five fish hatcheries during the past season. This includes more than 1 million
native Golden Perch stocked into popular impoundments including Blowering, Burrinjuck, Burrendong and Wyangla dams. These Goldens were bred at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre alongside almost 900,000 Murray Cod which were also stocked into the above impoundments as well as numerous other fishing hotspots across the State.
Stocks of Australian Bass have been boosted with more than 327,000 of these popular freshwater sportfish being released into key fisheries including Glenbawn Dam, Tallowa Dam
and Lake St Clair.
To support the State’s popular trout fishery, 1.86 million salmonids have been stocked this season into rivers and dams across the Snowy Monaro, Central West and New England regions.
These fish were produced at the Gaden and Dutton trout hatcheries and stocked with valued assistance from volunteers in local acclimatisation societies.
As well as fish produced and stocked by the NSW Government, almost 900,000 Bass, Golden Perch and Murray Cod were released during the 2024-25 season under the Community Native Fish Stocking Community program. This hugely popular program involves the Recreational Fishing Trust providing $2 for every $1 raised by fishing clubs and other community groups to purchase native fish produced at accredited commercial fish hatcheries and stock them into approved public waters.
As well as enhancing our freshwater fisheries, the NSW Government is leading the way with the stocking of important saltwater sportfish species. This season, almost 125,000 Mulloway were
stocked into key fisheries, including the Georges River, Lake Macquarie and the Hastings River. These fish, produced at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, measured between 80-100mm and are among some of the best produced so far. Numbers of Dusky Flathead have also been boosted, with almost 65,000 “duskies” released into popular South Coast fisheries including St Georges Basin, Like Conjola and Burrill Lake under the Marine Stocking program
Another Mulloway caught FOUR times in NSW Game Fish Tagging Program
The NSW Game Fish Tagging Program recently received a fascinating recapture report – a Mulloway caught for the fourth time!
In April 2025, Cooper Black was fishing offshore of Forster. After an unsuccessful session chasing Spanish Mackerel, he decided to target Mulloway on the way home. Among the good-sized fish landed, one had an old looking tag. Cooper and his father Simon reported the tag, and the number revealed an intriguing history. This Mulloway was originally tagged in the Hunter River system in November 2018 at 81cm. It was caught again in the same area a month later at 83cm, and once more in May 2020 at 109cm, 1 year and 4 months later. Each time, it was re-released.
Fast forward 4 years and 10 months: Cooper’s fish was caught over 65 nautical miles (~120km) away, now measuring an impressive 130cm and estimated at 20kg.
This recapture series reflects known Mulloway patterns. Juveniles grow quickly up to around 100cm and tend to stay local. After reaching the ‘magic metre’, growth slows and movements become broader and offshore. The presence of ‘milt’ indicates this fish was in prime spawning condition. Cooper released it again, allowing it to keep contributing to the population, maybe even to be caught again.
If you are lucky enough to catch a NSW Game Fish Tagging program fish, please ensure you report it using the online recapture form link here: https://bit.ly/3FqZoRZ
For further updates;
Visit our Website: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing
Subscribe to our NSW recreational fishing e-newsletter ‘Newscast’
https://nsw.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e278e4fb9bffcca807fdcd7fb&id=99266ec57b
Or Follow us on Socials