Wauchope Amateur Fishing Club

10/09/2026

🎣🐟 FRIDAYS FISHY FACT 🐟🎣

This week’s local fish is a bit of an oddball… and we reckon you’ll agree! 😂

MEET THE RED GURNARD!
This bottom-dwelling fish is found along the NSW coast and is certainly one of the more unusual-looking fish you might pull up.

But here’s where it gets interesting…

👣 THIS FISH HAS LEGS! 👣
Well… sort of!
Gurnards have several modified rays at the front of their pectoral fins that separate from the rest of the fin. They use these little “legs” to feel around the seafloor and help them move across the bottom while searching for a feed.

And what are they looking for?
Things like prawns, crabs, small fish and other tasty critters hiding amongst the sand and sediment.

And when they spread those big pectoral fins, they can look pretty spectacular!

So next time you pull up a strange-looking fish with what appear to be tiny legs…

Don’t throw it back thinking you’ve caught some sort of aquatic chicken! 🐓

You might just have yourself a Red Gurnard!

Have you ever caught one?

📸 Drop your gurnard pics in the comments!

Happy Fishy Friday Legends! 🎣🍻

09/09/2026

Wauchope amateur fishing club September outing is on this weekend 11, 12, 13th, lines down ( start fishing ) 6pm Friday 11th and weigh in at the rear of the bago tavern near the kids playground at 3pm Sunday 13th, anyone interested in joining the fishing club is invited to join us as membership forms will be available on the day.

We look forward to seeing you there
Till Sunday safe travels and tight lines to everyone.

09/09/2026

Wauchope amateur fishing club meat raffle is on Thursday night at the bago tavern, tickets on sale from 5pm and drawn at 6.30pm.
Come join us and win one of our tasty trays prepared by our local butcher at lewies quality butcher.

Some happy winners from our Father’s Day raffle last week
We would also like to thank our sponsors for theiir support

Bago tavern
Mid coast funerals
Ali (air light insulation)
Anaconda
Bcf
Lewies butchery
Daniel Murphy roof restoration and repairs
Ned Kelly’s bait and tackle
Settlement point boat shed

06/09/2026

🎣 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE FISHING DADS! 🍻

To the dads who can identify a fish from 50 metres away…
…but still can’t find the bloody remote sitting right in front of them. 😂

To the dads who say “I’ll only be out for a couple of hours” and somehow return 9 hours later smelling like bait, beer and questionable decisions.

To the dads who have $500 worth of fishing gear but reckon a $6 packet of hooks is “too bloody expensive”.

And to the dads who taught us everything we know about fishing — including the very important skill of turning a 20cm fish into a 40cm fish by the time the story reaches the pub. 🎣

Have a ripper Father’s Day, legends!
Hope your day involves good company, cold beers, tight lines and absolutely zero chores.

🍻🎣 Happy Father’s Day from everyone at the club! 🎣🍻

03/09/2026

🎣🐟 IT’S FISHY FRIDAY, YA LEGENDS! 🐟🎣

Here’s todays fishy fact…

Fish don’t have ears like we do, but they can still hear and detect vibrations through the water.

Which means that bloke in the tinnie revving the motor, dropping his tackle box, yelling “GET THE NET!” before he’s even hooked anything…

Yeah mate. The fish heard you coming. 😂

No wonder they bu**er off…

So remember this weekend:

🎣 Cast quietly
🍺 Keep the beers cold
🤫 Keep your gob shut
🐟 And for Christ’s sake… don’t tell everyone where you’re catching them!

Happy Fishy Friday Legends! 🎣

What’s the loudest thing you’ve ever done on the boat immediately before the fish stopped biting? 😂👇

02/09/2026

🎣🥩 OI DAD! YA BUSY TOMORROW NIGHT? 🥩🎣

Well you are now!

Get yaself down to the Bago Tavern for the Father’s Day Meat Raffle!

We’ve got meat trays, vouchers, beer and plenty more up for grabs — because nothing says Happy Father’s Day quite like winning enough meat to feed the family… or hiding it in the bottom of the freezer for yourself. 😂

🎟️ Tickets on sale from 5pm
🏆 Drawn at 6:30pm

Bring ya mates. Bring ya Dad. Bring ya wallet.
Leave the good luck at home and borrow ours 😉

See ya there!

DAD DESERVES BETTER THAN SOCKS & UN**ES THIS FATHER’S DAY! 🥩🍺🎣

Forget the boring presents — bring Dad down and give him a chance to hook himself a meat tray instead!

Join us Thursday 3rd September at the Bago Tavern for our Father’s Day Meat Raffle, with plenty of goodies up for grabs including meat trays, vouchers, beer & more!

🎟️ Tickets on sale from 5:00pm
🎯 Raffle drawn at 6:30pm

You never know… Dad might finally come home with something worth bragging about! 😉🎣

Bring Dad, bring your mates, grab some tickets and have a great night with us!

Everyone welcome! 🍻

A massive thanks to our sponsors, as always;
Bago Tavern
Ned Kelly's Bait n Tackle
Lewie's Quality Butchery
BCF Port Macquarie
Settlement Point Boat Shed
Daniel Murphy Roof Restoration & Repairs
Mid Coast Funerals
Airlight Insulation

29/08/2026

DAD DESERVES BETTER THAN SOCKS & UN**ES THIS FATHER’S DAY! 🥩🍺🎣

Forget the boring presents — bring Dad down and give him a chance to hook himself a meat tray instead!

Join us Thursday 3rd September at the Bago Tavern for our Father’s Day Meat Raffle, with plenty of goodies up for grabs including meat trays, vouchers, beer & more!

🎟️ Tickets on sale from 5:00pm
🎯 Raffle drawn at 6:30pm

You never know… Dad might finally come home with something worth bragging about! 😉🎣

Bring Dad, bring your mates, grab some tickets and have a great night with us!

Everyone welcome! 🍻

A massive thanks to our sponsors, as always;
Bago Tavern
Ned Kelly's Bait n Tackle
Lewie's Quality Butchery
BCF Port Macquarie
Settlement Point Boat Shed
Daniel Murphy Roof Restoration & Repairs
Mid Coast Funerals
Airlight Insulation

27/08/2026

🎣 Fridays Fishy Fact 🎣

Ever found one of those strange, corkscrew-shaped “purses” washed up on the beach?

You may have found a Port Jackson Shark egg case!

Unlike many sharks, Port Jackson Sharks lay eggs — and their egg cases have a very distinctive spiral shape.

But here’s the clever part… Mum uses her mouth to wedge the soft egg case deep into a crack in the rocks, where it hardens and stays put!

The little shark developing inside can spend around 10–12 months growing before finally hatching at around 25 cm long. 🦈

So next time you spot one of these weird little spirals on the beach, you’re looking at a shark’s nursery!

Have you ever found a Port Jackson Shark egg case? 👇

26/08/2026

Wauchope amateur fishing club meat raffle is on Thursday night tickets on sale from 5pm and drawn at 6.30pm, come and join us at the bago tavern, grab your tickets and win one of our tasty meat trays prepared by our favourite local butcher at lewies butcher in Wauchope

Some happy winners from last weeks raffle

20/08/2026

🐟 FRIDAY FISHY FACT! 🐟

Did you know the Hastings River is home to mulloway — and they can travel surprisingly far upstream?

Mulloway (also known as jewfish) are one of the Hastings River’s most prized catches, and they can be found throughout the system, from the lower river and breakwalls right up towards the deeper sections around the upper Hastings and Maria River.

The Hastings is actually considered excellent mulloway country, with the deep holes, channels and bridge structures providing ideal ambush spots for these powerful predators.

And here’s the really cool part…

In 2026, more than 100,000 mulloway fingerlings (and some flathead too) were released into the Hastings River as part of the NSW Marine Stocking Program! 🐟🐟🐟

So there could be a whole new generation of jewies growing up right here in our backyard!

Who has caught a mulloway in the Hastings?
Drop your best Hastings River jewfish story or photo below! 👇

🎣 Happy Friday & tight lines