March 8th is a global celebration of women’s achievements and a call to action for gender equality. At the Women’s Recreational Fishing League, we’re all about empowerment, which is why we’ve launched National Fishonista Day.

This special day is designed to honour and share the empowerment and self-reliance that comes through taking up fishing as a sport. National Fishonista Day is our unique tribute to the strength, resilience, and camaraderie women forge through their fishing. It’s a chance to showcase the joy and personal growth found in this incredible sport. Join us in celebrating women’s achievements and empowering more women to experience the plethora of well-being benefits inherent in our incredible pastime.

THAT’S THE TRUTH.

Don’t let the concept of a League Ladder intimidate you. Ours is fished in flat waters, meaning the “playing field” is level.

Our unique scoring system rewards every “legal” fish (or where there is no minimum size limit, then we specify a easily catchable one), with scoring increments to our nominated trophy size of that species. It’s all in our special algorithm designed to keep you cheering, high-fiving and motivated.

As an example, on our ladder a 71cm flathead would earn 59 points, but would be easily beaten by a 40cm (fork length) yellowfin whiting, worth a cool 87 points! A 90 cm (fork length) snapper would be worth 109 points, just pipping a 65cm (fork length) Australian salmon, worth 100 points… aren’t you glad the algorithm does the math?

In keeping with our goal to see Australia’s recreational fishing future shored-up by genuine gender equity in participation by 2050, the Women’s Recreational Fishing League has developed a unique tournament format — the woMENTORnament.

Our tournaments are single species, which are selected for the state in which each event is run. You will recognise them all by their “XFactor” branding, where the X represents the female chromosome.

Don’t be fooled, though… XFactor woMENTORnaments may be gender specific, but they are NOT sexist. Our format recognizes that the perceived gender bias in fishing is cultural and societal. It’s not inherent in our sport. Unfortunately, the beliefs forged across a lifetime create significant barriers to entry… and we’re here to smash them down!

How do XFactor Tournaments help break down barriers?

XFactor Tournaments are uniquely designed to reward mentorship between self-sufficient anglers and those seeking to expand their skills. They run like a tradition Pro-Am, with the slight difference of creating a need for both rods to be productive. This encourages attention from the more capable fisher.