Recreational boat fishers using the Coffin Bay boat ramp between January and June 1990 were interviewed to obtain information on their fishing activities. Recreational boat fishing is an important activity in Coffin Bay. The majority of fishers targeted King George whiting (Sillaqinodes punctata), which accounted for over half the total catch. The average catch rate of King George whiting per angler hour was 1.25 fish. Information was obtained on the value fishers place on recreational fishing. These data were included in a simple model of the fishery to evaluate the economic benefits of changing the current allocation of fish between commercial and recreational fishers. The analysis indicates that it may be desirable to reduce recreational fishing and increase commercial fishing in Coffin Bay. Further research is required to verify this finding.