THE regular trip from Queanbeyan paid off last weekend for gun game-fishing family the Lees when they claimed the $10,000 first prize for champion tag-and- release boat on Gunrunner in the Luhrs Billfish Shootout, a massive confidence boost heading into the 50th anniversary interclub tournament this weekend.
Another boat crew, on Ba’ja, was $10,000 richer after weighing in a 236-kilogram blue marlin on the Saturday to claim the heaviest marlin prize.
Amy McAndrew and Ethan Henderson claimed champion female and junior honours and the Peter Goadby Award went to Viking II.
A total of 189 marlin were tagged over the two days, and the bite has continued through this week, with Tim Dean aboard Calypso, Flying Fisher and Castille III all getting amongst it.
Castille III also tagged another four marlin on Thursday, including a marlin 'grand slam' which is a marlin of each species - in this case a black marlin, blue marlin and striped marlin - in a single morning's fishing.
All up Castille III has tagged more than 21 fish during the week.
The Shootout result also augurs well for Newcastle Port Stephens Game Fishing Club, which hosts the interclub, with the five members of its number-one team – Gunrunner (first, 149,500 points), The Force (second, 11,200), Diversion (fourth, 92,000) Anarchy (sixth, 63,000) and Born Free (eighth, 57,500 – all finishing top-10.
Calypso placed third.
Port Stephens is a hive of activity as competitors gear up for the interclub, this weekend and next.
Midweek there will be a number of events, including the NSWGFA 50th Anniversary Billfish Challenge on Wednesday and Thursday.
Predicted 15-to-20 knot winds will sort out the boys from the men this weekend.
Classic catch
WHILE we’re talking marlin, hats off to Jason Hewitt and Greg Hanlon, who landed a nice black off Newcastle last Saturday. Check out the picture online at theherald.com -> sport -> fishing.
Rare good taste
FISH of the Week winner Wayne Hodges did all right with his spotted stargazer (ichthyscopus lebeck) caught in Swansea Channel last Friday for three reasons.
First, it’s a rare fish round these parts.
‘‘It’s the second one I’ve caught in 30 years of fishing,’’ Wayne said yesterday.
‘‘I was talking to Jason (‘One For’) Nunn from Fishermans Warehouse (where he got the fish weighed) and he reckons he’s only caught two juveniles in over 40 years of fishing, too.’’
Second, they’re not known as ‘‘the poor man’s lobster’’ for nothing; their unique flavour and texture making them great on the plate.
Third, it was all but an Australian record.
‘‘I went up to fisheries yesterday and they reckon the Australian record is 6.209kilograms,’’ Wayne said.
‘‘Mine weighed 7.3 kilograms. I tried to claim it but you have to be a member of an affiliated club, which I’m not.’’
Check out the pics online.
‘‘Jolly Joker’’ Jason wound up Wayne with a typical jibe.
‘‘I thought he was serious when he said he was pissed off that I’d caught this fish,’’ Wayne explained. ‘‘Because he reckoned he’d been feeding it for the last 40 years.’’
Meanwhile, Wayne was out round Moon Island yesterday morning and reckons there’s heaps of big squid about.
He used one for bait and got an undersized kingie.
See the pictures by clicking on the image below.
King of kingies
SPEAKING of kingies, or rather black kingfish, or rather cobia, as these fantastic sports fish are most commonly known, Valentine Bowling Club Fishing Club angler Paul Subat gave one a good run for its money recently between Wangi Point and Pulbah Island.
‘‘He was out with his son,’’ fishing friend Gary Webber explained yesterday. ‘‘It was one metre long, weighed 7.6kilograms and took 15 minutes to land; by the end of it he was knackered.’’
Meanwhile another VBCFC gun, Dave ‘‘The Dirt’’ Birt, has been cleaning up on whiting in Swansea channel.
Estuary action
MATTHEW Small took out the NDAA estuary comp last weekend with two jew, one weighing an almighty 31kilograms, hooked in Lake Macquarie just on high tide, according to sources.
The other fish came in around the 12-kilogram mark.
NDAA superstar Adam Hodges, five-time running defending champion, was runner-up and Craig Oaten wasn’t far behind in third.
After three rounds, Hodges leads Oaten by one point.
Bob Hodges (veterans), Melissa Woollambs (lady), James Waldon (junior) and Mia Downie (sub-junior) took out the other divisions.
The next event will be the beach competition on March 10 and 11, with weigh-in at the Golden Eagle Hotel.
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