Local Club Hook Historic Treble

Newcastle Herald

Friday March 7, 2008

Simon Walker, Fishing

NEWCASTLE and Port Stephens Game Fishing Club established a tournament record in winning the NSW Interclub tag-and-release trophy for a third successive year last weekend.

The weather gods did not smile favourably upon the tournament this year.

Competitors were only able to fish on two of the four days after action was cancelled again last Saturday.

The fleet was reduced from 206 boats to 125 on the Sunday.

Broken Bay club performed strongly too, winning the team capture category and the two major individual male titles.

Broken Bay angler Matt Ling, on Gorilla, won the individual male tag-and-release award with 60,000 points while teammate Stephen Millgate, on Rampage, won the individual capture with 35,478.5 points.

"It was a great result for both clubs in very difficult conditions," Otto Volz, NSW Game Fishing Association president said.

Megan Dobson, on Dobbo, from Sydney GFC, was female champion in tag and release (42,000 points) and Newcastle-Port Stephen's Ally Harris, on Climax, won female capture (20,352.5 points). Dylan Simpson, on Fascination IV, was junior champion.

George's rich harvest

LAKE Macquarie boat Running Bear, owned by evergreen game fisherman George Clift, won the Salamander Shores midweek tournament on a countback last week.

They were then drawn out of the hat and won the $10,000 boat draw.

It gave 79-year-old George Clift, a wheat farmer from the Central West, great joy and he immediately donated $1000 to cancer research.

Hot on the trailer

ATTENTION now turns to the annual Trailer Boat Tournament set down for next weekend at Nelson Bay, March 14 to 16. Entry forms are available from all bait and tackle outlets.

Marlin a swell reward

FLAMBOYANT Fishermans Warehouse fishing identity "Punishing" Pete Sanderson took the importer of Toehatsu outboards, Michael Goddard, and four others out to the Shelf on Monday in Mick's 7m Pro Line centre-cab fibreglass boat.

It was the first offshore outing for most and the common question as they lurched 28 kilometres over a "moderate swell" was "how much further?"

Once out there, Pete set the boys up with some live baits and was explaining to them how marlin will sometimes come up and attack lures when one of the boys said: "Like that!!!"

And with that the boys were on straight away.

Two hours later they had an 80kg striped marlin to the side of the boat and the mood was to get this fish home for some photos.

But "Punishing" Pete is no advocate of such actions and as the cry went out for the gaff he noticed the fish had been jagged on the side of its body. (They'd been pulling this fish in sideways no wonder it took two hours.)

Miraculously, as Pete went to trace the fish, the hooks slipped (shook) loose.

Well done for the Toehatsu boys, who came back and hooked half a dozen 80cm dolphin fish at the FAD just outside the ship line that afternoon.

Living up to legend

LOCAL lake legend Chris McInerney fished Belmont Bay on Monday evening and hooked two 5kg jew, five flathead (he let two over 5kg go) some small snapper and a cobia just under 6kg.

And yesterday an angler hooked a 7kg cobia off Swansea Bridge.

Bream battle a classic

THE Lake Macquarie Berkley Bream Classic will be held on April 5 and 6 at Croudace Bay foreshore.

The event features $10,000 in cash and prizes, with $5000 for first place.

Entry forms are available on Fishermanswarehouse.com.au or from the shop. For more details ring 4945 8922.

Lure of Tin City

SPEAKING of tournaments, keen beach fishos should mark the Tin City Fishing Classic, to be held between Stockton Breakwall and Birubi Point from April 4 to 6, on their calendar.

It's been going for about six years and is run from the shacks (hence the "Tin City" moniker) located midway up Stockton Beach.

"The motivation is to have a good time and at the same time, give something back to the community," event organiser Dave Coggan said.

"Each year organisers nominate a beneficiary and at the end of the tournament they donate money."

This year's beneficiary is the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

"It's our contribution from the people over there [the shacks] that we do things for the community."

One of the big features of the three-day fishing safari, apart from the cash and trophies, is the big raffle, which features a 7x4 trailer (12 months' rego) as first prize.

Cost is $20 to register and weigh-ins will be virtually around the clock.

The shacks have been there since the 1930s and have been handed down from generation to generation. There's 11 of them, although a 12th is slowly emerging from the dunes.

Interesting footnote: midway through last year, well-known police identity and not so well-known marriage celebrant Tony Tamplin presided over a wedding at the shacks.

For more details about the Tin City Fishing Classic, contact Dave on 0413 377 124.

Chart course for Stocko

NEWCASTLE Blue Water Fishing Club will hold its postponed outing this Sunday. Competition starts at 6am from Stockton boat ramp.

fishing@theherald.com.au

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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