The 30th annual Blue Water Classic Game Fishing Tournament was hosted by the Bribie Island Game Fishing Club on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of December. Mother Nature was relatively kind on the Saturday with good conditions, light winds and a slight swell, however Sunday’s fishing time was reduced due to the onset of 20 plus knot winds increasing from around 10am.
These tournaments are fished under the Game Fishing Association of Australia rules and fish are tagged and released with the most prized species being the billfish. There was a total of 20 strikes, 16 hook ups and 6 fish tagged over the day and a half. Of the tagged fish, there were 4 Black Marlin and 2 Mahi Mahi also known as Dolphin Fish.
A good total of 11 boats entered the tournament, mostly Bribie Island vessels; Fake Taxi, Game On, Hard ‘N’ Up, Jacque’s Black, Kill N Grill, Nobby's Way, R ated II, Surface Tension and True Lies, with Reefa and White Horse coming up from Newport. Unfortunately 2 teams were unable to get out and fish due to boat issues. Also, a big congratulations to the boys Riley Brown with his boat Fake Taxi and Jackson Hyland. These two anglers, only 16 and 15 years, braving some big seas and taking out top awards for the weekend.
Presentation of awards was held in a marquee at the Pacific Harbour Marina who also supplied ample space for mooring of competition boats over the weekend and the use of the marina’s facilities. A big thank you to Mark Forster from Mancorp Quality Homes on the major sponsorship for this tournament and providing the sumptuous pig spit roast dinner on Sunday night.
Final results are as follows:
Champion Angler Heavy Tackle - JJ Gorman from Surface Tension Champion Angler Light Tackle - Riley Brown from Fake Taxi Champion Male Angler (Senior) - Dean Mirra from Nobby’s Way Champion Angler Female (Senior) - JJ Gorman from Surface Tension Champion Junior Angler - Jackson Hyland from Fake Taxi Most Meritorious Fishing Effort - Kill N Grill Champion Team Over 7.5 metres - Nobby's Way Champion Team Under 7.5m metres - Fake Taxi Best Poem of Tournament - Cat Aitken from Hard ‘N’ Up First Bill Fish of the Tournament – Riley Brown from Fake Taxi Last Bill fish of Tournament - Dean Mirra from Nobby’s Way N.A.F.A. Trophy - Russell Fairey from Hard ‘N’ Up
Congratulations to our generous sponsors, to all who competed, the prize winners, the BIGFC committee and members for making it another successful and enjoyable competition.
Contact details are:
BIGFC - PO BOX 100, BRIBIE ISLAND, QLD, 4507
President - Floyd Selleck – 0412 998 044
Vice President – Greg Chapman – 0412 344 366
Secretary – Barry Meredith – 0402 423 681
NEW MEMBERS OF ALL AGES WELCOME
Photo Supplied – Riley Brown & Jackson Hyland with Fake Taxi.
Photo Supplied – Nobby’s Way Champion Team
Photo Supplied – Riley & Jackson’s Marlin
Photo Supplied – JJ’s Mahi Mahi