FORSTER produced quality fish and a nail biting finish for the 11th stop of the 2013 Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Series over the weekend.
The round saw Queensland kayaker Denis Metzdorf take his maiden win after turning a 100 gram deficit into a 390 gram lead at the Forster Super Series.
Metzdorf relegated 2012 BREAM Angler of the Year Russell Babekuhl to 2nd place, and two-time kayak Grand Final winner Daniel Brown to 3rd, to book himself a seat in this year’s Marlo Kayak Grand Final.
Victory for Metzdorf was largely a surface fishing affair with the Forster victor fishing broken racks and shallow flats near Goodman Island to catch his fish.
“My go-to lure was a lightly colour Bassday Sugar Pen which I fished with a walk-the-dog retrieve. I also on occasion threw a Damiki Crank which I fished with a slow roll retrieve’, explained Metzdorf.
The approach saw Metzdorf with a full limit by 12pm on day one, day two however proved tougher as he explains.
“It was real hard, I only three fish in the well until I had once last stop at the bridge on the way back in”, explained Metzdorf.
It was on his last cast that he caught his fourth and final fish. Falling to a Berkley Gulp Shrimp it was the fish that ultimately delivered him victory.
Fishing his first event for the series at Forster Metzdorf has now booked himself a spot in November’s Grand Final, an event that he’s eagerly looking forward.
“I fished the Bemm River Grand Final last year and that was awesome. Marlo is suppose to be even better, so I can’t wait to get there”, explained Metzdorf.
For event runner-up Russell Babekuhl it was another podium finish with the multiple event bream winner stepping into a Hobie kayak for the first time and as his result showed he took to it with ease.
“It took a bit to get use to in terms of controlling the kayak, especially in amongst the racks”, explained Babekuhl.
Any initial teething problems were short lived with Babekukl soon finding his groove and catching fish. Fishing a combination of surface lures and 3″ Berkley Camo Grubs Russ spent the first day fishing the racks at Breckenridge while day two he fished the mouth of Wallamba River.
Weighing in 1.88 kg on day one and 2.45 kg on day two Babekuhl occupied the hot seat onstage until Metzdorf, the last angler to weigh-in, hit the stage to ultimately claim the event win.
With a $975 payday and a spot in the Grand Final locked in Babekuhl is keen to take his change in fishing fortune at Forster and turning it into a positive second half of the year.
“The first few months this year haven’t been great for me tournament wise, hopefully this is a sign of better things to come’, explained Babekuhl.
Craig Coughlan claimed the Hogs Breath Boss Hog at Forster, picking up the $100 prize with his 1.04kg fish caught on day one on a Lucky Craft NW Pencil.
The Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Series now heads west with Western Australia’s Blackwood River the venue for round twelve of the series.
More info: www.bream.com.au or www.hobiefishing.com.au .
