NOW in its fifth year, the North Coast Fishing Bonanza ran from September 24 to 28 in Ballina where healthy crowds were treated to loads of fun events and importantly, some great fishing.
The premiere catch and release competition in the region sees competitors fill in catch sheets and photograph their catches live on a brag mat. Administrators then verify each image and corresponding catch sheet to ensure appropriate fish care and handling is carried out.
The briefing took place on the Wednesday night allowing a possible 3.5 days of fishing for the outside crews keen to tangle with snapper, kingfish, pearl perch, amberjack and samson fish while anglers looking for a more relaxed option targeted bream, flathead, whiting or bass in the Richmond River. This year also saw the introduction of new species categories such as blackfish and tailor with these species opened up to Junior and Cadet categories.
Over the course of the event, the fishing was superb and is a strong indicator of the health of this system. It’s not often a competition runs where a 93cm flathead doesn’t win a prize! The top three flathead were all above the 95cm level with 1st place going to a 99.5cm fish caught by Greg Barnes. 2nd and third were equally impressive at 95.4cm.
A metre-length flathead? So close … Greg Barnes with his 99.5cm lizard.
Snapper too were all massive with a 99.2cm specimen topping the list caught by Robert Lynn with Brodie Quaas and Overall Mens’ Champion coming second with a 95cm model. Those lucky enough to chase pearl perch also found some numbers with a 59.7cm fish in first place caught by Rick Dalli.
Brodie Quaas with his 95cm snapper.
During the comp, event Director Michael Starkey was fishing offshore with Andrew Ettingshausen for an upcoming episode of Escape with ET on Network 10 which will air in December.
ET and Michael Starkey with a couple of snapper caught for the cameras.
In the calm waters of the region’s river systems, a whopping 46cm bream was caught by Bill Steel and a whiting of 44cm by Alex Klassen.
In the Cadet category, Mat Hutchins, in Ballina on holiday came away the winner taking out the snapper, mulloway and flathead prizes with 82.2cm, 95.5cm and 92.0 fish respectively. The most notable junior catch was made by Tahlia Robson with a 92.8cm flathead which was taller than her. It would have been an interesting tussle.
Youngster Mat Hutchins cleaned up at this year’s event, winning three different species categories including snapper.
Andrew McLennon took out the mulloway prize.
Claire Joblin who this year contested her first year as an adult, took out Champion Female, and also won two random draws and took home a pair of Engel fridge/freezers.
Special mention must also go to Nathan Coby who not only landed a PB Mahi Mahi out wide, but who also managed to get himself impaled by a hefty pair of 12/0 hooks in the process of bringing the fish aboard.
The competition is not only about the fishing and each day saw the kids battle it out in front of a massive display tank of fish in the casting and winding competitions.
While the event ran over time a little, competitors waited intently to hear their name called out in the lucky prize draw. The lucky winners were Mat Hutchins who won the $10,000 boat in Cadet category, and Peter Wells who won the boat valued at $28,000 in the Adult category.
The North Coast Fishing Bonanza would like to thank the competitors for the spirit in which they compete. We must also thanks Gamakatsu and Evinrude for their support in bring this event to life. Also thanks to major sponsors Samurai Fishing Rods and Lowrance as well as industry partners Atomic, Hobie, Penn, Engel, Fishing World, Mako Eyewear, TABS Boats, Shimano, The IceBox Bloke and Southern Cross Accountants.
See spreadsheet of final results here: NCFB Results 2014
