The Bowen Fishing Classic and Wet Weekend in 2012 was a stunning success, matched only by the amazing weather that occurred over the tournament’s duration.
The fantastic weather allowed anglers of all persuasions to chase their dream and catch some amazing fish. The near shoals were on fire for mackerel with some genuine horses being bought to the weigh masters. Heading further offshore was not a problem for most boats and overnighters were common. These extended trips led to some cracking reef and offshore species being landed and the excitement of the crowd during the weigh-ins, hosted be Dean Miller from Creek2Coast and Queensland Weekender, were evidence enough of the fishing quality.
But it wasn’t just the offshore brigade who fared well with the weather. The creek fishers cracked onto some ripping barra and the big buck muddies were a treat to see – it was just a pity they wouldn’t let me eat them for them!
One of the great ideas with this competition is that if the competitors do not want to keep their fish, the team at the Classic retain the fish and the local fish monger cleans them up and distributes the fish to Meals on Wheels locally. Cod, mackerel, trout, nannygai, emperor and sweetlip have been on the menu for a few weeks and I am hearing stories of huge gratitude from the recipients.
This tournament not only encompass the fishing, there are a huge number of extra events visitors can take part in: sandcastle competitions, dash for cash, fish throwing, pie eating contests, and so much more. It is more like carnival with numerous rides and slides, and even helicopter trips for the brave.
We had a fantastic time at the event and even though we didn’t get on the water (yes that killed us!), the event has so much going on that you rarely feel like you’re missing out. And the fact that the major prize boats are all randomly drawn means that if you enter the comp you get a chance to win – the best way to ensure that cheating is minimised, or even effectively stopped.
Check out the full results and images on the Bowen Fishing Classic website at www.bowenfamilyfishingclassic.com and get excited about next year’s event. In the meantime, check out the winners in the factbox and enjoy some of the more special moments of the Bowen Fishing Classic. – FMG
BOWEN FAMILY FISHING CLASSIC
SpeciesSenior Angler: highest weightWeight (kg)Secret Weight
| Spanish mackeral | Courtney Lea-Gardiner | 22.400 | Wayne Hinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Other) | Craig Hudson | 9.9000 | Wally Scott |
| Coral trout(All) | Russell Stockdale | 4.9515 | Andrew Boetcher |
| Mangrove jack | Paul Sellen | 5.3500 | Kelly Ross |
| Flathead (All) | Steve Holditch | 2.0306 | Yvonne Ross |
| Cod (All) | Lisa Bridson | 22.300 | Lunne Land |
| Whiting(All) | Steve Holditch | 0.3298 | Simon Miller |
| Trevally(All) | Kel Caterson | 25.200 | Harry White |
| Bream (Acanthopagrusberda) | Greg Sullivan | 0.9085 | Bernie Burgess |
| Sweetlip (Lethrinus chrys) | Ross Mcdonald | 4.0215 | Rhonda Quadroy |
| Barramundi | Dean Leblowitz | 13.460 | Aarron Jurgens |
| Javelinfish or grunter | Chris Achille | 3.2196 | Allan Richardson |
| Red emperor and scarlet | Vicky Spann | 9.7900 | David Petersen |
| Blue tuskfish | Steve Aitken | 7.4900 | Christine Hart |
| Other species | Wayne Pethers | 18.450 | Linda Thomson |
| Crab | Phillip Hines | 2.2160 | Lisa Mcnamara |
SpeciesJunior Angler: highest weightWeight (kg)Secret Weight
| Spanish Mackeral | Wesley Jochheim | 14.600 | Brealyn Morton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Other) | Chance Warcon | 14.500 | Deacon Ilka |
| Coral Trout(All) | Callum Fisher | 4.0717 | Makayla Walkon |
| Mangrove Jack | Hayden Briggs | 1.9268 | Madeline Hughes |
| Flathead (All) | Hayden Briggs | 3.0693 | Zachery Morrell |
| Cod (All) | Mitchell Briesan | 17.500 | Nathan Wilde |
| Whiting(All) | Nicolas Holditch | 0.3404 | Angellina Kleinert |
| Trevally(All) | Jack Kenny | 12.400 | India Biancucci |
| Bream (Acanthopagrusberda) | Faith Sullivan | 0.8405 | Logan Miller |
| Sweetlip (Lethrinus Chrys) | Daiman Kyle | 3.7453 | Keelah Ross |
| Barramundi | Maddison Miller | 2.8430 | Zac Zwyenburg |
| Javelinfish Or Grunter | Jack Hargrave | 3.2723 | Brett Matton |
| Red Emperor And Scarlet | Luke Hawkins | 8.6000 | Shnayd Otto |
| Blue Tuskfish | Danielle Pate | 5.3540 | Dean Simpson |
| Other Species | Daiman Kyle | 8.8450 | Louwrens De Jager |
| Senior Champion Angler: | Steve Holditch | ||
| Junior Champion Angler: | Hayden Briggs | ||
| Heaviest Fish By Female Angler: | Courtney Lea-Gardiner | ||
| Senior Lucky Weigh In Prize (Montes Reef Resort): | Scott Foster | ||
| Senior Lucky Nomination Prize (Coral Cove Apartments): | Alan Osullivan | ||
| Delacey Retravision Lucky Draw: | Alisa Muller | ||
| Senior Boat: | A. Brooks (Bowen) | ||
| Junior Boat: | Cody Wagstaff (Pinnacle) | ||
| 2 Junior Tagged Fish - not weighed in: | Ashlee Colls | ||
| Winner (randomly picked by computer): | Midaela Choice |
