There were 566 entries in the 22nd Annual VMR Hervey Bay Family Fishing Competition organised by The Hervey Bay Boat Club Fishing and Social Club.

The Event was a huge success, with only minor showers experienced during the presentations, however windy conditions prevailed for the whole weekend.

Entrants enjoyed a great weekend of socialising and winning hundreds of prizes at Dayman Park, which is protected from the wind and there was plenty of hot food supplied by members of The Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise and lots of cold drinks thanks to XXXX and the hard working committee and members of the Fishing Club.

The live weigh-in was sponsored by Fishermans Corner Hervey Bay and 70 bream, 36 flathead and 28 whiting (a total of 134 fish) were returned to the water alive.

There were hundreds of prizes to win for catching fish and in the lucky draws thanks to the tremendous support of the many great sponsors of the competition.

The $5,000 senior super draw prize was won by Ben Alexander of Kawungan. The junior super draw prize a lap top computer from Wide Bay Motor Group was won by Dakota Sorrensen of Torquay. Each day there were lucky draws for $1000 cash from the Boat Club and the winners were: Susan Lloyd of Toogoom, Grant Whiteside of Pialba, Barry Sorrensen of Urangan and Glenn Haworth from Bundaberg. Early entry draw winners were: seniors $250 of tackle, Brian Eadie of Urangan, juniors $100 of tackle Joshua Clinton of Hervey Bay.

Five species of fish and the any other species category were eligible for the dead weigh-in and three species for the live weigh in. Seniors weighing in the overall heaviest fish of each section in the live and dead weigh-ins received a Fraser Island ice box.

Dead weigh in winners were: any other species – giant trevally 24.225kg Malcolm Lacey; coral bream 1.764kg Brian Jacobsen; whiting 420g Steve Binney; blackall 5.732kg Ian Garrett; golden trevally 7.825kg Grant Whiteside; bream 896g Ken Higgins.

The any other species prizes went to: $1000 for Best Fish, barramundi 15.75kg Damien Paranitti daily prizes an EPIRB from BTB Marine, Damien Paranitti; VHF radios from Bay Auto Marine Electrical, Tusk fish 4.692kg Ben Jacobsen: tusk fish 5.484kg Brian Jacobsen.

The live weigh-in was solely sponsored by Fishermans Corner Hervey Bay and winners were: whiting 358g Richard Binney; bream 914g Stevie Mills; flathead 2.890kg Damian Paranitti; Water Snake electric outboard Madison Williams of Toogoom.

Memorial Trophy winners were: John Hogan Trophy – Grant Herschel; Lawrie Brown Trophy – Brian Eadie; Neil Davey Trophy – Craig Wilson; Ian Bates Trophy – Darren Bradley; Rex Ford Trophy – Katrina McMullin.

Lots of fish were donated to the fishing club each day, filleted by Urangan Fisheries and delivered to Masters Lodge.

Organisers of the event, The Boat Club Fishing and Social Club, are very happy with the way the competition went and most thankful to all the sponsors and the 566 entrants for their support and hope to see them all again at next year’s competition to be held March 5-8 2015. – George Duck