Fishing spirit is strong among the bluewater crowd on the Gold Coast. Forty seven boats put to sea in late February, despite predictions for strong winds and big seas, for the Little Ship Gamefish Club’s 2006 Yamaha Classic and Lees Industries Iveco Motors Interclub Shield Tournament.
A decent sea quit any notions of a run to wide grounds looking for a blue marlin. Juvenile blacks around the 80m mark meant a run of around an hour for most boats in the field. Action was steady with plenty of fish being seen, hooked, and tagged and released.
It was a great tournament from start to finish, with competitors from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast. In this event you are not required to start from a central location. As a result, anglers can fish their local familiar haunts; having no requirement to return to a tournament base at the end of the first day’s fishing. Anglers fish the second day anywhere they chose – the only requirement is that all competing anglers attend dinner on the last day of fishing. They must also attend the Presentation Breakfast at the Little Ship Game Fish Club Marina the next morning.
The Little Ship Club Tournament is staged centrally at Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island, which is central to Sunshine, Brisbane and Gold Coast clubs and which incorporates waters that have a reputation for productive gamefishing. Competing anglers share and participate in the social atmosphere of the spirit generated by those that enjoy their fishing.
The Champion Angler Overall was Damien O’Rourke and the Champion Team was the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club. For more results see the fact box hereabouts. - Alan Zavodny
Facts
RESULTS
Highest Score Day One: Reece Buetel, Outrageous
Highest Score Day Two: Damien O’Rourke, Five Star
Champion Angler Light Tackle: Damien O’Rourke
Champion Angler Heavy Tackle: Eric Carruthers, Ocean Dream
Champion Junior Angler: James Griffith Robinson
Runner-up Junior Angler: Paul Corby
Champion Other Gamefish: Andrew Otto
Champion Angler Tuna: Peter Piscina
Champion Female Angler: Sue Douglas
Runner-up Female Angler: Kylie Hancox
Runner-up Male Angler: Laurie Stoppa
Champion Overall: Damien O’Rourke
Champion Vessel Under 8m: Serial Fisher (Sunshine Coast GFC)
Champion Vessel Over 8m: Five Star (Gold Coast GFC)
Champion Team (Lees Industries Iveco Motors Interclub Shield): Five Star Gold Coast Game Fish Club with John Faulkner, Alan Zavodny (skipper), Laurie Stoppa, Damien O’Rourke and Kevin Ballantine.