AS PART of their 50th year celebrations, the Moreton Bay Game Fishing Club held the Moreton Bay Shark Fishing Classic on March 28 and 29. Anglers targeted whalers, hammerheads, makos and tiger sharks, with points awarded for tagging as well as captures that exceeded the minimum eight times line class for boating anglers. There were two divisions fished – one for the boaties and the other for land-based anglers.

Several pending records were set during the Classic, with Gordon Macdonald on Bluefin setting new Queensland, Australian and World records for his 45.5kg whaler shark on 3kg line after a battle of four hours and 50 minutes. In the land-based division James Harmon set new Queensland and Australian Records for land-based gamefishing with a 161.8kg whaler shark on 60kg line.

The majority of sharks were tagged, although a couple were given to various scientific research projects, and the Moreton Bay Gamefish Club hopes to see even more anglers at next years Shark Fishing Classic. – MBGC.

[FACT BOX]

RESULTS

CategoryAnglerPoints

Champion Angler Light TackleGordon Macdonald2975.25

Champion Angler Standard TackleAngelo Zappala650

Champion Team Light TackleBluefin2975.25

Champion Team Standard TackleBluefin1300

Champion Team OverallBluefin4275.25

Champion Angler OverallGordon Macdonald3300.25

Champion Jnr AnglerJoshua Cuff275

Highest Scoring Shark on 3kgGordon Macdonald2525.25

Highest Scoring Shark on 8kgTim McDonald350

Highest Scoring Shark on 10kgJeff Lean

Junior Encouragement Awards: Rick Winsor and Troy Winsor

Land-based Division

Champion AnglerJames Harmon

Champion TeamLandbased Addicts

Largest SharkJames Harmon 161.8kg