It didn’t take Peter Morgan all 59 of his years to win an ABT event, but it sure felt like it! He weighed two Isis Balancing Storage bass for 2.50kg and left the rest of the field a mile behind. Local anglers Dave Robinson (2/2, 2.00kg), Gary Leather (2/2, 1.85kg), Jamie Hooper (2/2, 1.80kg) and Robin Robinson (1/2, 1.45kg) filled the balance of Electric Convention spots on offer.

Peter fished shallow, weedy water – less than five feet – with a 3/8oz SMAK spinnerbait fitted with a gold/black skirt, silver willow and gold Colorado blade.

“I cast the spinnerbait into the gaps in the lilies and then burned it past the clumps,” Peter explained, “and the bass smashed it at the pause after the burn.”

Peter fished the lure on a Nitro Tournament Bass rod, Shimano Scorpion reel, 8lb Fireline and 12lb Vanish leader. He landed six bass overall and was destroyed by large fish twice in two casts.

“All I need to do is catch six bass in a BASS Pro and I’ll be happy,” he said.

Pete’s pre-fishing partner, Dave Robinson, landed second place and the event’s Big Bass of 1.55kg.

Dave fished the same spinnerbait, but with an Ayu coloured skirt, on a Black Diamond Bass Predator rod, Shimano Chronarch reel, 20lb Fireline and 14lb Vanish. His preferred retrieve, however, was s slow roll.

“We found the shallow water pattern late on the Saturday during practice and it was obviously the way to go,” Robinson said.

The Bundaberg Sportfishing Club tagged all of the competitors’ bass and accepted a $140 donation to help restocking the impoundment. - Jason Medcalf