The Yamaha Cod Classic has been run for 10 years by the Mulwala Football Netball Club.

It certainly celebrated with style in 2009 with more than 3,100 registered competitors!

Every bed in town was pretty much booked out and the queue at the boats ramps told a similar story.

Friday night, competitors were treated to regular ‘Cod Talk’ shows by Dave Hodge and Rod Mackenzie and the lucky entrant boat was drawn.

There was over $100,000 in prizes including eight boat, motor and trailer packages given away bringing the total to 47 boat packages given away since the competition’s beginning!

There were so many minor lucky door prizes that just about everyone went away with something! Every junior entrant went home with at least one lure or spinnerbait.

Saturday’s competition kicked off with a helter-skelter as over 3,000 competitors hit the water in search of that prize-winning fish.

Saturday night, the kids were treated to the Flathead Fred Show and afterwards, everyone sat on the edge of their seats watching the prize draw which included three more boat packages.

Later that night, the crowd was treated to the L.Wilson & Co Casting Shootout followed by an awesome 10th Anniversary celebratory fireworks display and the Mulwala Water Ski Club Pro Casting Shootout.

Sunday was a short and sharp fishing session finishing at 10:30am so presentations would not drag on all day.

More boats were given away including the major raffle boat, the carp boat and the C&R boat draw.

I found the fishing this year a little harder as the water was discoloured due to the runoff water coming in from the Ovens River.

Regular places that had produced fish for us in the past like Kyffins Reserve and the Murray River below the weir failed to come up with the goods so we were left to try plans B, C, D and E and so on.

Bait anglers were doing ok, but we persisted with lures. There were still plenty of big fish caught including the longest cod at 99cm and a few golden perch over 50cm.

Congratulations to the Mulwala Football Netball Club and Tony Bennett for a well-run competition and I’m sure I speak for everyone with a big thanks to the sponsors for their continued support.