The 36th Viking Diesel & Electrics Port Hacking 100 was once again held over the weekend of 27th -28th April out of Port Hacking. This year’s event saw over 140 anglers competing on 40 vessels from multiple clubs up and down the NSW east coast. Day one turned on mirror like conditions with the T&R fleet heading wide targeting blue marlin and tuna. Local club boat The Outlaw, fought an estimated 180kg plus blue on 24kg for over an hour before unfortunately loosing the fish. In the Capture Division most notably, junior angler Sam Barning weighed a 282.2kg tiger shark on 10kg line off his dad’s boat (PHGFC President) Dark Horse (which is a pending Australian Record Claim – photo above). There were also a few other smaller captures of other sharks and a nice big eye tuna at 66.5kg along with various other T&R species including striped, black and blue marlin and yellowfin tuna.

Day two again saw the weather gods offering up near perfect conditions for what was becoming a closely fought battle in both divisions as multiple boats were within a stone’s throw of each other. Shellharbour vessel Outcast hooked a nice size mako after spotting it lurking in their slick, eventually the fish weighing in at a very respectful 327kg on 15kg. The weekend concluded with a Sunday night award presentation in front of 130 guests. By all reports to date the tournament was a fantastic success, so thank you to all competitors and sponsors, we look forward to seeing you all again in 2014.

Champion Boat T&R – Conflict, Jervis Bay GFC
Champion Boat Capture – Outcast, Shellharbour GFC
Champion Male Angler T&R – Lindsay Green, Jervis Bay GFC
Champion Male Angler Capture – Trevor Dowse, Shellharbour GFC
Champion Female Angler T&R – Robyn Kirby, Sydney GFC
Champion Female Angler Capture – Alex Durham, Sydney GFC
Champion Junior Angler T&R – Darcy Hannan, Port Hacking GFC
Champion Junior Angler Capture – Sam Barning, Port Hacking GFC
Champion Small Fry Angler – Jack Purkis, Sydney GFC

Ports Stephens

Jarahd sent me some pics from Akuma last weekend (above and below).  It was a day for the juniors with the skipper’s 6 old daughter and Jarahd’s 9 year old niece on board. A great day, nobody got sick, smiles all round and a couple of marlin were enountered as an added bonus!  Jarahd said they hooked a black around 50kg that threw the hooks a few feet from the tag pole, followed by another black around 90kg. Thanks Jarahd for the pics!

Departing Port Stephens to return to the Sunshine Coast with the family’s Lynchmob in the last couple of days, Conor tells me they managed to get a nice stripie around the 130kg mark NE of Coffs in 280m of water. The angler was Mark Bird and Conor says it was only the two on board which made it especially fun!

A couple of tournaments were held over the weekend with reports to come – including the Port Hacking 100 and Mooloolaba GFC’s Billfish Bash. I’m also expecting a report from Glen Booth from Coffs Harbour who tells me that there were a few blues around there on the weekend and even calm weather for a change.

In the meantime, a few bits and pieces of good fishing from along the coast:

Larva Lures Larva had a top day on the water off the Gold Coast going 3-3-3 consisting of 2 blues and 1 striped marlin, all before lunch. They were amongst several boats getting amongst fish off the Goldy in the past few days enjoying some glamour weather. On Thursday, enjoying the public holiday out, Capt. Brent James put wife Hayley onto a new potential Queensland record 77kg striped marlin on 15kg line on Comocean. Congratulations Hayley (photo bottom)!

Back down at Port Stephens, Capt. Scotty Thorington’s Freedom has departed for his home port (to chase the kingys) with a grand total of 103 marlin for the season – 101 black marlin and 2 stripes. And Andy tells me that over the weekend Akuma tagged a 90kg black marlin wide of Port in the George Besoff comp.  They also got stuck into the dolphin fish and came across a black marlin on a baitball on the way in yesterday but chasing a bridge into Lake Macquarie, couldn’t hang around to chase it!

Back in the ‘north’, Scott Coulter also tells me that the odd marlin have turned up off Yeppoon in the last 2 weeks with tales of encounters going round at the tackle shop. Scotty’s been chasing mackerel and bottom fishing of late but will have a look over the marlin grounds this weekend and let us know what he finds! Justin “Scooter” Andrews likewise tells me he had a great day out on Ashley Warland’s boat Gamestar along with Ross Martin on Anzac day in the Whitsundays. They went 2 from 2 on juvenile blacks on the western side of Hayman Island , in water you’d be happy to catch a barra in! Justin reports that both fish were caught before 9.30 am on the last of the making tide. One fish was around 20kg and the other a pup at around 4kg! And there was plenty of bait marking at all the usual haunts. Thanks Justin!