2015 Top Gun Flathead shootout – Final results and story

With the Flathead Classic just around the corner, the fish on the chew and a prize pool if $4000on offer, 35 teams took on the challenge of the Top Gun flathead shootout on the Gold Coast yesterday. With the event being based out of the VMR on the Spit some teams still decided to make the long trip north to the Jumpinpin area in hope of finding the big fish that would secure victory. In overcast and blustery conditions a lot of the smaller boats headed for the protected bays to avoid the rough water. In the end Team Pig Lures with Shayne Shane Gartner and Chris Brown prevailed with a combined 5 fish length of 310cm. Using their own brand of lures, pig lures in brown colour, they used the “short troll” technique to effect to catch their fish on the flats around Crab Island. Their big fish measured 75cm and certainly anchored the victory in a very tightly contested event which saw just a handful of points separating the top half of the field. The next placed team was team shaking the shad, Jack Gleedhill, Ben kimpton and Taylor Bills with 298cm which was anchored by a 81cm cracker caught by Jack, which also secured him an additional $100 for the big flathead prize. The boys fished Browns inlet day and caught plenty of fish, shaking the shad!! they stuck to their plan and resisting the temptation to move certainly paid off. Rounding out the podium was Team Wild Supply, Geoff Carey, Scott Blair and Michael Vacca with 296cm. The guys ventured north and fished around Whalleys Gutter to build their lit. they made a move to the deep for a while but returned to Whalleys later in the session to upgrade some of their fish and build their total.
The junior big flathead was a 60cm caught by Kyron Horn which earned him a rod and reel combo! The largest flathead by a female was caught by Sue Belmont at 49cm taking home a prize pack for her efforts.

A huge shout out to the Top Gun anglers who generously put themselves up for auction, without them this event would not be possible. Danny Sands, Nick Whyte, Doug Burt, George Sands, Christian Cross and Dean Lapham, thankyou for your support and willingness to share your knowledge. It was also a very positive experience for the winning bidders who were able to fish with them for the day. Joakim Olander fished with Christian Cross for the day and  posted these comments afterwards, “I’d like to thank all the top guns who so generously donate their time to support wannabe anglers like myself. Christian Cross was a true gentleman and there is no doubt that with more skilled anglers he would have finished higher in the order than our 5th place. But what I was taught was invaluable. I’ve been encouraged to see that there is no magic spot, no super plastic and that still there is no magic shortcut. This comp is about sharing your knowledge with lesser anglers and encouraging them to improve even though such a team will often handicap the Top Gun”. 


Thanks to Brett Horner, Sue Belmont and Grant Johnston for their assistance in running the event!

The results are below:

Place Team Name Angler 1 Angler 2 Angler 3 Total Big Fish Payout
1 Pig Lures Shayne Gartner Chris Brown 310 $1700 cash
2 Shaking The Shad Jack Gleedhill Taylor Bills Ben Kimpton 298 81cm $800 cash Longest Flathead overall $100 cash
3 Wild Supply Geoff Carey Scott Blair Michael Vacca 296 $500 cash
4 Lizzard Poachers Shane Holding John Goodwan 295 $300 cash
5 Heavy Tackle Christian Cross Joakim Olander Andrew Lewis 291 $200 cash + 1st Top Gun $300
6 Two Strippers and a Wog Danny Sands Con Voukelatos Jay Cottrell 290 $100 cash + 2nd Top Gun $200
7 Sicilian Coach Christian Pulvirenti Kurt Brereton 289 $50 cash + prize pack
8 JML Anglers Alliance Joey Bonnici Trent Jepson Heath Edmondson 286 $50 cash + prize pack
9 Strictly Business Steve Ward Brett Doolan Chris Brazier 280 $50 cash
10 Strike Fuels Mick Stewart Mark Morland Aiden Cross 277
11 Days of our lives (DOOL) Goerge Sands Jason Swain Mick Kelly 272  $100 3rd Top Gun
12 Whyte OMT Nick Whyte Grant Johnston 271
13 Job Custon Rods Ben Job Brad Job Mick Keogh 270
14 Tackleworld Doug Burt Nathan Scales 268
15 Smacking Big Girls Alex Hallam Darren Caldwell 267
16 Nulook A Team Wayne Smith Garry Rayner 266
17 Tide Apparel Mick Horn Kyron Horn (J) 265 Longest Flathead Junior 60cm prize pack
18 Team Misfit Rob McKeown Mick Mclannon Jamie Genn 264
19 TT/Bush n Beach Keith Stratford Brett Enders 262
20 Team Head Hunters Paul Tamis Brendan Knight 259
21 Flat-ulence Tony McQueen David Asmussen 258
22 Team Tabs Dean Wison Montana Wison (J) 252 Junior prize pack
23 QLD Monthly Fishing Michael Fox Evan Zikos 247
24 Dinger Guy McConnell Joe Waldron Sean Pallent 246
25 Nulook 2 Colin Powell Kevy Ballantine Jason Kuit 240
26 Liquid Gold Fishing Craig Templar Sue Belmont 231 Longest Flathead Female prize pack
26 Team Wasabi Adam Barclay Ash Nobes Rhoul Pendergast 231
28 Wet Dreamz Jamie Pollock Jared Pearsall Madeline Edgar 228
29 Renegade Lyndsey Lazarro Brandon Trewin 220
30 Bonza Graphics Pete MacGregor Jamie Larsen 218
31 Gamakatsu/Brisbane River Fishing Mathew Hubbard James Mair Brad Haskins 172
32 Living Reel Brett Horner Jan Van der Kwyst Dean Lapham 181
33 4Eva Fishing Theo Nikolis Lexi Nikolis 166
34 Monster Smashers Stuart McGready Liam McGready (J) 121 Junior prize pack
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