A Classic 2014 Classic!

This years Classic was another record breaker with 210 teams competing across an extended 3 day tournament. There were  5,566 Flathead caught during the competition with 2,678 of them being over 40 cm.

The weather as always is a key factor and a S/E Wind on the first day sent a few teams into a bit of a spin looking for cover. Friday was a spectacular day with only slight Northerlies for most of the day picking up in the afternoon. Saturday again the N/E came into play but the syun was out for most of it and all 3 days were t-shirt and shorts fishing weather.

$1474646_374334016049657_4312076402250235357_n (1)Our longest Flathead for 2014 was caught by first time competitor Joe Bonnici the 94cm fish was caught early on day one. Our  Longest Mulloway was caught by  Brendon Knight measuring 106cm. Our Overall Champion team for 2014 were long term competitors team Lowrance Whyte Boys scoring a massive 4895 point

 

10313457_534458146685823_5914142470194377202_nDavid, Nick and Brendan reported that everything went their way from start to finish always being able to find the fish. Their preferred technique is fishing the deep and they have spent many years searching out deep water banks where the fish gather to spawn. The runners up were Team Hi-Seas/AFW Ross McCubbin, Ben Job and Brad Job with 4049. This team are very familiar with big numbers in the classic and this year was no exception.

The overall Champion Angler was Robbie Payne with 2135 points. Robbie was fishing with

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Wilson Fishing who were the champion 2 person team. Runner Up Champion Senior was Club member Paul ‘Shagger’ Neilsen with 1893 he was also awarded the Champion Club member trophy. It is a tough day fishing for all of us but for our Juniors even tougher Our Austackle Champion Junior went to a Bribie angler Aidan Scott with 1116 points , Runner up Junior was club member Cooper Sands with 1111 points Cooper too away the big Flathead as Champion Junior Club member for the second year running. Champion Female angler was club member Fay Rohweder 524 and Runner up Christine Hunt.

Full results can be found by following this link http://www.goldcoastsportfishingclub.com.au/gold-coast-flathead-classic/previous-results/flathead-classic-results-2014/

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A highlight for this tournament is the random major prize draw and thanks to our fabulous sponsors we were able to put together a Junior Draw and Senior Draw this along with all our giveaways each night and our tournament bags and shorts amounted to over 200,000 dollars worth of goodies.

IMG_0493aThis year’s boat winner Richard Fry was lucky enough to take away a brand new model Bluefin Wildcat Pro, the boat is the first off the production line for Bluefin and judging by the lloks of it and its water test it is going to be a real winner for them. The package included a Mercury 4 stroke 60 HP thanks to Nitro Marine and Mercury and a Dunbier Trailer the boat was finished off with a Bonza wrap and the package worth over $30,000 dollars. Richard was deep in shock at learning of his win, he had not fished the comp in 7 years as he didn’t have a boat, this year not wanting to miss out again he borrowed a boat off a mate, we are sure we will see Richard back in his Bluefin in 2015.

Club Member Tom Ryan made it down to the final two but missed out on the boat package, He didn’t go away too disappointed though winning a fantastic holiday to the Papatura Holiday Resort in the Solomon Islands thanks to Papatura Resorts, Go Tours and Solomon Airlines. The rest of the 28 lucky draw members took home a great assortment of prizes including Lowrance electronics thanks to Navico and Marinonics , Hobie Fishing Kayak thanks to Sunstate Hobie, Humminbird and Minn Kota Boat electronics as well as a bounty of fishing and boating gear.

Our Junior Boat winner was Timothy Angus$$$$$photo (2) winning a Bluefin Scallywag and a Watersnake electric motor the rest of the Juniors took away an assortment of Shimano rods and reel, WIlson Fishing gear and Abu Garcia rod packages along with tackle from Doug Burts Tackle World. Thanks to Pig Lures all our Junior competitors received a Pig Lure.

This year for the first time we trialed a longer fishing day with a night time presentation on the Saturday, from all the feedback so far this proved to be a popular option both with the punters and the organisers giving us all a bit of breathing space to ensure the presentations and paying credit to our sponsors went smoothly.

This event would not happen without the hard work of the Committee and Club members who roll up their sleeves. Led this year by our President Bruce Anderson who really stepped up to the plate the team worked tirelessly to ensure 2014 was another successful event.

This is not an easy event to pull together and it doesn’t happen overnight a big thanks to all of you who assisted from raffle sales to setting up, pulling down and running around!

Lastly I would like to Acknowledge and thank all of our sponsors. Many of our sponsors expressed interest in recommitting again when collecting their plaques. Bluefin Boats announced they were recommitting their support in another 3 year deal on top of this commitment in partnership with Nitro Marine they are offering a 5% manufacturers rebate on any Bluefin purchased by a FHC competitor for the next 3 years! Now that’s support

Naming Rights: Great Northern Brewing Co

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Major: Bluefin Boats

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Platinum Sponsors:

Austackle
TT Lures/Zman
Berkely /Abu Garcia
Lowrance
Gold Coast Fishing Tackle
Storm (Rapala)
Doug Burt’s Tackle World
Wilson’s Fishing
Fishing World
Shimano
Switchbait
BCF/Savage Lures
Papatura Holiday Resort/Soloman Airlines
Delux/Fishing 13
Hi Seas/AFW

Gold Sponsors:

Bonza Graphics
Nitro Marine/Mercury Outboards
The Mad Hueys
Engel
Hella Marine
Channel 9,

Hot Tomato,

Bulletin

Channel 7
Marinonics

Silver Sponsors:

Dunbier Trailers
Temporary Personal Moorings
Queensland Fishing Monthly
Humminbird/Minn Kota

Bronze Sponsors:

Bush and Beach Magazine
Catch a barra/Dizzy Scent/Land Based Fishing
Kakadu Annexes
Tonic Eyewear

Montezumas Labrador

Pig Lures

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