Monster Flatties and a Monster Start: Wilson Elite Round 1 Wrap-up
Round 1 of the 2025 Wilson Elite Flathead Series has wrapped—and it delivered the goods! With over 834 Flathead landed, this round set the tone for a fierce season ahead.
Top of the Bag Leaderboard
S Tackle (Bo Sawyer, Tim Stylianou, Tony Walsh) came out firing with a combined Top 10 bag of 641cm, securing first place in the biggest fish leaderboard. Their average fish length was nothing short of impressive, and their name is now the one to beat.
Right Behind: Nomad Design & Lost Cauz
Nomad Design (Neal Caruana, Guy McConnell, Thomas Ryan) followed closely with 637cm.
Lost Cauz (Dale Follet, Damon Foster, Kadan Maclean) locked in third at 619cm.
With less than a 25cm difference between first and third, it’s shaping up to be a razor-close series.
The Top 10 Bags of Round 1:
S TACKLE 641
Nomad Design 637
Lost Cauz 619
Addict Tackle / Calm Water Fishing 579
Team On Strike 573
Madkeen 573
Wilson Fishing 573
Show Us Ya Flatties 570
Team Samaki 568
M & E 562
Biggest Flathead – Senior Male
Some huge individual fish made waves in round 1, with Tim Stylianou landing a massive 92cm flathead, topping the senior male division and setting the early benchmark.
Biggest Flathead – Senior Female
In the female division, Susan Templar led the way with a cracking 58cm, followed closely by Karen Fontaine and Lauren Parkinson with strong fish of 56cm.
Biggest flathead – Junior
Junior angler Jepp Gardner topped his division with a solid 59cm, leading into round 2 full of confidence.
Team Highlights: From Breakthroughs to Heartbreaks
Flat Spinning had their best result yet, navigating some average conditions. They also gave a big shoutout to Surf Coast Marine for installing their Garmin sounder just in time, adding a new level to their setup. Their performance showed solid teamwork, local know-how, and respect to the top finishers.
“Huge thanks to the Gold Coast Sportfishing Club for another fantastic comp—we can’t wait for the next one!”
Meanwhile, Caught on Fishing brought the energy and drama. Kicking off their day with a monster hook-up on just the third cast, Lauren Parkinson was locked onto what looked like an 80cm+ giant before a heart-breaking bust-off on 15lb leader. But they bounced back fast, filling their bag within the first hour and landing a stack of 50s, a 70cm. With close to 30 fish landed, they were stoked to find themselves inside the top 30 for the first time ever.
“It really could have been an insane day if we’d landed everything—but that’s fishing! We’re pumped to see what the next two rounds bring.”
All of their fish were caught on ZMan Minnows in 3” and 4”, with Motor Oil and Pearl being the go-to colours.
What’s Next? Round 2 – The Zerek Round
The next battle in the Wilson Elite Flathead Series is nearly here!
Round 2 – Zerek Round
Saturday 12 July 2025
6:30 am to 4:00 pm
This round is proudly sponsored by Wilson, so expect some fresh lure action and big water energy. With tight margins on the leaderboard and teams hungry to climb, it's shaping up to be a pivotal day on the water.
Registration opens this week, so keep an eye on your inbox and socials for the link to secure your spot.
Let’s see who levels up in Round 2!