On the Water: Anglers Recap the Wilson Elite Grand Final

The Wilson Elite Flathead Series 2025 Grand Final had it all — PB fish, nail-biting finishes, and plenty of stories from the boats that battled it out. While the scoreboard crowned the champions, the anglers themselves shared what it felt like out on the water.

Team Swainskis – Grand Final Winners

Team Nomad – Series Champions & Grand Final Runners-Up

Fishing as Team @nomadtackle_aus, Guy McConnell, Neal Caruana, and Thomas Ryan locked in a 2nd, 11th, and 1st across the rounds to secure their Grand Final berth.

“For us, the series win was bigger than the Grand Final itself,” Guy explained. “Coming in 2nd place to Swainskis in the final was just the icing on the cake. Congrats lads — well deserved.”

Team Lowrance McArthy Baits – 3rd Place Finish

Tech Fishing’s Team Lowrance McArthy Baits (Wayne Peeters, Brenden Whyte & Nick Whyte) had a day to remember, putting together a 10-fish bag of 654cm to secure 3rd place.

The standout? Wayne’s two cracking fish at 87cm and 81cm.

The team shared. “Congrats to Team Swainskis on the win, and a massive thank you to Danny and all the GCSFC committee for such a well-run series. Now we’re looking forward to the Flatty Classic in a couple of weeks!”

Flat Spinning Surf Coast Marine – 4th Place

After missing the Grand Final by a whisker last year, Flat Spinning Surf Coast Marine (Ian Ackland, Carl Lorrigan & Patrick Maron) came into 2025 determined to make it count.

The plan paid off — starting deep, the team struck early with a double hook-up, followed by Paddy’s PB 85cm Croc, which nearly became a disaster when trebles tangled in the net.

With a final bag of 624cm for 10 fish, Flat Spinning finished 4th overall. “As always, the Quintrex 590 Frontier from Surf Coast Marine didn’t miss a beat,” the team said. “Huge thanks to Wilson Fishing and the Gold Coast Sportfishing Club for a fantastic comp.”

From big wins to personal bests, this year’s Wilson Elite Grand Final proved why it’s one of the most competitive and exciting series on the Gold Coast fishing calendar.