82 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
TOURNAMENT
NEWSBillfish Babes is a one-day, ladies-only gamefishing shootout
which also includes a fancy-dress boat parade and an
exhilarating shotgun start. It encourages all females, both
seniors and juniors, to participate and try their hand at this
amazing sport.
Hosted by the Mooloolaba Game Fishing Club, the fifth annual
Billfish Babes tournament was held in early February. The second-
largest tournament of its kind, this event was highly-anticipated by
the gamefishing women of south-east Queensland, attracting 28
keen female anglers to the Sunshine Coast. As if by magic, the wind
dropped out just long enough for the ladies to go out for their day of
fishing in glamour conditions.
With 36 strikes, 23 hook-ups and 10 fish caught there was plenty of
excitement for the girls who were fishing across 10 boats. By the end
of the day, six black marlin had been tagged and released, along with
a sole sailfish. Three dolphinfish were also brought in to weigh.
Kelly O’Donnell was awarded Champion Senior Angler for tagging a
black marlin and weighing a 10kg dolphinfish. The Moreton Bay boat
Black Habitswon Champion Boat after the Babes on board tagged a
sailfish within the first half hour of the tournament and cemented their
win with a tagged black marlin later that morning.The Central Coast Game Fish Club’s annual Blue
Water Classic was held in early January, with
weather conditions threatening to challenge the
121 anglers on 31 boats, many of which stayed
on the inshore grounds.
Despite the conditions, the team aboardRogue had
tagged a striped marlin by the 8am radio sked. The
remainder of the first day was slow, with only one or
two fish reported in the subsequent skeds.
By that evening, Capt Scotty Thorrington and his team
aboardFreedomhad taken the lead, with his wife Fiona
tagging a striped marlin on 10kg tackle. She added
another tagged marlin the next day, which was enough
to winFreedomChampion Boat Tag & Release (Over
8m), Fiona the award for Champion Female Adult Tag
& Release, and their junior angler Jay Househam the
award for Champion Angler Other Gamefish.
The Tag & Release trophy for boats under eight
metres was taken out byChasin Tail, and Andrew Nash
was awarded Champion Angler Male Tag & Release.
Oscar Flett onFinjitsuwas crowned Champion Small
Fry with a tagged marlin on 15kg.Magnum’s James
Titmus took out the trophy for most sharks tagged.
There were no captures recorded in the tournament.
The CCGFC has a very strong focus on the
development of junior participation and this initiative
is strongly supported by our generous sponsors.
All the participating Juniors and Small Fry anglers
received gift packs to their delight.Billfish Babes tournament
Blue Water Classic
–NSWCentralCoast
The ladies-only Billfish Babes tournament, held on the Sunshine Coast,
saw 28 keen female anglers battle it out in early February.Weather conditions were challenging during the Central
Coast GFC’s Blue Water Classic in early January, but
several striped marlin were caught on light tackle.