Fantastic weather, a sponsor who claims the event is the best he has ever witnessed!, happy entrants, wonderful prizes and a boat won by an interstate visitor! Bring it on for 2019!
Entries were full over a month before the event. Nine contestants came from four States and seventy six from ACT. Women and children were well represented and a number of ladies kicked butt, while some men returned sunburnt, buggered and fishless! Fantastic! Eight regional towns were represented as well as Sydney and Wollongong! Major sponsors H2O Marine and Mercury Motor Guide loved the event! They visited entrants on the water in the thick of the event handing out free goodies!
Registration with finger food on Friday night was popular as excited entrants seek out their different coloured shirt each year before hitting the water at sparrows on Saturday. Saturday night at the Tuross Head Country Club for a feed a few drinks and lots of give always such as Mercury 5hp motor, first draw for lucky competitor’s number and keen interest in scores on display for the first day!
Boat ramp parking is always at a premium. Discussions are underway with Council to increase car/trailer parking for future events. Presentation on Sunday is always exciting and entrants have tried to improve their scores to those displayed on the previous night!
We thank all those who contributed to the “Can assist!” (Cancer Assistant Network) raising approx. $1,500.
A big thank you to all our competitors, our major sponsors, THCC, all our local sponsors and those from Moruya and Batemans Bay who supported the biggest annual event in Tuross. Thanks also go to our caterers, ticket sellers, finances and entries ladies, boat and deck crews, the bag packers NSW Fisheries, and to all the other volunteers that make a great contribution.
Some new ideas are being planned by our co-ordinators Pete Dugan and John Suthern, but they are under rap. Quite a number of entrants missed out this year as they left it too late – early bird catches the fish guys!
Final Results: Overall winner (2 bream, 2 flathead – all released)
1st David Thurlow 284.75pts, 2nd Layton Brant 233.5, 3rd Mark Brown 229pts, 4th Liam Curtis 222.25
Largest Flathead: 1st Daniel Thurlow 94pts, Nina Gilham 80.50pts, Layton Brandt 78pts
Largest Bream: Layton Brant 32 pts, David Kefford 31pts, Ray Smith 30.8pts
Mystery Fish: Flathead - Joe Hujs 51cm, Bream – Adam Pearman 29.25cm
Other results: Adam Pearman caught a 90cm Mulloway, Liam Curtis caught an 85cm Mulloway and Michael Hall caught a 45.5cm mullet.
Above: the volunteer debrief and thank you dinner held at the Pickled Octopus. One of the key event organisers, John Suthern, told the Beagle "This annual tournament fills the town each Canberra Day long weekend, now in its 8th year. "The initial concept was born at the Tuross head Business Owners Association meeting and was adopted by the Tuross Head Fishing Club in conjunction with the Tuross Head Country Club. "Early surveys of the competitors have shown that it brings in a very large income to the local businesses with reports of solid bookings for holiday homes and caravan parks. "Boatshed, service station and other businesses have also benefited from the influx of visitors. "This Tournament is run purely by volunteers of the fishing club and their role no matter large or small is the greatest asset to the success of this weekend. Cohesion and planning have made this one of the most successful events run in Tuross Head."
