ROUGH CONDITIONS: Competition and fishing in the Bermagui Bluewater Classic was called off on Sunday and Monday due to the ocean conditions, but here a recreational boat that went out Monday morning negotiates huge swells and surfers to get back into the harbour.
THE weather gods were not smiling on the 75 boats entered into this year’s Bermagui Bluewater Classic game fishing tournament.
Bermagui Big Game Anglers Club weigh master Paul Blacka described ocean conditions as such: “It was agricultural on the first day and fresh to frightening for the others.”
He thanked major sponsors Bermagui Bait & Tackle and Shimano for making this year’s tournament possible.
The tournament was limited to fishing on the first day, Saturday, with the competition called off on Sunday and Monday.
On the positive side, there were 16 marlin landed on Saturday and all but one of these were tagged and released.
In the large boat class, Wicked One from Batemans Bay won the tournament on a timed count back from three other vessels being, Polaris from Eden and Mr Hooker and Hard At It from Bermagui.
All four vessels tagged and released two striped marlin, but Wicked One won the prize as it tagged its second marlin only 10 minutes before the next closest capture.
In Under 7.1 metre class, Shockwave from Eden won from Never Home also from Eden with one marlin.
The champion male angler went to Eden Sportfishing Club, Mark Prior from Polaris as he tagged his marlin first, while the champion female angler went to Bermagui club member Kate Charlton on board Mr Hooker who tagged one marlin.
In the junior class, fellow Bermagui local Brock Lazzaro also on board Mr Hooker won the prize for tagging a marlin on 15kg line, beating out two other juniors who tagged their marlin on 24kg line.
In the small fry category, Damien Sandy on Game Over won the prize for tagging a striped tuna while Riley Davis on Socialiser won the capture prize for his 4.5kg striped tuna.
With the tournament now having an emphasis on tag and release, the only other capture prize went to an angler who weighed in an 86kg striped marlin.
