2016 Interclub at Port Stephens

The annual Interclub game-fishing tournament in Port Stephens will see a fleet of almost 100 boats and 500 anglers cast lines, troll lures, and drift with live baits this weekend and the next.

Attracting anglers from game-fishing clubs around Australia and overseas, the Interclub is traditionally the biggest game-fishing event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The fishing is, by any measure, absolutely world class, with all three species of Pacific marlin -- blacks, blues and stripes -- taken in big numbers.

While there are capture divisions and awards, the tournament sees some 97 per cent of all billfish tagged and set free. The tag-and-release trophies now command the greatest respect and reverence at the Interclub.

In the interests of conservation and sustainability, the fishing rules are such that bait fishers must use circle hooks that catch on the fish’s jaw rather than conventional J hooks that are more likely to be swallowed down deep.

Besides marlin and other billfish, such as spearfish and occasionally sailfish, the tournament always results in a smattering of interesting game fish captures. These include big mahi mahi or dolphin fish, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo at times.

Of course, the pointscore capture division will be won by some anglers with a massive 400-500kg tiger shark or two. Port Stephens and Newcastle waters are known hot spot for big tigers, along with a host of other shark species. The sharks are never far from the marlin and bait schools.

As a spectacle, the Interclub fishing fleet takes some beating. The tournament attracts the best big-game boats and battlewagons in the country, but also an amazing ‘mosquito’ fleet of smaller trailerboats with some incredibly adept anglers who regularly outfish the big guns. It’s worth a visit to check out the sport fishers alone.

Port Stephens has, in the past month, had some incredible bites on little black marlin in close and plenty of blues beyond The Shelf and around the Canyons. The fishing in the lead-up Shootout and during previous weeks off Port Stephens has been exceptional.

While boat numbers are down to a variety of reasons — cost, waning club membership, the rise of social-media fishing groups, the time requirement of a two-weekend competition — boat and angler traffic to Port Stephens over the summer months has certainly kept the otherwise sleeping town afloat.

Anglers from all over Australia have descended on the Nelson Bay in recent weeks and months to experience the world-class marlin fishing. Social media has been awash with reports, photos and video from boats of all sizes. There fishing activity is much broader than just the Interclub these days.

The Interclub is also a useful even for fish sampling. Dr Julian Pepperell is among the marine biologists with a special and invaluable interest in billfish and game species who will be conducting important research at the Interclub.

Photo credit: Gun angler Stephen Pitchfork took this top shot of charterboat Freedom from Haven Charters, which won the 2016 Shootout in Port Stephens and is a hot favourite at the 2016 Interclub.