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NEWS
Record fleet for Port Stephens Shootout
Game and sport fishers chasing big billsFishing in the hotly contested annual Port Stephens Shootout Tournament gets underway this weekend. Recognised as a key tournament in the East Coast game-fishing calendar, the two-day Shootout has grown to attract a record fleet of 110 boats up on the 96-strong fleet last year.
More than 400 anglers and fishing crews have been lured to Port Stephens by the Shootout’s huge cash and prize pool of around $100,000. The even bigger Interclub game-fishing tournament kicks off the following weekend.
Hosted by the Newcastle and Port Stephens Game Fish Club in Shoal Bay, the Shootout is both a tag-and-release and capture tournament. Line classes to be fished are the usual 4kg, 6kg, 8kg, 10kg, 15kg, 24kg, 37kg and 60kg.
Species eligible for capture in the tournament are marlin only. A minimum 150kg fish on any line class can be weighed. All smaller fish must be tagged and set free. Other billfish such as sailfish, broadbill and shortbill spearfish can be tagged for points.
In the interests of conservation and post-release survival rates, the Shootout is a circle-hook only event. When fished with live or dead baits, circle hooks tend to catch in the fish’s jaw hinge rather than the stomach, as happens more often with J-style hooks.
The impressive fleet and their keen crews will be competing for the big prize pool from 7.00am to 5.00pm Saturday and 7.00am to 4.00pm Sunday between 33 degrees 15 minutes (Bird Island) and north to latitude 32 degrees and 13 minutes (Latitude Rock).
Entry fees are $200 (inc. GST) for each competing adult angler and $50 (inc. GST) for each junior angler (under-16 years of age). There are minimum $10,000 cash prizes for heaviest marlin, most tagged billfish, winning teams, plus junior prizes, merit, hard-luck awards and more.
In recent weeks, the game fishing at Port Stephens been tough, but there are plenty of small black marlin around Sea Rocks, striped marlin at busy Carpark, and doubtless some big blues over the horizon and south to the Canyons. Light winds and small seas are forecast.
Cabo and Hatteras, along with their local distributor Game & Leisure Boats, are proud to be the official sponsors of the upcoming 2013 Billfish Shootout.
“Every one of our team members at Game & Leisure Boats, including myself, are all passionate about game fishing, and its fantastic that we have the opportunity put our support behind such a great event”, said Game & Leisure Boats Managing Director Graham McCloy.
“Cabo and Hatteras have a proud reputation for supporting key events around the world and it’s with the great support of the factory that we can ensure this tradition continues in Australia,” adds McCloy, who’s in the running to take out the tournament. See www.npsgfc.com for results. Main 'steaming' pic from Pisces Charters, Sydney.
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Written byBoatsales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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