Luhrs Billfish Shootout
Port Stephens February 2010
Author Brent Hancock
The fishing off Port Stephens prior to the 2010 Luhrs Billfish Shootout was nothing short of sensational with many boats reporting multiple blue, black and striped marlin hook ups per day and some tagging double figures. So as the weekend of the 20-21st of February approached the stage was set for one of the best Luhrs Billfish Shootouts ever.
Most of the fishing action was along the continental shelf in previous weeks so the majority of the 55 boats elected to run straight to local hotspot, “The Carpark”. It soon became clear that the fishing was still red hot and within the first hour “Askari” recorded the first tag of the tournament. Further north along the shelf another bite was also occurring and “Born Free” recorded two quick tags of both black and striped marlin. From then on it was consistent action as most of the fleet found plenty of bites.By days end most boats had tagged at least one fish but it was “Born Free” who had edged clear of the field with a total of seven fish for the day. However, things were still close with the ever consistent Capt. Tim Dean onboard “Calypso”, (along with two female English clients who had never seen a marlin before) tagging 5. “Kaos” and “Diversion” were close behind.
As the second day began it was “Born Free” skippered by local legend George Trinkler Jnr that recorded the first tag a mere 12 minutes after the start of fishing. But just as the crew thought they had a comfortable lead their attention was turned to the nearby “Calypso” where Capt. Tim had recorded 2 quick fish and was hot on their heels. It soon became apparent that it was a clash of the titans with the two top crews battling it out until the end of fishing at 3pm. As part of their prize, the crew of “Born Free” has qualified to enter and compete in the prestigious IGFA World Championships in Cabo San Lucas in May.
As the call came to cease fishing it was “Born Free” that narrowly edged out the comeback from “Calypso” by just one fish with a total of 11 tags for the weekend to claim Luhrs Champion Boat Tag & Release and the $10,000 winner’s cheque from Tony Poole, the Australian Luhrs Distributor.
It was a different story however for the capture boats with no fish weighing above the minimum 150kg limit. Of course, every tournament has hard luck stories, with two boats saying they could have captured the winning fish. The first came from “The Force”, where Shayne Wilson had a 5 hour battle with a Blue Marlin on 24Kg which eventually won its freedom when the trace broke. The second was from another Port Stephens boat “Cool Running’s” who after hooking and fighting another nice blue on 24kg for 2 hours had the rod snap under the relentless pressure. So with the 2010 Isuzu Capture Trophy cheque still up for grabs it was elected by Newcastle Port Stephens Gamefishing Club & Sponsor Isuzu to jackpot the prize to $20,000 for the capture division next year!
Major sponsor Luhrs has committed to supporting this enjoyable event for the next 3 years. 2011 dates are 19th and 20th February. Details at www.npsgfc.com.
The Luhrs Billfish Shootout has a number of unique features including:
It is a Billfish only tournament. No other species count for points.
Tag & Release prizes are paid back to 10th place. 1st prize is a $10,000 from Luhrs Sportfishing Boats.
Capture has a 150Kg minimum weight. One prize only which is $10,000 from Isuzu Trucks.
Boats can fish from their home port and fish the Port Stephens waters on the Saturday making it an ideal time for boats visiting Port Stephens for the NSW Interclub Championships to go to the Bay.
Newcastle Port Stephens Gamefishing Club has an active social agenda over the weekend with the Briefing and Calcutta on Friday night, Saturdays Competitor BBQ, and Sundays Main Prize Giving function.
For further information on the Luhrs Billfish Shootout please contact:
Nigel Rushworth – NPSGFC – 02 4981 0021 or email: nigel@npsgfc.com
Hi-res Pics – Kirk Maclean – Hunter Photo Design – 0403 679 299 or email: kirkphotog@nelsonbay.com
Tony Poole – BlueWater Power Yachts -02 9029 6554 or email: tony@bpy.com.au
