What was your First ever fishing comp.

[Feral]

I just noticed Timbo's comment that the Classic will be his first ever comp.

Bought back memories of my first ever comp. I was about 15, it was a School based competition. We all rolled up before dawn at Bulimba, to catch the boat over to Moreton island. I think there were about 30 schools represented. There was Darren Gardner and Mark Compton and myself representing our school, escorted by our Manual Arts teacher, by the name of Livingstone I think.

We got to the wrecks just before dawn. We all got a very stern lecture about how shark infested the waters off Moreton were, and told in no uncertain terms that any competitor who went in deeper than knee deep would be disqualified immediately. Anyone who deliberately targeted sharks would be disqualified, anyone who attempted to land on would be disqualified. If you hooke don accidnetly, the instructions were to cut it free as soon as you realised what it was. Very worried they were going to end up with munched students I think! We were allowed to fish anywhere from the Wrecks north along the beach.

Had a big day, main catch for everybody was flathead (no bag limits in those days). Being a bright young bloke, I realised that you were going to have to hump whatever you caught all day up and down the beach and then back to the boat, our group stayed pretty close to the boat. We did well, cant remember how many fish we got, but I do remember Darren missed out on biggest fish by about 100grams. Which considering he had headed as well as gutted his 90cm flathead, if he had not, he would have romped it in.

They were not wrong about the sharks, it was hard to get a fish into the beach whole, as soon as you got a bite, the school sharks would race in and rip it to bits. If you played a fish you lost it. You could see them cruising up and down the beach only 5 to 10 foot off the edge, big buggers to, easy 5 to 6 foot.

It was also funny to see the sinkers, stones, etc etc roll out of some competitors fish when they were dropped on the table for weighing, mind you they were not disqualified much to our disgust!

It was a great day, a memory still as clear in my mind as if it was yesterday, not 30 odd years ago.

What was every body elses first comp?

Post edited by: Feral, at: 2006/11/06 04:53

[Angus]

My Dads family is from Peregian Beach (just south of Sunshine). Back in the day i spent a fair few holidays staying up there with dads olds. One time they entered me in the local kids fishing comp (from memory, which is a bit hazy it was hosted by either the RSL or the Bowls Club). Anyway it was enter the fishing comp or the easter bonnet parade, so after much deliberating i opted for fishing.

For those of you that know Peregian beach, its tough work for a 10 year old and a 10 foot surf rod! However due to the rips, wind etc 10 foot is required. Anyway most of the fish caught were bream and a couple of dart, whiting and flatties to boot.

Being a kids comp there were przies for each specie (to maximise the enjoyment and potential to win for the kids i guess). I took out the whiting devivision and i remember being very pleased with myself

Anyway all in all a good experience.

The funniest thing is though, i honestly dont think i have actually competed in a proper competition since! Well with the exception of the first Brisbane River Classic

Good fishing.

Angus

[blue_mako]

My first comp was the first Brisbane River Classic. Oh the memories, not a single Bullie in a Bullie comp. . Go the 'Troy Fish' (Haha Brian ) .

Troy

[reef_raider]

my first fishing comp was when i was 10 im not sure if anyone else here has been on it but it was a weekend comp at moreton for kids which i won 3 times in a row. the first time i won a rod and an alvey reel which being an alvey still works obviously, the second time i won a day fishing trip at hinze dam for me and my dad valued at something like $120 from memory and the third time i got a huge trophy and about $ 60 or $70 worth of tackle... but up until the other weekend i hadnt participated in a comp since and the other weekends comp wasnt very sucessful so i am looking for to the BRC

reef_raider

[Gerty_92]

well the brisbane river classic is going to be my first comp.

[Brian D]

Mine was on the Tweed about 10 yrs ago (maybe more but I not saying)

We use to run month long comps with prises for the biggest of each varity weighted in over the month. The last week of the month was crazy - we would all be trying to knock off the other blokes fish.

Sometimes just legal fish would sit on the board unchanged for 3 weeks then in the space of 3 days there would be about 50 bigger fish weighed in over the top.

Other times not one of a species would get caught - like whitting - then the day before close everyone would be whiting fishing.

I used to go beach and collect dart, bream and tailor, then move to the river and go flatties then out to the mouth for some trevs then back up river for jacks. It would take about 20hrs and all night but ......Great fun.

I only won once - shows that there are some serious mad keen blokes out there.

[James W]

my first comp was when i was a \"visitor\" in my dad club trip up to double island...i won the \"visitor\" catergory with a nice blackbream from the surf....are they rare in the surf?dunno?....this was about 15 years ago i reckon......i wish he was still in a club now thou...trying to get him to join this one we have here but....

[rayke1938]

My first comp was a overnight event with watersiders club to Moreton in the mid 50s when i was about 16.

We caught the boat at the hamilton gamefishing wharf at midday for a 4 hour trip to moreton.

All the wharfies brought along sugar bags filled with draught beer that they brought from the hamilton hotel. The beer bottles were sealed with corks that were tied down with string.

We were offloaded in the semi surf at Combyouro point via a dingy that was pulled through the water by ropes. ( bad luck if you were pulled through a big wave and the boat swamped)

It was October and we were targeting whiting and decided to walk along to Yellow Patch.

We all cleaned up with over 100 summer whiting and had to carry them back to Combyouro walking through loose sand.

When we got back to Combyouro at daylight the skipper of the boat said that it was too rough to use the dingy and that we were to walk to Cowan where the sea was calmer.

Most of us who had gone to yellow patch abandoned our fish as we were exausted and only the few guys who had fished locally took their fish back to be weighed in.

A couple of the guys said that they were going to wait till the tide went out and then walk down to Cowan and stay with the lighthouse keeper till they could get a ride back to brisbane.

I reckon we walked about 5 miles through loose sand to get back and dad said if i ever wanted to fish yellow patch in the future i went by myself.

We arrived back at Hamilton about 3pm throughly exausted but i had the bug and went fishing with the club every fortnight untill i was transferred to the bush by the PMG.

Ray

[jeff f]

ferral reading your story brought back some great memories of fishing those S.E.Q junior fishing comps on moreton, did your trip home finish with a massive bait fight,everyone filthy and stinking and the whole boat surrounded by screaming seagulls:lol:

[Feral]

No way, we were very responsible little urchins! :evil:

[Tim a]

Yeh this will be my 1st, next year I will be entering a few. Hopefully in a few years Ill be in some of the top competitions such as ABT and the like. Fingers crossed.

Are there any young peoples lure only comps around?

Tim