Angling Competition 11th & 12th November 2023
The Rhyll Phillip Island Angling Club (RPIAC) hosted its latest angling competition, turning the 11th and 12th of November into a showcase of skill, community spirit, and some truly spectacular fish tales. The anglers faced a mixed bag of weather, starting calm before daylight with winds picking up on both Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, catching eluded some anglers as they put in some recreational overtime to get their reels turning. Either way, at the close of the weekend’s competition the anglers and supporters had smiles, sharing their tales of triumph and persistence.
Alex Bowden, the RPIAC weigh-in master, kept the 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm weigh-in window open on each day and was rewarded with the latest fishing reports. The species for the weekend included snapper, King George whiting, trevally, gummy shark, salmon, and some impressive calamari. A total of 28 fish, 1 shark, and 2 calamari went on the scales and members were eager to congratulate participants at the post-competition presentation.
The $5,000 incentives for angling members with extraordinary catches, during a competition weekend, remains banked. The five eligible species nominated for each first-to-catch $1,000 prize, by equalling or exceeding the nominated weight, are: King George Whiting (1,000 grams), Snapper (10.0 kilograms), Gummy Shark (20.0 kilograms), Mulloway (25.0 kilograms) and Kingfish (25.0 kilograms).
RPIAC encourages participation in recreational angling and welcomes newcomers to learn more about participation in the club’s activities. RPIAC offers complimentary membership to children, aged 16 and under, so they can develop skills and an awareness of sustainable and responsible angling. There are also opportunities to take part in the scheduled competitions and compete for angling competition prizes and the club championships.
The Squidgie Mixed Bag competition, for anglers aged 9 or younger, saw a charming sibling rivalry with Harley Griffin securing the top spot with three fish totalling 55 points, and Byron Griffin following with 40 points. In the weekend’s Junior competition, for anglers aged 10 to 16, RPIAC’s reigning Junior Club Champion, Denver Firth, showed his growing expertise by winning both the Junior Weight and the Junior Points competitions with a Trevally of 860 grams and a King George whiting worth 812 points (290 grams).
The Senior Heaviest Weight contests were won by Carrie Anne Peatey and Garry Richards, presenting eye-bulging snapper weighing 6700 grams and 5370 grams, respectively. The Senior Points competitions were won by reigning the Senior Club Champion, Duncan Firth, and Lauren Wright, each presenting King George whiting worth 1946 points (695 grams) and 1274 points (455 grams), respectively. John Wright claimed the Shark competition prize for a gummy shark, weighing 4860 grams. The prize for the squid/cuttlefish competition, for an impressive squid weighing 1300 grams, was awarded to Anne-Marie Richards. Sam Orr won the Secret Weight competition with a snapper, weighing 3600 grams (secret weight 3344 grams).
The presentation was followed by a culinary delight of pizza, from Cafe Bazzare, and salad, with great thanks to Peter, John, and Jill who ensured anglers and supporters were looked after. The club’s next competition, where anglers will compete for the Bill Wallis Trophy, is eagerly awaited and will be held over the weekend of the 25th / 26th of November 2023.
