Angling Competition April 1-2nd, 2023
It was no joke that the Rhyll-Phillip Island Angling Club (RPIAC) started it’s twelfth angling competition on Saturday the 1st of April, closing out the 2022/2023 season at 5pm the following day. As a special reward for their dedication and persistence throughout the season, all angler’s received a 6:30 am Sunday sunrise and an extra hour of fishing from the state of Victoria, coinciding with the end of day light savings time. The weather played with outdoor enthusiasts, with gusts up to 20 knots and occasional sprinkles of rain on Saturday, whilst Sunday fared better with bouts of sunshine and periods of relative calmness.
Consistent with previous weekend-long angling competitions, hopes for claiming one of the RPIAC Extraordinary Catch Incentives were high. The members-only, competition weekend, $1000 first-to-catch prizes, for senior competitors, have dried-up for another season. The incentives up for grabs were for eligible species that equal or exceed the nominated weight and included: King George Whiting (1000 grams), Snapper (10.0 kilograms), Gummy Shark (20.0 kilograms), Mulloway (25.0 kilograms) and Kingfish (25.0 kilograms).
The weigh-in team, comprising Weigh-in Master, Russ Gallagher, and Club Captain, Chris Leonardos, were pushed right to the end, with coolers and bags filled with fish awaiting assent. A total of 51 fish, 2 gummy sharks and 3 calamari made an imprint in the weekends’ records and were in contention for prizes from RPIAC’s sponsor, Phillip Island Marine. The variety of species was impressive and included tuna, snapper, King George whiting, leather jacket, flathead, trevally, southern calamari and gummy shark.
With Sunday being the final weigh-in day of the competition, there was a supportive crowd at the club room to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of all RPIAC anglers. This weekend’s post-competition presentation was also a special occasion for the Squidgies (anglers aged 9 and under) and Juniors (anglers aged 10 to 16) as their season’s participation awards and club champions were announced. It was a great opportunity for members to catch up, enjoy a meal, and to thank all volunteers and the weekend’s catering sponsors, Kristo’s Charcoal Rotisserie and Bakers Delight Cowes.
The dynamic duo of Byron Griffin and Harley Griffin were ecstatic when they were announced winners of the weekend’s Squidgie Mixed Bag Points competition. Byron finished in second place after catching 1 fish worth 20 points, whilst brother Harley finished in first place with 2 fish worth 40 points.
The Junior Weight competition was won by Lachlan Newstead who brought his catch, a 13580-gram tuna, to weigh-in. The Junior Points competition saw Denver Firth take the prize after catching a King George whiting worth 1582 points (565 grams).
The Senior Heaviest Weight competitions were won by Duncan Firth and Kate Jinnette, after weighing-in a “big-big” fish, a 14475 gram tuna, and a “small-big” fish, a 990-gram trevally, respectively. The Senior Points competitions were won by Len Bates and Pauline Leditschke, each catching an impressive King George whiting, worth 1848 points (660 grams) and 1624 points (580 grams), respectively. The Shark competition was won by Vinco Anticevic, weighing-in a gummy shark, to turn the scale’s dial to 14800 grams. The Squid/Cuttlefish competition acknowledged a new club record, set by Michael Stefanakis, with a southern calamari that weighed 2030 grams. The Secret Weight prize was reeled-in by Steve Degering, who was closest to the weekend’s secret weight with a 460-gram King George whiting (secret weight 456 grams).
The 2022/2023 RPIAC Squidgie competition welcomed the participation of budding anglers, who spent some quality time outdoors to develop their skills. The season closed with a 3-way tie for second place, with Byron Griffin, Harley Griffin, and Saige Nicolaci all finishing with 3 fish worth a total of 60 points and becoming the Runner-up Squidgie Club Champions. Micah Goodwin had more success throughout the season and finished with a total of 5 fish, worth 100 points, to win the trophy and title of 2022/2023 RPIAC Squidgie Club Champion.
Anglers showed great energy and enthusiasm in the 2022/2023 RPIAC Junior Competition, which was close. Lucas Chihotski impressed throughout the season and finished with a total of 17370 points in the competition, earning the trophy for Runner-up Junior Club Champion. With a total of 22602.5 points, Denver Firth was consistent with his skills, frequently catching quality fish, and was awarded the title and trophy of 2022/2023 Junior Club Champion.
The RPIAC Senior Club Champions will be announced at the RPIAC Senior Presentation Night function on the 20th of May 2023. RPIAC encourages the sharing of interests and enthusiasm for angling to create lasting bonds and memories. They promote responsible and sustainable practices and welcome participants in the next competition season, scheduled to commence in Spring 2023. RPIAC’s clubroom is located adjacent to the Rhyll boat ramp and is open to members and visitors on Fridays (from 5 pm) and competition weekends coinciding with weigh in.
