November 7-8th, 2020 Angling Competition
Weather forecasts improved slightly for the 3rd Rhyll-Phillip Island Angling Club (RPIAC) fishing competition of the 2020/2021 season. The competition, staged over the 7th and 8th of November, enjoyed moments of calm conditions amid gusts of wind up to 20 knots, from the south on Saturday and the east on Sunday. Despite the adage “wind from the east, fish bite least”, many anglers chose to concentrate their efforts on Sunday’s better conditions. Surely, a tale of snapper, or two, was just waiting to be told.
The last weekend of regional Victoria’s Third Step of Covid-19 restrictions saw an increasing number of boats on the water. Consistent with the RPIAC COVID Safe plan, attendees were registered and the requirements for facemasks, physical distancing and good hygiene were reinforced. A total of 35 fish and 3 sharks were presented at weigh-in, ensuring weigh-in masters Gerry Gibb and Norm Trickey were not overwhelmed. Like clockwork, at the conclusion of each day’s weigh-in, the weather settled, and anglers looked out of the clubrooms to the water and wondered about the possibilities.
Despite recent reports of huge Snapper entering the bay, the $5,000 incentives for members with extraordinary catches remains banked until the Club’s next competition. The five eligible species nominated for a first-to-catch $1,000 prize, equal to 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).
The Squidgie Mixed Bag competition, for anglers aged 9 or younger, congratulated Zachary Gomm with second place after catching a mouth-watering snapper worth 20 points. The first place was awarded to Denver Firth, the reigning Squidgie champion, after catching 2 fish, for a total of 40 points. This weekend’s Junior competition, for anglers aged 10 to 16, was uncontested, leaving another 7 competitions to decide the championship.
The Senior Heaviest Weight contests were won by the dynamic duo, Brendan Garlepp and Carrianne Peatey, with eye-bulging snapper weighing 4,592 grams 2,922 grams, respectively. The Senior Points competitions were won by Pat Gleeson, for a defiant trevally worth 1,736 points (1,240 grams), and Anne-Marie Richards, for a snapper worth 1,980 points (1,980 grams). The Senior shark competition was close, however persistence paid, and a triumphant Warren Weir delivered a gummy shark weighing 6,138 grams to claim the prize. Opting to play the game of chance, Leah Valente conjured a King George whiting, weighing 196 grams, to win the Secret Weight competition (secret weight 132 grams).
The next competition will be held over the weekend of the 21st / 22nd of November 2020, where angling members will compete for the Bill Wallis trophy. For further information about the club, competitions and rules, please visit the website: www.rpiac.com


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