The SHIMANO Port Hacking 100 Tournament was run over the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd out of the RMYC Port Hacking.
This years tournament saw 74 vessels and over 320 anglers coming together to compete for 22 prize categories with a massive $67,000 in cash and a further $65,000 in prizes making the event hotly contested.
Day one saw most vessels heading wide in search for big blue marlin to have a crack at the $50,000 Heaviest Blue Marlin jackpot prize for a fish weighing over 200kg. Now whilst early fishing reports where slow by usual standards there was definitely some quality fish in the mix. In particular PHGFC vessel The Outlaw hooked a solid blue Marlin out wide in 600 fathoms that was played for over 3 hours on 37kg line by Michael Hill before being lost on the gaffs at the side of the boat. The fish was clearly not tired after ripping a flying gaff from its shoulder before popping the trace. Early reports estimated the fish to be 850lbs, however after viewing the pictures of the fish many felt this was quite a conservative estimate and infact may have been closer to the magical mark, but guess we will never really know.
Day two saw Oska Davis from CCGFC repeat his efforts from the previous year and take out champion junior angler capture with a 119.50kg mako shark onboard his fathers vessel Mr Pig. Small Fry angler T&R was won by Nash Mc Nally from PHGFC onboard Cause We Can with a mix of mahi mahi and stripped tuna tags. Heaviest other gamefish was won by Hayden Wright onboard Botany Bay GFC Vessel Ulysses with a 63.50kg yellowfin tuna. Champion lady T&R was won by Alex Durham onboard PHGFC vessel Dog House with a tagged blue marlin. Heaviest marlin was won by Lee Graham with a 155kg blue marlin onboard Mack 1 from Shellharbour GFC.
SGFC vessel Seadeuce added to their impressive mahi mahi T&R tally of 10 fish on the Saturday with a further two shortbill spearfish to gift them champion boat T&R. In the Capture stakes Botany Bay GFC vessel Sharkin could not be beat with a 170kg Tiger Shark, giving them Champion honours for capture.
Honourable mention must go to the PHGFC vessel Moonshine and its crew, skippered by Harry Leontsinis. They captured a blue marlin late on Sunday afternoon weighting 219.50kg, (over the required 200kg minimum weight to win the $50,000 cash jackpot for Heaviest Blue Marlin) and made it back to the weight station prior to the 6pm cut off time. Only to formally advise the tournament officials that they were self disqualifying their own fish due to the leader getting caught in the outboard and requiring the angler to pass the rod to another member of the crew to hold while diving overboard to unwrap it. Therefore their disqualification voided them from collecting the massive $50,000 cash jackpot.
This selfless and honourable act shows utter professionalism, but also that true honesty and comradery is alive and well within our great sport, thank you guys.
David Joyce
President PHGFC
Read the report on The Outlaw’s fish here.
