I’m feeling a little sleep deprived this morning, as I’m sure a lot of the fleet are too after the night we had on the reef. (I think the winds peaked at over 45knots during the squall.)  So anyways, I shall try to direct my thoughts with heavy eyelids.

It took them five days to get onto the scoreboard, but when they did, they did it with style with Capt. Dan McCarthy on Moana III reporting a fish he called 1,100lbs for regular Russian angler Andrey Grigoriev just after 3:30.  Dan sent me this mobile phone video still photo of the fish “trying to eat Tom and the tag pole”!  Congrats to Dan and the team and also of course to Andrey.  I spent some time back and forth with Andrey last year as he was kind enough to share his perspective for the tournament piece that I wrote for Qantas AIR magazine.  He is just a lovely bloke!  This year is his sixth tournament and although it is his second grander, it is his first during tournament fishing, and so it will enable his entry into the Lizard Island Thousand Pound Tag & Release Club.

It started off a good day for the boats who had been unlucky thus far with Sparticus first on the board with their first fish of the competition for owner/angler Ralph Cybayski Jnr.  This was shortly followed up by a 300lb black for Lake Macquarie angler Simon Griffiths on Amokura, also their first fish. (Although Bob’s results show this happening in the reverse order, I can only assume because Amokura’s radio has been playing up, they couldn’t report their fish straight away.)

Not long after, Iona 2 and Rat Bag were reporting multiple hookups within a short period of time, unfortunately with Iona 2 only managing to convert the one, a 550lb for angler Bob.  Capt. Tim Dean on Calypso moved down the reef to Numer 5 Ribbon and it paid off for him adding another fish for angler Andrew.  As did Little Audrey at Number 4 for Ken and Kalira back at Number 10 for Richard.  But it was Viking II and the blue Iona with Capt. Trent that found the mini bite at the bottom of Number 10 with both releasing two smaller fish there including one each just moments before cease fishing.  Viking first in to take out the daily award once again.  Both fish on Iona were for angler Sue Ahlers putting her in front in the champion female category.

11 fish for the day.

Outside the tournament, all has gone quiet on the reporting side however I did hear from Gorilla and their grander from fishing on Monday (report below) – congrats Brett and the guys. And Capt. Tim on Tradition still catching them with two from three at Lena.

Current Standings:

Viking II leads with 7 tags from KEKOA with 5 on countback from Top Shot also with 5.  Iona is fourth on 4 tags.  With three each are Mistress, Little Audrey and Calypso.  With two are Jag, On Site, Reelistic, Iona 2, Kalira, Ikey Moe, Castille III, Game Over, Maitai, Hattitude, In The Black, Rat Bag, Hard to Swallow, Amokura, Sparticus and Moana III.