Tom Jenkins Memorial Wrap
Posted by Tim Duncombe
on May 2nd, 2009
On the 24th of April a strong contingent of Northern Game Club members headed South for a crack at the Tom Jenkins Memorial Tuna Competition. Reports of 100 kilo plus Bluefin in the preceeding days had every ones attention as did the ordinary weather forecast. Friday morning saw a field of fifty plus boats head off with a shotgun start in average conditions and a promise to get worse during the day.
With plenty of baitfish about and birds working hard around the Hypolites things looked promising but the fish proved elusive and conditions deteriorated. With winds gusting up to 37 knots the first day was cancelled just before lunch, Rod Cook took honours for the heaviest fish on Day 1.
Day 2 saw every one heading out early in once again sloppy conditions - but that can be fishing in Tassie. Hopes were high for someone to land a stonker, once again bait plentiful and birds going hard at it around the Hypolites. But alas the fish were quiet and not playing the game with catches for the day a lot lower than expected, the end of Day 2 saw the team from -The Other Woman- tag well with Paul Hicks take out highest tag and release angler for the comp and -The Other Woman- crew take out overall from the Northern Game Fish members.
There were plenty of big horse power rigs about for the comp which added some interest to the start on day 1 but in the wash up it was the boat -Marlissa- which took honours big time taking out several categories. Marilissa an older fishing vessel now used as a weekender was originally built in Smithton and with a reported top speed of 9 knots. The crew collected a handy win in the calcutta, which was a nice pot of gold, most boats going for 50 dollars plus.
Biggest fish for the weekend was caught by one of the Tas Tuna Club crews on -Mojo- and was a 20.4 kilo Bluefin.
A nasty surge on the ramp at the end of the day unfortunately saw several boats damaged on the big ramp but some good communication by the Tas Tuna club boys saw the majority of boats retrieved on the smaller ramp without further incident. The swell also added some interest to the end of comp festivities with a freak swell clearing the break wall at the carpark and and giving the crowd a some pretty wet feet and testing out the Fully washed deck inside the Tuna club rooms. Congrats to the Tas Tuna Club commitee on a well put together comp with many thanks to Bob on the radios especially on Day 1 with the weather conditions and an unfortunate incident unrelated to the comp.
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