Although numbers were up by over 20 on last year, Easterfish competitors along the Gwydir River found the fish to be most uncooperative. The Anglers Club received 233 entries, again with good support from the Pally Fishing Club.
Only one Murray cod was weighed in. This was caught in the river above Keera by Dale Baldock. “The fish just weren’t biting in the river,” Anglers Club President, Steve Apthorpe, said. “There would have been 50 or 60 people camped at the hospital hole, no one caught a fish, which was strange,” Steve said.
A total of 60 catfish were weighed in at the dam. It is illegal to take catfish from the river, so only catfish caught at the dam were accepted.
Again, the competition was strongly supported by the Pallamallawa club, who ran the weigh in station at the dam. Only about 20 yellowbelly were caught in the river, most of the 170 weighed in were caught in the dam.There were a lot of cod caught, with people reporting catching as many as 10, but as they were undersized, they were thrown back.
Competition Results
- Biggest Carp
Shaun Siege, 3.685kg - Secret Weights
1st ($300): Felicity Curtis, Moree; 2nd ($200): Greg Macey, Pallamallawa; Equal 3rd ($100): Felicity Curtis, Moree ($50) and Kevin Moore, Pallamallawa ($50). - Junior Girls
Yellow Belly – Blair Johnson 1.265kg Cod – Nicole Wilson 1.045kg (Countback Yellow Belly)
Catfish – Bailey Oakenfull 2.23kg - Junior Boys
Yellow Belly – Jeremy McNamara 2.985kg Cod – Rod Riley 2.44kg (Countback Yellow Belly)
Catfish – Josh Oakenfull 1.95kg - Men’s Section
Yellow Belly – Rick Oakenfull 2.52kg Cod – Dale Baldock 3.115kg
Catfish – Gary Macey 1.795kg - Ladies’ Section
Yellow Belly – Felicity Curtis 3.65kg Cod – Annette Moore 2.635kg (Countback Yellow Belly)
Catfish – Annette Moore 2.605kg - Raffle Results
Boat, motor and trailer: Bryan Gilbert, Goondiwindi
Swag: Dylan Burke
Electric boat motor: Marie Brooks, Brisbane.
