Kat, Tracey, Jeni & Kaz - The Grinning Winning Team
2002 Gamex Tournament
Exmouth WA
There are many game-fishing competitions to choose from throughout the year and if you want the pick of the crop GAMEX should be on your list. It’s held each year out of Exmouth in WA and its waters hold everything from blue, black, and striped marlin, to sailfish, short-billed spearfish and broad-billed swordfish. Lets not forget it also has Wahoo, Spanish mackerel, tuna and sharks. In fact, the organisers boast over forty different game fish in the waters. On top of all that, this particular place has the closest boat harbour to the continental shelf in Australia. Plenty to keep that game fishing enthusiast happy!
The tournament is run over eight days and while this seems long at first, it gives people a fantastic chance to explore all the different fishing possibilities, and leaves the tournament wide open to any challenge. The locals are prepared to show you the best fishing options, in particular, the Bluewater Tackle Shop who assisted us as strangers to the town. Do you need any more reasons to visit this remote place that has such an abundance of marine life?
The big marlin are usually found among the canyons that drop from 20-200m a few nautical miles off shore and if it’s too rough out wide, the Exmouth Gulf produces good numbers of sailfish and other game species in calm to mirrored waters. Large or small craft, novice or di-hard anglers can compete in a range of water depths and conditions to catch a broad variety of fish. All access roads are good, and there is also an airport for punters who need to fly in and save time. The marina facilities are modern and on par with the accommodation and restaurants. The Potshot Resort hosts the event and offers everything from new exquisite bungalows down to backpacker accommodation. (We stayed in the new bungalows and they were great!) The new marina facilities are top notch for non-trailerable vessels, or you have the choice of launching your trailer boat from three different locations around the North-West Cape, depending on the size of boat and weather conditions forecast.
The North West Cape is renowned as one of Western Australia’s prominent destinations for Game Fishing. The spectacular Ningaloo Reef off the West of the cape is host to a rich marine life because it acts as a natural FAD in the sub tropical waters. At the tip of the Cape the Murion Islands stretch across the outer reaches of the Exmouth Gulf. These islands are formed of steep rocky outcrops facing west and shelving sand stretching eastward, providing a variety of water depths. Dugong, whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and giant humpback whales are some of the forms of marine life that visit the waters around those islands. On certain days the wind can be strong there. If shelter is what’s needed, the Gulf with its shallow water, mangrove lined creek systems and numerous shoals and scattered reefs, provides plenty of alternative habitat. With all these options, it is possible to locate a fishing spot out of the prevailing winds for each day, although the old saying goes: if the angler is comfortable they’re not catching any fish!
The
weather in November is constantly warm and changeable winds make for interesting
fishing. On one particular day we
were on the north-west side of the Murion Islands.
The wind was blowing 20 knots and the swell was about 2m high.
We steamed around to the opposite side of the island and it was a total
glass-off. At times you can
physically see the line where the wind stops.
Although the water is shallower inside the gulf, we still managed to
raise a marlin estimated at 80 kilos.
Kat, Tracey, Jeni & Kaz - The Grinning
Winning Team
Visions in the waters off Exmouth similar to those captured on the Blue Planet series simply blew my mind. The water was so clear inside the gulf that you could drive right up to the billfish seen working on the surface and look down on the balled-up bait school. The several times we did this we were mesmerised as 3-5 sailfish played around the school and I would have given anything to jump in with an underwater camera, but I could only stand on the bow in awe. To catch a rare glimpse of these intelligent and brightly-lit creatures working together as a team for their daily meal was amazing. I felt like I was in their world, so different from ours. We had to snap back in to reality and remember that this was a prime time to try and tag a fish. We tried casting to them, driving past them and stopping over them. However, they would come up to our teasers and tease us by playing and returning understandably to their ball of bait. We did manage to tag six sailfish on one of these days and saw many more. There is a limit of 10 kilo line class inside the gulf as there are many small sailfish. Otherwise you can fish any line class you please.
There are a few “game” anglers who have all stand-up 60 kilo outfits and fish from small boats chasing that big fish that everyone believes is out there. Matt Gates from Bluewater Tackle in Exmouth custom makes the rods to suit these big game reels and in the lead up to the competition sold several Tiagras to match his rods. Dunphy sports should be happy with Matt and I’m sure we will see Shimano as a major sponsor next year!
At the briefing night we were given a warm welcome by the committee who are more than friendly and always extremely helpful, willing to give visitors co-ordinates for fishing grounds in the areas. The first day begins with a compulsory breakfast at the marina and all parties leave at 8am. Fishing time begins from 8am that Friday till 8pm the following Friday. Each boat has to designate a lay-day and whilst it seems long, I guarantee, you will enjoy the whole week. Each evening there are prizes at the gantry during any weigh-ins and everyone has a day’s rest before the presentation night.
For the 2002 event, 19 boats and 76 anglers competed over the eight days to produce some interesting results. It was good to see that although there were 78 billfish caught including one marlin at an estimated 200 kilos, only one small sailfish was weighed at the gantry this year. Champion boat overall was won by the boys on “TOUCH OF CLASS” who have won the Sailfish tag and release section for the past four years. However, in that category this year they were defeated by the REEL GIRLS from Broome aboard “SHE’S A TEASER”. Local charter boat “INDIZARA” took out the Marlin tag and release section.
There
were five juniors this year and Brendon Hourn from “SOLAR ECLIPSE” took out
junior champion prize. Eleven
females participated and Robyn Fenech aboard “ORANGE PEEL” topped Tracey
Rushford for champion female. Ray
Gansberg from “ADDICTED 2” won champion male ahead of runner up Terry Coote.
There are several other categories in line classes ranging from 1-60kilo
line class, giving everyone a chance of winning something.
Exmouth
Game Fishing Club has 147 record gamefish captures of State, Australian and
World record categories covering 28 species as recognised by The Game Fishing
Association of Australia. While
there are still sections of the tournament for capture, the club is moving into
the future and encouraging more tag and release categories, in line with
contemporary sensitivities.
Some interesting details for the 2002 tournament read as follows on the statistics sheet:
1.
Champion boat tag and release sailfish: ‘She’s a Teaser’ with team
Reel Girls, 13 tags.
Second ‘Touch of Class’ 13 tags.
2.
Champion boat tag and release marlin: ‘Indizara’ 7 tags.
Second ‘Fad II’ 6 tags.
3.
Champion boat overall: ‘Touch of Class’ 4912.5 points, 3 species.
Second ‘Orange Peel’ 4353.33 points, 5 species.
4. Champion junior angler: Brendon Hourr ‘Solar Eclipse’ 300points, 1 species.
5. Champion female angler: Robyn Fenech ‘Orange peel’ 3580 points, 4 species, 4 line classes. Second Tracey Rushford of Reel Girls aboard ‘She’s a Teaser’ 2151 points, 2 species, 3 line classes.
6. Champion male angler: Ray Gansberg ‘Addicted 2’ 3821.6 points, 4 species, 7 line classes. Second Terry Coote ‘Touch of Class’ 3700 points, 2 species, 5 line classes.
7. HPS gamefish on 1-2 kg: Robyn Fenech ‘Orange Peel’ 770 points, 15.4 kg Spanish mackerel. Second Ray Gansberg ‘Addicted 2’ 390 points, 7.8 kg queenfish.
8. HPS gamefish on 3-4 kg: Shelly O’brien ‘Orange Peel’ 573.3 points 17.2 kg Spanish mackerel. Second Troy Wright ‘Free Spool’ 270 points 8.1 kg Spanish mackerel
9. HPS gamefish on 6-8 kg: Ray Gansberg ‘Addicted 2’ 220 points 17.6 kg Spanish mackerel. Second Karen Jeffs of Reel Girls aboard ‘She’s a Teaser’ 151 points 15.1 longtail tuna
10.
HPS gamefish 10-60 kg: Keith Evans ‘Lucky Bet’ 240 points 24 kg Wahoo
Second Tracey Rushford of Reel Girls aboard ‘She’s a Teaser’ 151 points
15.1 kg longtail tuna.
11. HPS billfish weighed: Shane Cooper ‘For Sail’ 263.7 points 21.1 kg Sailfish on 4 kg line class.
12. Heaviest marlin weighed: no fish submitted
13. HPS shark weighed: Jo Decker ‘Kujo’ 159.3 points 25.5 kg hammerhead on 8 kg line class.
Anyone
wishing to find information about any of the fishing in Exmouth can contact club
president Matt Gates from Bluewater Tackle in Exmouth on 08 9949 1315.
REEL GIRLS were sponsored in the GAMEX tournament by:
BlueWater Boats and SportsFishing Magazine
Mako Eyewear
"She's a Teaser" c/-Absolutely Awesome Angling Charters Broome
The Potshot Hotel Resort Exmouth
Pilbara Constructions Port Headland
Link Energy Port Headland
XXX Welding Port Headland
If you would like to make up a team to fish or are keen to perhaps join the REEL GIRLS (depending on availability and how many teams we will have entering) send us an email jeni@reelgirls.com.au
See you there next year!