October Angling Section Competition

There were meagre pickings at the first Angling Section competition of the season on October 3 but the excitement is already building for the November event.

Section captain John Bech won the day, with a nice pink snapper as his centrepiece, and a bronze whaler which he returned after snapping a brag-map picture.

Brian Arnett, on Rock N Roll landed a couple of monster snook, and a reasonable pinkie.

With a sloppy sea and fluctuating winds, the bigger boats operated by Nev Norkett, Brian and his mate Phil Volich and John Bech worked around Rottnest, it wasn’t such a great day on the open seas for the smaller craft.

With Pat Keanan-Smith crook, his wife Sue and Ray Wilson found a quiet corner out of the early sou-wester at Port Beach in search of a squid, the target fish of the first competition of the season.

Recent big swells and rain produced some dirty water, far from ideal to land a squid or two. At day’s end, not one squid had been taken.

Sue and Ray fared best in 10m of water south of the Windmills – known as Joe’s Paddock to those who know it – when a trip to Rotto was aborted because of the lumpy seas.

With red boat anchored in a random spot, the day got a whole lot brighter when some nice sandies came over the gunwales, with a couple measuring 30cm.

With the 2020-21 top anglers Craig Thomas and Joe Venter absent, it was an opportunity to cash in on points but alas, it wasn’t to be.

The good news for those aiming to fish the November comp is that three species will each carry a $100 bounty – both squid and samson fish are carryovers while king george whiting is the nominated species.

That competition is scheduled for November 6.

Written by Ray Wilson