FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members, As one season comes to an end, another has just begun. We kicked off the summer Point Score and the first round of the Central Zone in this year’s Geoff Woolley Memorial Monster Mako tournament, which unfortunately saw low attendance. Shark fishing offers a fantastic opportunity to hone essential game fishing skills, from angling and tracing to tagging and gaffing and its great to just turn the engines off and drift in the big blue waiting for a fish to to swim up the burley trail. It was a fun weekend, with every boat that participated turning a reel, something that doesn’t always happen during summer marlin fishing. Sydney-based boats performed well, giving Sydney a strong start in the Central Zone rounds. We will be sending all members a survey to get you feedback on how we can improve the Mako event even more. At our September meeting, we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM). I’d like to extend my gratitude to all previous committee members for their support and dedication. I’m looking forward to working with the new committee as we embark on the new season. Our presentation night was a great success with a good turnout. I’d like to congratulate all the annual prize winners—we enjoyed a wonderful evening of celebration, delicious food, and trophies. Looking ahead, we have some exciting events lined up at our club, and we invite you to get involved. The first is Gone Fishing Day on October 13th, where we need skippers and crew to help take kids out on the harbour for a half-day fishing adventure. Following that, we have our annual Kids Christmas Day on December 7th, one of the most special events hosted by the Sydney Game Fishing Club. This event is only possible thanks to the commitment of our skippers and crew, who make the day unforgettable. Please mark the date—your involvement is what makes this day happen. The 2024/25 fishing season is now officially underway. Summer Point Score days are scheduled for the first and third weekends of every month, running through to the first weekend of May. With water temperatures already at a pleasant 21 degrees, I expect it won’t be long before we record the season’s first marlin. Tightlines Glenn Wright
Tournament Calendar NSWGFA 2024 -2025 2024 November 16th 17th - Lord Howe LHGFC 2025 January 18th 19th Botany bay BBGFC 2025 February 8th 9th Central Coast CCGFC 14th 16th Newcastle shootout N&PSGFC 21st 22nd 23rd Interclub NSWGFA
22nd 23th
Calendar of Events SGFC October 2024 5th - 6th Summer Pointscore 13th - GONE FISHING DAY at SGFC 19th - 20th Summer Pointscore 29th Committee Meeting November 2024 2nd - 3rd Summer Pointscore 8th Club Meeting 7pm 16th - 17th Summer Pointscore 16th 17th - Lord Howe LHGFC + Central Zone Weekend 26th - Committee Meeting December 2024 1st - Dinosaurs Function at SGFC Club house 12.30 (Lunch) onwards ? 2nd - Club Meeting 7th -8th Summer Pointscore 7th - SGFC Children's Hospital Christmas Party 21th - 21st Summer Pointscore 23rd Committee Meeting
2025 March 22nd 23th Broken Bay BBGFC 2025 April 12th 13th Sydney SGFC 2025 May 3rd 4th Port Hacking PHGFC
It appears that the 2024 Geoff Woolley Memorial Mako Tournament may be the final event of its kind. With only eight boats registering—four of which came from Sydney—with continuous declining number engaging in the tournament it may no longer be feasible. The committee is however sending out a survey on the Mako tournament I strongly encourage your feed back on the Mako tournament The tournament, which began in 1998 as a fun event held in August, initially coincided with the boat show. To address scheduling conflicts, new dates were selected, and with the Wollongong Tournament also declining—a similarly shark-focused event—we shifted the Mako Tournament to September. The hope was that warmer weather, paired with the start of the Summer Point score weekend & first round of Central Zone, might revive interest. By supporting the Monster Mako its a great way to kick start the Summer season for all boats and anglers. I would like to extend my thanks to the boats that did participate in this year's tournament. It was encouraging to hear that every boat managed to hook something. While the weather was favourable the shark numbers were relatively low. This year's winner,Tantrum, secured 6575 points on a countback.On Call also tagged two sharks on the same line class as Tantrum and they landed a yellowfin, but as the competition is shark-focused,Tantrum claimed the victory by tagging their second shark first. White Horse from Botany Bay encountered a 37kg yellowfin on 15kg line, while Sniper, also from Botany Bay, tagged a Mako shark for their smallfry angler. Meanwhile, Newcastle Port Stephens’Safe Word landed an impressive 129kg Mako on 15kg line, with the catch credited to their lady angler, Carla. "It was encouraging to hear from all the boats and their crews that they enjoyed participating in the tournament. I sincerely hope that the Geoff Woolley Memorial Monster Mako is not the last of its kind." Karen Wright
Geoff Woolley Memorial Mako Tournament 2024
NSWGFA AGM 2024
Bonito weighed a bluefin 101.5kg. Angler was none other than Pete Calligeros.
Isaac Caruana on board Jigsaw
Bluefin 107.4kg on Margarita
87.7kg on 24kg congratulations to Groundswell
46kg Yellowfin And Amalfi Blue weighed a 91.2kg Bluefin
61.5kg to Jack Purkis fishing onboard Jigsaw
Bluefin Groundswell with there 54kg
Sandra D weighed themselves a nice 98.6kg bluefin to angler Sam Lo.
New member Thomas weighed himself a nice bluefin tuna. 52.1kgs on 37kg line.
Congratulations to the following Tuna Slam Winners July heaviest Bluefin Bonito (Pete Calligeros) 101.5kg Aug Heaviest Bluefin Margarita (Ben Johnston) 107.4kg Aug Heaviest Yellowfin Jigsaw ( Isaac Caruana ) 61.5kg Overlall winners Heaviest Bluefin Margarita 107.4kg Heaviest Yellowfin Jigsaw 61.5kg
The return of the legendary southern bluefin tuna By Jamie Mackay
Since I first got serious about this crazy addiction called game fishing, I’ve heard stories of the legendary giant southern bluefin that were once abundant in the Winter months off Sydney. Legend had it that the bluefin disappeared in the late 90’s early 2,000’s with various theories from the old timers including overfishing by long liners and the installation of the Sydney sewage offshore discharge. Whatever caused the decline, whilst I’d been fairly fortunate with my pursuit of yellowfin off Sydney the only bluefin I saw were mounted on the wall of the club from yesteryear or photos from Bermagui and further South to Tassy. It seemed the lSBT had all but vanished from our shores. Then in late July 2017, temporarily between boats I chartered Mike Clarkson’s O'brien 43 Reef Magic skippered by Davo Joss on reports of bluefin being caught South of Browns. Despite rough conditions Jossy found the bait and by about 8.30am we had a reel screaming off the long rigger, rods were cleared and we soon had my good mate Val XXXXX in the corner fighting. I immediately started cubing and to our delight we soon had 80 to 100 kilo fish swimming around the boat. It was then I made the dummest call and grabbed the only rod without a circle hook rig, a Tiagra 30 (not W) rigged with 10kg line. Rest was history, a 90 plus fish grabbed my rigged pillie right a t the back of the boat, ran straight through the line of the fish being fought, busted it off then spooled me in under 3 minutes. We were devastated, and the only thing stopping me from being fully and appropriately abused was the fact I was picking up the charter bill. That day has haunted me for nearly a decade and every winter I’ve been determined to get another crack at a bluefin. Countless hours, diesel, tackle, study and planning have failed to even find bluefin despite going hard every Winter.
Last year we even had a 120kg bluefin landed literally next to us while we caught yellowfin after yellowfin. So, this year I started my planning as usual in May, had no holidays booked, semi-retired so was ready and waiting for any reports of the bluefin run. And boy, did they come! It started in about the first week of June, with long liners reporting quota catches in Bermagui. Then suddenly word got out and the entire stock of blue and pink profidgies ran out at Otto and the Tackle Station, followed by large size fish chill bags! At the Club meeting on July 2nd, the buzz was in the air, a small yellowfin had been landed at Brown’s and reports the blues had reached Ulladulla, but the cold current was still below JBay. Everyone in the know was predicting two weeks away, if they make it to Sydney. As the Ripcharts came in over the course of that week, it was clear the current was moving fast with reports as far up as Kiama. This was Groundswell’s moment! On Saturday 7th July we set out for Southern Canyons with an eager but largely inexperienced crew of young men including my two sons Jack 19 and Tom 15. And of course, my good mate and trusted skipper Bryce Marshall. By 11am and 4 hours of trolling, we had not seen a bird, marked any bait and the water was a dead looking green from Browns to Southern Canyons. Then suddenly the radio literally started to explode with reports of hook-ups and bluefin off Shellharbour. We made the call, pulled in the gear, and set a course south. Arriving at about 1.30pm there must have been 20 trailer boats and the radio (typically) had gone quiet. After 3 hours of fruitless trolling, we decided to overnight at Shell Harbour Marina and give it a crack next morning. Then just as we were crossing the Shelf and about to pull in the gear BANG!! A four way hook up! You can imagine the mayhem as young boys ran to grab rods, me and Bryce barking orders, gimble everyone up, trying to clear lines and teasers and work out which fucking fish were going where! As the last light faded, we gaffed the last beautiful bluefin and the morale was very, very high!!
Our best fish from that first trip weighed in at 62.7kg, which had us leading the Tuna Slam for a total of 28 hours. Then typically my best mate (and fishing nemesis) Pete Calligeros on his weapon Donsey, Bonito, went straight out the front and bagged a 101.7kg, after just 2 hours of trolling in a Saturday flotilla of 20 fishless boats…f--ck me!!! Pete’s fish led the Slam until mid August. What of course followed over the next 6 weeks was arguably the best season of bluefin in 25 years. I think just about every club boat got amongst them, I was personally lucky enough to not just catch my first but be part of nine captures overall including an 84.7kg to first time angler David Elsworth, 90kg plus to my good mate David Lo aboard Isola and the amazing 107.4kg to Alex Johnson on Margarita.. It’s so good to see these amazing fish come back in large numbers off Sydney, I hope our fisheries and amateur anglers work responsibly to preserve and grow this amazing species for generations to come. The Tuna Slam is a great comp with cash prizes and next year trophies, I encourage you to all sign up and get into it in 2025.
www.tantrumlures.com
PROPOSED WIND FARMS - PORT STEPHENS In debates about environmental policy, it is crucial to substantiate arguments with data, and this case is no exception. The government’s proposal to install wind farms off the coast of Port Stephens poses a significant threat to marine life, as the data clearly demonstrates. Since the proposed zone is a critical habitat, it has seen the tagging and release of over 13,236 marlin, 822 sharks, and 1,242 other game fish. In addition, the area is a key corridor for the annual migration of approximately 40,000 whales, not to mention the vast numbers of seabirds that rely on these waters for survival.
For the government to claim that the wind farm project will have no impact on Australian marine life is not only scientifically unfounded but also reckless. This disregard for the well-being of diverse marine species borders on environmental negligence. The potential disruption to migratory patterns, habitats, and ecosystems is unacceptable and threatens to cause irreparable harm. Australia’s oceans are not simply a resource to be exploited; they are delicate ecosystems that require prot ection. Offshore wind farms in this region would disrupt one of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world. The government must halt this plan and prioritize sustainable energy solutions that do not come at the cost of our ocean’s health. Remember you fish and you Vote
Our Club house mid '70's, when John Southam and his father Bill spent many happy days.
RIP John Southam
It is with regret that we record the passing on July 21, 2024 of John William Southam at the age of 90 years. John was the elder son of the late William (Bill) Southam, a famous rod maker and angler of the post World War 2 period. He was also the last surviving Sydney club member from the first SGFC meeting held in Sydney on September 29, 1952, establishing the entity we know today. John was enrolled in membership by his father who went on to become the second SGFC President and later President of GFAA (1960-61). He worked for some years in the family tackle making business William Southam and Sons, at Artarmon, Sydney before entering the publishing industry. He worked at a large publishing group in USA for many years , having a very successful career. Upon his return to Australia he continued in publishing , particularly with women’s and popular categories publications. Whilst he did not fish upon his return, he kept up an interest in game fishing, especially SGFC’s activities. Any members owning a copy of the landmark book by Athel D’Ombrain, “ Game Fishing off the Australia Coast” (Halstead Press 1957) may see a photograph of Bill and John Southam aboard their Halvorsen cruiser “Wyoming” at page 66. We extend condolences to Mrs Judith Southam and family. John McIntyre July 2024.
SAINTLY WHISPERS