Epic fish catch at Inskip ends two-year quest for Sammie Holland

A camper has reeled in a 20kg ‘stonker’ after a ‘rod-bending’ beach battle under stormy skies left her with a memory she will never forget.

Sammie Holland with a "dream" 20kg golden trevally she reeled in while holidaying at Inskip Point on January 7, 2024.

The new year started with a bang for an Inskip Point camper when her dream of landing a golden trevally came true after a 30-minute battle on the beach to reel in a 20kg “stonker”.

Toorbul resident and avid fisher Sammie Holland has been a frequent visitor with her family to Inskip for the past six years, and for two of those she had one holy grail: catching a golden trevally.

For more than 700 days it had been a fruitless search.
“Last year I sat for two weeks every day waiting for one but just couldn’t get one,” Ms Holland said.

Her luck changed spectacularly about 12.30pm Sunday, on a line baited with live whiting caught by Ms Holland’s partner.

Sammie Holland works to reel in the 20kg trevally at Inskip Point.

“My adrenaline was running high as soon as (the line) went screaming off,” she said,

“After about five minutes of the fight I knew it was a GT.”

Ms Holland said the tide had “just turned” and was coming in when her battle started on an overcast day with showers and downpours.

Not that the skies opening up would have been a problem.

“The storms weren’t stopping me one little bit,” she said.

“I was there rain, hail and shine.”

Sammie Holland with the fish caught on January 7.

The fight to land the “beauty” lasted about 30 minutes as it “put up one hell of a fight”.

$32 billion still in project pipeline as Gympie Bypass nears end

“All my muscles in my arms were bloody burning.

“Once I finally got it on the beach I was bloody shocked I finally got one.”

She said “excited” was an understatement for how she felt once the fish was finally on the sand.

“I was a high for hours afterwards,” Ms Holland said.

“My adrenaline was still pumping hours after.

Avid fisher Sammie Holland with a black tip reef shark she snagged the day before catching her “dream” golden trevally.

Mary River croc rumours still lurk decade after 3.5m reptile caught

“(I) still can’t believe how bloody big it was.

“I’ve seen others catch them there but no way near that size.”

The one that did not get away was going to remain a memorable tale.

“My kids came running down the beach and said to me ‘yes mum you finally got one’,” she said.

“They are such a beautiful fish.

“Tasty as well.

“I’ll be feeding the family for a while off that beauty.

“(I) still can’t believe I finally got my dream fish and it’s a bloody ripper one too,” she said.

“This will forever be one of my greatest fishing memories.”

Originally published as Epic fish catch at Inskip ends two-year quest for Sammie Holland