Plenty of fun at fishing classic

THE BEACH is back, the sun is out and the fish are biting right on time for the Mitsubishi Motors Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic.

THE BEACH is back, the sun is out and the fish are biting right on time for the Mitsubishi Motors Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic.

Record numbers of anglers have turned up to fish the beautiful waterways of the Cooloola Coast since the start of the Classic on Saturday.

The fishermen and women are trying their best to get amongst the big fish and win over $100,000 worth of prizes on offer at the event.

Classic event co-organiser Linda Adam said everything had fallen in to place for the start of the fishing classic.

“The weather is great and we have a record amount of entries,” Ms Adam said.

“It was Kids Day on Sunday we had free jumping castle and face painting,” she said.

“We have had about 200 fish a night weighed in, it is not as many as last year but we expect the number to grow as the week goes on,” she said.

The organiser said they had about 500 people a night at the weigh in.

“We have added another weigh in line this year so if it gets too busy we don't have people waiting around for as long,” Ms Adam said.

Middle Rock in front of the Coloured Sands was one of the most popular spots for beach fishing yesterday. Fishermen were bringing in catches of tailor, bream, whiting and even a mackerel.

Inskip Point was busy with students from the Rainbow Beach School trying their luck, but there wasn't many fish on the bite, except for a few massive puffer fish.

Seas were small yesterday making crossing the Wide Bay Bar fairly easy boaties heading to the offshore reefs.

The Fishing Classic Leader Board as of Monday night is as follows.

BEACH CATEGORY: TAILOR Cedric Byrne 3.78kg. BREAM Drew Gardiner 0.735kg. WHITING Stephen Long 0.605kg. DART Drew Gardiner 0.4950kg. FLATHEAD Stephen Douglas 2.11kg.

REEF FISH CATEGORY: RED EMPORER Rodney Parker 7.47kg. SNAPPER Scott Brady 7.5150kg. PARROT Rodney Mann 4.2750kg PEARL PERCH Anthony Goulding 3.83kg SWEET LIP Cameron Rylance 3.82kg.

JEW FISH CATEGORY: JEW Paul Arthur 11.06 kg.

Originally published as Plenty of fun at fishing classic