All-Species Classic Fishing Tournament Review

12 Feb

The Gold Coast Sportfishing Club’s All-Species Classic delivered again, with epic fishing, intense battles, and plenty of bragging rights up for grabs. From non-stop inshore sessions to offshore trolling mayhem, this comp had it all!

Team Samaki: 32 Hours, Non-Stop Action & A Big Win

Fishing straight through for 32 hours, Team Samaki kicked things off at 4 AM Saturday, and the action never let up. Mitchell Ferris landed a 30s Mangrove Jack on his second cast, and from there, the team went on a multi-species rampage, bringing in five types of Trevally, multiple Tarpon, and a 60cm Big Eye Trevally.

By late afternoon, they switched to Whiting, bagging 30-40 fish in just three hours, before Mitch upgraded their total with a 65cm flats Whiting at night. The bite finally slowed at 2 AM, but their four-fish total of 193cm was enough to claim:

Champion Inshore Team
Biggest Trevally
Biggest Whiting

Team Bonza: Offshore Battles & A Surprise Cobia

Team Bonza finished second overall, landing a Dolphin Fish, two Wahoo, and a surprise Cobia while trolling skirts. They also scored Biggest Wahoo.

The weekend wasn’t without its challenges—hook pulls galore, with a theory that 28-degree water temp might have softened fish flesh, making it easier for hooks to slip. Some key takeaways:

Pink lures were the MVP for Wahoo.
6-7 knots was the magic trolling speed.
8 of 9 Wahoo strikes happened on the same contour line.

Who Else Crushed It?

Josh James (KayJay Fishing Team) topped the Senior Male division with 264 points.
Hayden Swain (Swainskis) racked up 184 points.
Jaye Allen (WefiShit) posted 229 points.
Ollie Woolcott (Shaka Jnrs) dominated the Juniors with 110 points.

Final Thoughts

From red-hot inshore sessions to offshore heartbreakers, the All-Species Classic once again proved why it’s a must-fish event.

Huge thanks to the GCSFC crew for another top-tier comp. and to The committee extends a massive thank you to our incredible sponsors who made the All-Species Classic a huge success!

A special shoutout to Fish Eagle Lures for providing top-tier products for anglers to test, Atomic for their continued support in delivering high-quality gear, and Doug Burts Tackle World Gold Coast for keeping competitors stocked with the best tackle in the game.

Your support plays a vital role in making this event bigger and better each year. We encourage all anglers to support the sponsors who support our club—whether it’s stocking up on new lures, upgrading your tackle, or just dropping in to say thanks.