Numbers add up at Flathead Classic

The annual Flathead Classic on the Queensland's Gold Coast came to its conclusion last weekend. The 2010 event, once again organised by the Gold Coast Sportfishing Club, saw a total of 161 teams and around 400 competitors entered.

While competitors had to endure some challenging conditions during the three day lure & fly only event, including strong winds, the Flathead Classic once again proved a huge success with over 3400 flathead caught and released, and a healthy tally of by catch species boosting fish numbers further. 

Fisho's flathead fishing expert and past winner of the Classic, David Green, said his team Dead Fishy 2 unfortunately struggled from the outset of this year's comp due to a faulty electric motor. In Greenie's words, "it was like someone had poured Red Bull into the head ... it's never run that fast ever!"

Unfortunately for the Dead Fishy 2 crew, electrical connections to the motor soon became red hot and the boat's batteries drained of charge. With the electric out of action the team resorted to anchoring to fish areas thoroughly, and still managed 54 flatties for the event and a credible 14th in team placings. A highlight was the pictured 86cm fish caught by David Green on 2lb FireLine that towed the boat for about a kilometre. For the record the big lizard ate a 1/8oz chartreuse TT Switchblade.

Stay tuned for a full report on the 2010 Flathead Classic by Greenie in an upcoming edition of Fishing World magazine.

Final Results:

• Champion 3-Angler Team: Team Hi Seas; Champion 3-Angler Team Team Runner-up: Bush 'n' Beach Fishing Mag;

• Champion 2-Angler Team: Team Hinterland Tavern; Champion 2-Angler Team Team Runner-up: Flatty Flatteners

• Champion Angler Senior: Ross McCubbin - Team Hi Seas (1829 pts) Champion Angler Senior Runner-up: Shayne McKee - Queensldand Fishing Monthly (1425 pts)

• Champion Female Angler: Christine Hunt - TT Lures (542 pts); Champion Female Angler Runner-up: Tracey Mammem - TT Lures (368 pts)

•  Champion Angler Junior: Jake Neilsen - Team Whitewater Marine (782pts); Champion Angler Junior Runner-up: Stuart Grice - Grice (612pts)

•  Longest Flathead Senior: David Whyte - Whyte Boys Can't Jig (91cm)

•  Longest Flathead Fly:

•  Longest Flathead on Hard Body: Murray Whitford - Popeyed Scarey Dogs (87cm)

•  Longest Flathead on Soft Plastic: David Whyte - Whyte Boys Can't Jig (91cm)

•  Longest Bream: Kevin Clarke - Basswackers (36cm)

•  Longest Estuary Cod: Paul Flanders - Team Ol' Trout (57cm)

•  Longest Mulloway: Doug Burt - Dougie's Team Tackle World (92cm)

•  Longest Trevally: Shannon Glover - Ah Well (52cm)

•  Longest Whiting: Jared McKean - Dusky Tigers (41cm)

•  Longest Tailor: Allan Davies - The Marlin Hunter's Health Retreat (46cm)

•  Most Metres Senior: Ross McCubbin - Team Hi Seas (15.91m)

•  Total Number of Flathead caught - 3417

Top 20 Teams

1 Team Hi Seas 3506; 2 Bush n Beach Fishing Mag 2790; 3 Team On Strike 2712; 4 Galeforce Boats 2654; 5 Queensland Fishing Monthly 2429; 6 Team Sands 2111; 7 Team Whitewater Marine 2048; 8 Whyte Boys Can't Jig 1981; 9 Get Jiggy With It 1947; 10 Sons of Guns 1866; 11 Popeyed Scarey Dogs 1840; 12 Wildfire 1817; 13 Team Hinterland Tavern 1793; 14 Dead Fishy 2 1775; 15 Smash Tackle 1748; 16 Flatty Flatteners 1723; 17 Team Blue Fin Boats 1675; 18 TT Lures No2 - Tough TT's 1666; 19 Pig Lures 1608; 20 Austackle Anglers Connection 1577.

For all results go to: www.flatheadclassic.com.au