There is excitement in the air (and on the water) in Exmouth as the major annual event of Gamex draws nearer.  This event is the premiere game fishing tournament in Western Australia and has been running for over 30 years. This year is to be one of great significance with the completion of the EGFC clubhouse due before the event.  Last year the event attracted 68 boats from across the state including anglers from as far away as Shanghai.  This year there are boats being towed from Melbourne, anglers coming from South Africa and further interest from NSW after two EGFC committee members travelled across to the AIBT this week. 

The NSW venture was successful with the EGFC members placing the new Exmouth Holiday Planners in each team bag and displaying information on Exmouth and talking on stage to the crowd. There were two competitions, one with 192 boats and the other had 30. Information gathered from these events will be implemented to improve the tournaments in Exmouth and the running of the new clubhouse.

Mangrove jack have been cunning in and around the marina with reports of screaming runs and dropped fish along the rock walls.  The jacks have also been feeding well in the creeks in the bay of rest, along with estuary cod. Mulie is a good bait to use for this, but a fresh hardy head is hard to pass for many of the local shallow-water predatory species.

Northern salmon have been reported along the west side by shore-based anglers targeting fish on small soft plastics and light line.  A few squid have been seen along the shoreline too, but they don’t seem to be keen on taking to jigs.  One angler tried using a squid-spike rigged up with a small garfish and she mentioned that it created more interest.  Small reef sharks have been showing up in the shallow waters, particularly at night. A few of the junior anglers have been tagging the sharks over 1m in length. It will be interesting to see some results of where the sharks roam from these tags if the sharks are recaptured. Trolling for pelagic fish west of the Muiron Islands at this time of year usually produces good catches of small black marlin, wahoo and the odd sailfish. 

The EGFC has two special guests this year with Peter Pakula doing a fishing clinic prior to the event and John Payne from Sea Surface Temperature showing anglers how to read the currents and water temperatures to improve chances of finding billfish.  The results of many sailfish from boats in the gulf recently should make Gamex an interesting competition this year and the EGFC hope to see some recaptured billfish through this time.

PIC: The Nelson Bay beach and marina with over 60 of the 192 boats bringing tag cards and fish in to the gantry on day 1 of the tournament in NSW.

Nelson Bay Marina