2014 Flatty Classic

[Funchy]

Well AA'ers as most of you know I entered the flatty classic again this year with Wayno60 after our first foray into it last year. Last year we really struggled and finished the comp with a measley 80 points. We went into this years comp feeling more confident and better prepared.

We signed in on the Wednesday arvo, got our goodies, ate dinner and went home and got to bed early to hit the Pin. The plan for the first day was to get into the shallows around weed and yabby beds as the tide dropped. We had scoped out a likely looking feeder creek on Google earth and was all set to get up in there and execute the plan. One problem with that, the tide was too low to get in there. So we had to rethink things and come up with plan B on the fly. We spent the next 6 hours looking for spots, fishing deep water, fishing shallow and anything in between. I think we landed one or two just legal fish and a few others but we did it tough. The tide had turned by now so we headed over to the spot we had originally decided to fish. We fished in there for a while and landed one or to small fish then as I threw my Gulp 4inch curl tail grub up onto the shallow yabby bank I felt that familiar tic in the line. I paused a second or two, turned to Wayne and said "Wayne, fish on, watch this" I lifted the rod tip and felt some good weight and as most of my goood flattys in the past have done it slowly swam with me as I reeled her in. I told Wayne to watch her go when she sees the boat, I slightly loosened my drag as I knew she was gonna run. Sure enuff sh saw the boat and turned and swam away at a rate of knots. Wayne got a good look at her flanks and called her for a big fish. Right at that moment as I fought the fish Wayno showed his excitement by simulating and act upon my person that would do a catholic priest proud

I spent the next 3 or 4 minutes battling her as she took a few good long runs. I was fishing the usual 6lb Nanofil braid, 8lb Berkley vanish leader and our home made jig heads (Thanks Tony)

Anyway, I wore her down, she eventually came to the boat and Wayno netted her. High fives all around and we got our pics, recorded the fish in our team fish and continued on fishing.

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That was about it for day one. Back at the event for dinner, few beers, tie all new leaders and hit the sack.

We headed out on day two looking to hit it hard and keep up some momentum. We had settled on fishing some deep drop offs after chatting with some fellow competitors. We found a likely spot that dropped of from 4 meters to 7 really steeply. We drifter over it about 20 times and pulled some small jew and bream but no flattys

We changed tack and drifted the edges of the drop offs and landed a few small ones but once again no real size. We checked our maps, reassessed our options and decided on another deep area. We arrived at this spot and first cast Wayne was onto a nice fish. In came a 63cm flatty. Cool we thought, we are onto a good spot, just then old mate drifts past and says he had pulled an 69cm and 75 out of there just prior to that. Alas we could raise another one so we sounded around a few places but didnt score any so we decided to troll as we made our way east to the ramp. As we trolled along my big Live Target yellow perch lure (looks like a redfin)

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scored a flatty not real big but a scorer. We continued trolling and just before we were about to head in my lure got hit hard by what I hope would be a decent flatty. After a good tussle in came a 63cm Jewwy.

The last day was a shorter day and other than 4 small flattys we struggled

It was a great event, we bettered our result from last year by a country mile and had a ball taking the mickey out of each other for 3 days.

Thanks again Wayno and Gwen for having me in your home it was a blast as usual!!

Oh, and the boat didnt miss a beat, I even remembered the bungs every day


Pity the same cant be said for the Triton

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[Funchy]

oh, and we got to catch up with Plugbar (Dave) for a beer. Nice to meet you mate

[Funchy]

....... and we also caught up with Matt Fraser. Got to have a good chin wag with him and help hold down the Berkley tent so it didnt blow away in the high winds Wednesday night

I am off for a Nann nap.... bluddy exhausted

[wayno1960]

What about my turtle you tree hugger??


and whats this wayno stuff?

out in the boat it was leccy biatch, catering biatch and secretary.........

[Funchy]

What about my turtle you tree hugger??

Had to leave some mystery ya wombat! You tell em!!!

BTW, didnt use brakes between Gateway bridge and my place

[Snodger]

Good onya mate at least you improved on last year and thats a crackin flatty

[wayno1960]

you've got the pics!!

[Blackfish]

Thanks for the report Gents, sounds like a fun few days were had.

[mangajack]

Thanks for the report Luke, Wayne, spill your guts to what really happened.
What place did you two end up in the comp and what points did you get?

[wayno1960]

Funchmyster just about covered it all....


Score wise we did way better than last year. Day 1 we were in 96 spot, day 2 we slipped to 115 then after very hard and slow day we finished in 133rd place on 547 points. Last year we had 80 points all up.