Hobie Fishing 2017 Australian Championships draw anglers to Mandurah waterways

A total 45 anglers from across all states took to the city’s waterways but the home advantage proved to be the difference with West Australians taking out all the major placings, including Paul Burton who ended an outstanding three days of fishing atop the podium.

Using a hard-bodied lure, Burton hauled in nine fish for a total weight of 5.81 kilograms on his way to claiming $1000 for the top prize in the catch-and-release tournament.

“[It feels] pretty bloody good,” he said upon collecting his winner’s cheque.

“This is my first year doing kayak comps – I probably paddled about 15 kilometres all weekend, fishing the canals.”

His performance was enough to edge out WA Angler of the Year and Mandurah local Alex Greisdorf, who finished just behind in second after missing out on some crucial catches.

“I dropped two just rushing around trying to make the most out of each cast, but that’s fishing,” Greisdorf said.

“I’m stoked to be second place.”

Rounding out the top three was fellow WA-based angler Sean Higgins, who hauled in nine bream for a total weight of 4.89 kilograms, including the competition’s biggest catch with a 1.29kg fish.

Co-event organiser Robert Findlay heaped praise on the Mandurah facilities, labeling host venue Mandurah Quay Resort as the perfect place to host the championships.

“The service we got from the resort was fantastic, equal to anything we’ve experienced around the world,” he said.

“Getaway Outdoors’ ground crew really helped the event run smoothly as well, and we were able to bring a lot of people into Mandurah.

“In terms of the water, I think it tested a few of the non-local anglers who had to try a few different tactics to find the fish, but everyone loved the location.

“It was good to see the WA competitors perform so well.”

For a full list of results from the tournament, visit hobiefishing.com.au