Catch and Release Fishing Competition Grand Final at Sydney International Boat Show
by AAP Medianet 22 Jul 2019 23:00 UTC
1-5 August 2019
Russell Babekuhl - Team Berkley - Sydney International Boat Show © AAP Medianet
The Sydney International Boat Show this year once again plays host to the Grand Final of the Berkley Super Series fishing competition, the premium team-based bream catch-and-release fishing tournament in Australia. The Series has seen over one hundred teams chase down big money prizes in some of the finest bream fishing locations on the East Coast of Australia, with one ultimate goal - to qualify for the $10,000 Berkley Super Series Grand Final at the Sydney International Boat Show.
Teams consist of two anglers who have seven hours to catch their biggest five legal sized bream, using lures only. A team may only keep five fish at any one time, so the smallest fish is released when a bigger fish is caught, a process known as upgrading. The bream are kept alive onboard each boat in purpose built "live wells" and are presented for weighing via water filled transfer bags. After weighing, the bream are returned to the waterway unharmed. The team with the heaviest 5 bream wins.
The Grand Final is held over two days allowing teams to fight back into contention should their first day catch fall short. This is undertaken from 7AM until 2PM on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August.
At the end of each day's competition, the teams return to Cockle Bay to have their live bream weighed at the Berkley Recovery Tank. This is located outside the Harbourside Shopping complex in Darling Harbour, with the twenty-five team boats berthing in Cockle Bay. After the 2nd day of competition, the final weigh-in determines whose 5 bream reign supreme, and which team leaves the event $10,000 richer.