>> Site Map >> News
Ecogear Hawkesbury River BREAM Final Results & Story
#168 - 0--bream--Ecogear Hawkesbury River BREAM Final Results & Story--2006-03-11 15:29:44
#Here's the final standings.
Glenn Helmers backed up and took it out!
Read the story for the full information.
- Under clear autumn skies and warm spring like conditions 68 boats headed off into the expansive Hawkesbury River system to kick start the long awaited Ecogear Hawkesbury River BREAM Challenge.
In a growing field of talented tournament-ready anglers, one competitor rose to the top to claim victory, and announce to the breaming community that he was now ready to take it to the big guns and challenge them for a place on the winner’s dais.
Glen Helmers, a 31 year old Mechanic of Lake Munmorah, showed that he’d put the day two jitters of 2004 behind him, and that he was now up to task, by delivering a 5/5, day-two limit to the scales to capture his first BREAM Qualifying Round win.
Compiling a 10/10, 6.63kg “full house” limit for the event Helmers showed a clean pair of heels, relegating the ever-Hawkesbury-consistent Clayton Gusmerini to second place, and thoughts of what might have been.
For Helmers it was a long over due win, fuelled by extension local knowledge and a desire to perform well after his second day failing of 2004.
“I was really disappointed after that tournament” Helmers explained.
“Heading off first on day two then coming back to the weigh-in with nothing was just shattering, and I was determined not to repeat the same thing this year”, he added.
Putting it together for the whole event, Helmers spent his tournament time in the Brisbane Waters area, focusing his attention on the shallow racks and flats scattered throughout the region.
Concentrating on locations 4 feet and less in depth, Helmers presented his offerings with a series of long searching casts retrieved over the shallow.
“Early in the session each day you could swim the plastic across the surface or sub-surface, and the fish would appear behind it, then take it as it was paused in their face”, Helmers explained.
“As the day progressed and the fish hung a little deeper I had to present it a little tighter to where they were”, he added.
For Helmers this involved working the lure across the racks and flats before pausing and stalling it into holes and adjacent to prime fish-holding features. The result was a string of fish each day, pulled from water that in many cases had his hull hitting the sand and his electric motor churning mud.
“The lure setup and retrieve that did it was fairly standard”, Helmers explained.
“A 1/40 oz TT jighead rigged 3” Gulp Minnow Grub (colour- watermelon) early when the fish were high and the wind low, and a heavier 1/16 oz TT jighead rigged 3” Grub Minnow (colour-watermelon) and Eco Products 3” Eye Ball Tail later in the day when the fish dropped deeper and the wind was stronger”, he added.
Helmers’ tackle choice showed similar diversity as his jighead choice, with his lighter 1/40oz offering being presented with an outfit comprised of a 6’10”, 2-4kg, Daiwa Procaster rod, 1500 Daiwa Laguna spin reel, spooled with 4lb Berkley Fireline and 6lb Siglon leader.
While the outfit used to present his 1/16 oz jighead rigged plastic included a 6’10” G.Loomis Drop Shot DSR 820S rod, 2500 Shimano Twin Power spin reel, 6lb Berkley Fireline, and 8lb Siglon leader.
Anchoring his tournament winning bag was the event’s Go-So Big Bream winning fish, an outstanding 1.40kg specimen man-handled from an oyster rack in Brisbane Waters.
“At first I didn’t realise how big it was”, Helmers explained.
“It came out of the rack fairly easily, before waking up and powering back to the sanctuary of the racks. Once it was in there it took a bit of see-sawing of line back and forth around a pole before I persuaded it to come out”, he added.
The 41cm fork length fish provided Helmers with an added $500 bonus to his $3000 1st prize cheque, and his $200 Mercury Sponsor Bonus prize as the highest placed boater running a Mercury outboard.
For Helmers the result not only made him $3800 richer but also provided with a much sought after berth into the 2006 Ford Courier BREAM Series Grand Final.
Second place boater and event runner up Clayton Gusmerini opted for different approach in comparison to Helmers, instead choosing an edge bite pattern to compile his 10/10, 6.13kg tournament limit.
Fishing the rocky banks and weed beds between Eumina Point and the Parsley Bay stretch of the Hawkesbury, Gusmerini used a steady stream of Berkley plastics to temp his fish and fill his livewell each day.
“Once rigged on either a 1/24 or 1/16oz Nitro jighead I’d pitch the Berkley to the edge, before working it along the bottom and back to the boat with a slow hoping retrieve”, Gusmerini explained.
“In most cases this had the lure working down the slope of the bank and into water up to 3 metres deep”, he added.
While the presentation varied little, Gusmerini’s choice of lure alternated significantly, rotating between a series of Berkley Gulps including, 3” Minnow Grubs (colour-pumpkinseed), 4” Turtleback Worms (colour- pumpkinseed), 3” Frys (colour- pumpkinseed), and 6” Sandworms (colour- natural).
The remainder of his tackle included a Daiwa Battler Sparrow (6’6”) and Kingbolt (6’8”) rod, both matched to 2500 Daiwa Sol spin reels, spooled with 4lb and 6lb Berkley Fireline, and 8lb Berkley Transitional Vanish flurocarbon.
“It was a great weekend, plenty of fish, and a hell of a lot of fun”, Gusmerini stated after the presentation.
“After the disappointment of missing the Grand Final last year, I’m stoked that I’m going to be there this year”, he added.
The Grand Final berth providing Gusmerini with an additional reward on a weekend that saw many anglers struggle.
The champion non-boater title proved a laid down affair with Rainbow Flat resident Troy Oehlman claiming victory with his, 8/10, 4.21kg limit. Finishing 840 grams ahead of his nearest rival, Oehlman seemingly found the going easy, fishing with champion boater Glen Helmers on day one and bagging out on day two with ABT regular Dave Welfare.
As the only non-boating angler to finish with over four kilo Oehlman took home a bounty of prizes including, an Angler Rod DCX spin rod, Daiwa Capricorn spin reel, and an assortment of tackle from the tour’s many sponsors.
The next event on the BREAM calendar sees the tour move to Victoria for the G.Loomis Gippsland Lakes BREAM Challenge, on 25th and 26th April. For more information visit www.bream.com.au or phone ABT (07) 3268 3992 (b/h), 0427 32 64 64 (b/h).
|
|
--comments-->8--3460--6
