⚓️ EVANS HEAD FISHING CLASSIC – DAY 7 ADULT DIVISION
🐋 “The Whale Was Real – And It Was Hooked at Evans Head”
Day 7 at the Evans Head Fishing Classic read like the final chapter of Moby-Dick—a day of salt, sweat, and angling obsession. The wind may not have roared, but the tension in the weigh-in tent did. And while there was no Pequod in sight, the hunt for glory mirrored Captain Ahab’s madness—except here, they actually landed the beasts.
At the helm of this tale, Mackenzie Luck stood victorious in AJ-Sambo with a monstrous 1079mm catch. Like a harpoon strike from the crow’s nest, it was clean, decisive, and undeniable. No chase—just impact.
The blackfish division saw Brendon Palmer reel in his white whale with a 425mm fish, while Bernard Richter (418mm) and Alexander Klassen (410mm) tailed close behind, relentless as the ocean itself.
In bream-tarwhine, it was Natalee Reynolds who threw the iron first, landing a 424mm catch and escaping the tumultuous wake stirred up by Nicholas Lynch (410mm) and Wayde Hull (408mm). The fight was technical—these weren’t leviathans, but sly adversaries lurking in shallow currents.
But in dart, Michael Gibson let out a cry worthy of Ishmael himself, slamming home a 454mm fish that rocked the deck. Tom McCall (420mm) and Ryan Kernaghan (409mm) battled back with fury in their eyes and salt on their brows.
The flathead field was the domain of sea beasts. Martin Soutar commanded a leviathan at 941mm, the kind of catch that would make the harpooners cheer from below deck. Robert Donnelly (923mm) and Michael Innes (585mm) wrestled hard in deep water, but the quarry had already been subdued.
And then came the Judges’ Choice entries—rare creatures from distant parts of the deep. Abbey Alchin’s 910mm bluefin tuna shimmered like a ghost of the sea. Dylan Wilson landed a 752mm bonito with the precision of Queequeg. And DJ McKenna’s spangled emperor may have only hit 670mm, but its colour and fight earned a place in the ship’s log.
The king-cobia contest was ferocious. Michael Roberts landed a thunderous 1137mm fish—an explosion of water and fury. Dylan Wilson (1048mm) and PJ White (950mm) followed in his wake, each with their own scars from the hunt.
In the depths, the mulloway division brought titans to the surface. Darcy Banks emerged from the darkness with a 1320mm monster—a true white whale moment. Lyle Outerbridge (1255mm) and Joshua Hotschilt (1163mm) returned with torn lines, weathered hands, and stories they’ll tell until the sea takes them.
Mitchell Brown dominated the pearl perch haul with 522mm—an unassuming catch, but tricky as any reef-dweller. Brendan Graham (455mm) and PJ White (442mm) steadied the tiller behind him.
On snapper, Darcy McKenna landed a textbook 843mm beauty, but Abbey Alchin returned again, driven like Ahab with a second-place 766mm fish. Joe Jackson (709mm) trailed like a first mate, close behind in pursuit.
The tailor battleground was frantic. Callum Carmont (561mm) claimed the day’s honours, chased by Ryan Kernaghan (560mm) and Jason Grundy (529mm)—all high-speed chasers in rough surf.
In the trag category, Wesley Jeffery manned the helm with a 728mm haul. Tony Bodley (690mm) and Thomas Jolley (618mm) hauled through current and doubt to lock down their place in this epic.
And finally, whiting—the quieter quarry. Malcolm Boddy stood tall with a 425mm effort, steady as a lighthouse in a storm. Alexander Klassen (410mm) and Jayden Newton (400mm) completed the tale, quietly but with no less resolve.
🐳 The Chase Continues…
Like Melville’s men, these anglers are driven by something deeper than glory. It’s the tug, the run, the surface crash—the promise of a leviathan beneath. Day 7 was no fable. The fish were real, the weather held, and the battle was fought with rods instead of harpoons.
But make no mistake: they’re still chasing their white whale.
