Local knowledge delivered the goods on the day with the Australians taking out 8 spots in the top 10 and Richard Somerton going on to take the title of "Hobie Fishing World Champion" with a total weight of 6.15kgs for 7 fish over the course of the tournament.
Richard said he was wrapped to have been able to get out for a fish despite the winds because he didn't want to win by default. That said, Richards main challenge today was catching fish, only pulling one 540gram Bream for weigh in. When asked about the conditions he went on to say "That it's probably the worst wind I've ever fished in and I'm just glad that my one fish was enough to get me over the line.
Chris Burbidge (AUS) took second place with a combined weight of 5.61kg over 7 fish and said that local knowledge definitely came through for him, today. I've fished Marlo over the years and learned some good spots and thankfully they delivered for me today.
Fellow Australian Grayson Fong landed third place with 8 fish weighing in at 5.45kg and agreed that the conditions were the biggest challenge but said that "adapting to the weather and staying focused were key to figuring out where the fish are" and "he was glad to be out there because missing a day of tournament could mean the difference between a spot in the top 10" or in his case coming third.
The Americans Justin Carter and Tom Michael took out places 7 and 9 in the top 10 with 4.16kg and 3.52kg bags respectively which is testament to their skills as both are new comers to fishing for Bream.
All competitors agree that the Pro Angler 14 and Power-Pole combination were essential for fishing today's conditions with the 14's providing the stability needed in these kind of winds and the ease of dropping the Power-Pole to peg against the wind and focus on fishing.
Steve Fields said that the competiton had been a great success in uniting the 46 anglers from 17 countries and providing some challenging fishing for all involved. "It's a pleasure to do these things, you get to meet a lot of people from around the world with a love of fishing and experience a new location each year sharing some knowledge along the way.
Steve brought Richard Barth from Hobie Europe on stage revealing the Europeans as the hosts of the 2014 Hobie Fishing World Championships with more location details to follow in the coming weeks.
Congratulations to all involved and stay tuned to hobiefishingworlds.com for news of 2014.