GAMEX 2021 TOURNAMENT REPORT The Exmouth Game Fishing Club’s GAMEX game fishing tournament is Western Australia’s biggest and most prestigious fishing event, showcasing Exmouth’s extraordinarily diverse fishing options via 30 different prize categories across line class, tag and release and capture sections for more than 50 eligible gamefish species.
Held in March each year, the 53rd running of GAMEX from March 12-20, 2021 was a smaller affair than usual given the ongoing effect of COVID-19 which prevented international and interstate visitors from attending. Still, some 37 boats and 163 anglers from throughout Western Australia competed in what turned out to be a very enjoyable event.
With a great looking weather forecast for GAMEX’s six days of tournament fishing, teams were super-keen to hit the water for the start of fishing on Sunday March 14. Most crews opted to chase billfish on day one which turned out to be a wise decision as reasonable numbers of black marlin and sailfish, as well as a few blue marlin out wide were there to greet the fleet and get the catch reports ticking over for a total of 41 billfish tagged & released.
However, the billfish numbers dropped off considerably after day one, with the next three days only producing 15, 17 and 23 billfish tagged and released respectively – well below Exmouth’s lofty standards. Some really nice fish were about though, with black marlin to an estimated 150kgs and blue marlin up to an estimated 280 kilos tagged, as well as a few even bigger fish that escaped the tag pole.
Anna Passmore fishing aboard Awesum had a close encounter with one of these monster billfish when she hooked and fought a potential Australian record black marlin on 8kg line for more than six hours before the line parted with the fish almost at the boat.
The billfishing picked up a little over the last two days fishing, to see the total tag & release catch for GAMEX 2021 reaching 164 fish tagged which was made up of 109 black marlin, 41 sailfish, 13 blue marlin and 1 striped marlin. This slower than usual billfishing did have the effect of keeping most of the billfish tag & release sections close and hotly contested right until the end. All sections that is, other than those Innkeeper were involved with as this local charter boat skippered by Captain Brendon Hawker completely dominated the field, with their 23 billfish tagged (19 black marlin, 2 blue marlin and 2 sailfish) scoring them the major prize of Champion Boat Tag & Release Marlin, the George King Memorial Trophy for Top Tagging Captain, plus Champion Boat Champion Boat Over 7m Tag & Release Billfish and Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish Medium Tackle (15-24kg).
Runner Up in the major billfish sections was Haulin’ with 14 billfish tagged (11 marlin & 5 sailfish), while Champion Boat 7m & Under Tag & Release Billfish went to Pussee Galore with 13 fish tagged, and Champion Boat Tag & Release Sailfish was won by Hooked Up with 5 tags.
In the line class capture sections, a wide range of species were brought in to the weigh station, including dolphinfish, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, broadbar mackerel, school mackerel, shark mackerel, golden trevally, giant trevally, brassy trevally, queenfish, barracuda, spangled emperor and yellowfin tuna. Some nice captures on the line class in use were amongst these, and noticeably this year, it was largely the female anglers who were responsible for a lot of these captures.
Over its considerable history, GAMEX has produced more state, national and world record claims than any other Australian fishing tournament, and 2021 continued this tradition with one world, four national and four state record claims lodged during the event. Nick Horlock fishing aboard Mystic Knot scored a 6.85kg brassy trevally on 3kg line and a 6.6kg broadbar mackerel on 4kg line which are both pending WA and Australian Men’s records, while Junior angler Chloe Hornhardt on Wet Dreams weighed a 8.25kg golden trevally on 2kg for a WA/Australian record claim, and a 8.45kg golden trevally on 3kg which is a pending Junior World Record.
Not surprisingly, Chloe was Champion Junior Angler overall and also awarded the Steve Pitman Memorial Trophy for Most Skilled Angler (most species on the most line classes) for her captures on 11 line classes across 8 species. Other Champion Angler winners were Small Fry Harvey Mitchell on Pussee Galore with 1 species on 1 line class, Female Anna Passmore on Awesum with 8 species on 10 line classes and Male Corey Heal on Haulin’ with captures on 2 species on 5 line classes.
Going in to the final day of fishing, scores were as tight as they get for the Champion Boat Overall Capture/Tag & Release section between leading boat Awesum with 8 species on 10 line classes for 5092.5 points and second placed Got ‘Im On with 5 species on 8 line classes for 4905 points. That’s less than a single fish worth of points separating the pair, but unbelievably, both teams failed to land or tag a fish on the last day, leaving Awesum to hang on for the win!
Dates for GAMEX 2022 are March 18-26, with a new major prize of a $70,000 trailerboat package up for grabs. So get your team together and booked in now! For further details, visit: www.gamex.net.au or email: [email protected].
GAMEX 2021 was proudly supported by the WA State Government of Western Australia through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program.
GAMEX 2021 SECTION RESULTS SECTION 1 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 1kg Line This section is sponsored by Exmouth IGA RUNNER UP: Anna Passmore on Awesome 5.25kg Queenfish 525 points WINNER: Jesse Sutton on Got ‘Im On 5.85kg Queenfish 585 points
SECTION 2 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 2kg Line This section is sponsored by The Fresh Fish Shack RUNNER UP: Anna Passmore on Awesome 7.05kg Golden Trevally 353 points WINNER: Chloe Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 8.25kg Golden Trevally 413 points
SECTION 3 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 3kg Line This section is sponsored by Exmouth Automotive & Boating Services RUNNER UP: Nick Horlock on Mystic Knot 6.85kg Brassy Trevally 228 points WINNER: Chloe Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 8.45kg Golden Trevally 282 points
SECTION 4 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 4kg Line This section is sponsored by Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort RUNNER UP: Nick Horlock on Mystic Knot 6.6kg Broadbar mackerel 165 points WINNER: Matthew Horlock on Mystic Knot 7.75kg Golden Trevally 194 points
SECTION 5 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 6kg Line This section is sponsored by the Potshot Hotel Resort RUNNER UP: Jessica Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 6.5kg Golden Trevally 108 points WINNER: Phil Conder on Outabound 6.65kg Baracuda 111 points
SECTION 6 Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 8kg Line This section is sponsored by Woodside Mitsui RUNNER UP: Anna Passmore on Awesum 12.4kg Wahoo 155 points WINNER: Heath Holman on Insalted 13.35kg Giant Trevally 167 points Wins a Shimano Talica 12 thanks to Shimano Australia and Tackleworld Exmouth and a $100 voucher from BigFish Gear
SECTION 7 Des Ryan Memorial Trophy Highest Point Score Game Fish Other than Billfish or Shark Weighed in on 10kg Line This section is sponsored by Exmouth Wholesalers RUNNER UP: VACANT WINNER: VACANT
SECTION 8 Champion Boat Tag & Release Shark This section is sponsored by BHP RUNNER UP: Mystic Knot 4 tags on 4 line classes 550 points WINNER: Wet Dreams 8 tags on 7 line classes 1200 points
SECTION 9 Champion Small Fry Angler (under 11yrs old) This section is sponsored by the Shire of Exmouth RUNNER UP: Jack Bennett on All the Gear No Idea 1 species 1 line class 800 points WINNER: On countback Harvey Mitchell on Pussee Galore 1 species 1 line class 800 points
SECTION 10 Champion Junior Angler (under 16yrs old) This section is sponsored by Exmouth Freight & Logistics RUNNER UP: Jessica Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 2 species 4 line classes 1926.66 points WINNER: Chloe Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 8 species 11 line classes 4365.42 points
SECTION 11 Champion Female Angler This section is sponsored by Leisure Cat Boats Australia & West Coast Suzuki Marine RUNNER UP: Jesse Sutton on Got Im On 5 species 8 line classes 4760 points WINNER: Anna Passmore on Awesum 8 species 10 line classes 5092.5 points
SECTION 12 Champion Male Angler This section is sponsored by Shimano Australia RUNNER UP: Ryan Caporn on Haulin’ 2 species 3 line classes 2700 points WINNER: Corey Heal on Haulin’ 2 species 5 line classes 3300 points
SECTION 13 Champion Small Fry Angler – Tag & Release Billfish This section is sponsored by Exmouth Fuel Supplies RUNNER UP: Harvey Mitchell on Pussee Galore 1 tag on 1 line class 400 points WINNER: Jack Bennett on All the Gear No Idea 2 tags on 1 line class 800 points
SECTION 14 Champion Junior Angler – Tag & Release Billfish This section is sponsored by Exmouth Tackle & Camping RUNNER UP: VACANT WINNER: Holly Bennett on All the Gear No Idea 2 tags on 1 line class 700 points
SECTION 15 Champion Female Angler – Tag & Release Billfish This section is sponsored by Reel Teaser Fishing Adventures RUNNER UP: Tracy Brislane on Le Frog 5 tags 2 line classes 2100 points WINNER: Deb Foster on Hooked Up 10 tags 2 line classes 4600 points
SECTION 16 Champion Male Angler – Tag & Release Billfish This section is sponsored by Exmouth Mitre 10 RUNNER UP: Mitchell Oakes on Pussee Galore 7 tags on 1 line class 3200 points WINNER: Ryan Caporn on Haulin’ 8 tags on 3 line classes 4100 points
SECTION 17 Champion Boat Tag & Release Sailfish This section is sponsored by Furuno Electronics RUNNER UP: Pussee Galore 5 tags 1 line class 2000 points WINNER: Hooked Up 5 tags 2 line classes 2100 points
SECTION 18 Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish Light Tackle (1-10kg line) This section is sponsored by Northbank Fibreglass Boats RUNNER UP: Haulin’ 4 tags 1 line class 2200 points WINNER: On Strike II 6 tags 1 line class 3400 points
SECTION 19 Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish Medium Tackle (15-24kg line) This section is sponsored by Ningaloo Car & Boat Hire & Autopro Exmouth RUNNER UP: Evolution 12 tags 1 line class 5600 points WINNER: Innkeeper 23 tags 1 line class 11300 points
SECTION 20 Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish Heavy Tackle (37-60kg line) This section is sponsored by SANTOS RUNNER UP: Valiant 5 tags 1 line class 2000 points WINNER: Black Marlin 7 tags 1 line class 2800 points
SECTION 21 Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish – Boats 7m & Under This section is sponsored by Exmouth Escape Resort RUNNER UP: Hooked Up 10 tags 2 line classes 4600 points WINNER: Pussee Galore 13 tags 2 line classes 6100 points
SECTION 22 Champion Boat Tag & Release Billfish – Boats Over 7m This section is sponsored by Simrad Yachting RUNNER UP: Haulin’ 14 tags 5 line classes 6900 points WINNER: Innkeeper 23 tags 1 line class 11300 points
SECTION 23 Champion Boat Tag & Release Marlin This section is sponsored by Tackleworld Exmouth RUNNER UP: Haulin’ 11 tags 5 line classes 5500 points WINNER: Innkeeper 21 tags 1 line class 10500 points
SECTION 24 Champion Boat Overall Capture/Tag & Release This section is sponsored by The Reef Convenience & Takeaway RUNNER UP: Got Im On 5 species 8 line classes 4905 points WINNER: Awesum 8 species 10 line classes 5092.5 points
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GAME FISHING ASSOCIATON INTERCLUB The interclub is a tournament within our tournament where all WAGFA affiliated clubs are invited to nominate two teams from their club to compete. The Interclub is held on the third day of GAMEX which was Tuesday the 16th and includes tag & release billfish only. WINNER: Exmouth Game Fishing Club – teams Innkeeper & Pussee Galore 5 tags
SECTION 25 Steve Pitman Memorial Trophy – Most Skilled Angler (most species on most line classes) This section is sponsored by Whitey’s Tackle & Camping, Australind AS THIS IS A PERTPETUAL TROPHY THERE IS NO RUNNER UP AWARD FOR THIS CATEGORY WINNER: Chloe Hornhardt on Wet Dreams 8 species 11 line classes
SECTION 26 George King Memorial Trophy – Top Tagging Captain (most tags) This section is sponsored by Mahi Mahi Charters, Coral Bay AS THIS IS A PERTPETUAL TROPHY THERE IS NO RUNNER UP AWARD FOR THIS CATEGORY WINNER: Captain Brendon Hawker on Innkeeper 23 tags
SECTION 27 Phil Tickle Memorial Trophy – Most Meritorious Capture (Highest point score capture excluding billfish or shark) This section is sponsored by Siesta Park Holiday Resort, Busselton AS THIS IS A PERTPETUAL TROPHY THERE IS NO RUNNER UP AWARD FOR THIS CATEGORY WINNER: Jesse Sutton on Got ‘Im On 5.85kg Queenfish 585 points