The Upper Hunter hosted the biggest event of the megabass season recently at Lake Glenbawn when more than $40,000 in cash and prizes was on offer at the inaugural Megabass BASS Australia Nation Championship.
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The huge field of anglers converged on Glenbawn Dam for the event on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7 but it was Blaxland’s Troy Danes who claimed the winning trophy by the smallest of margins.
Danes snatched the title from current the Rookie of the Year Tom Slater by 10 grams and became the first Atomic BASS Australian Champion.
Danes now becomes the very first angler to represent Australia officially and travel to Monroe Louisiana in the USA to take on the world’s best from the BASS Nation.
He will have a one in nine shot at making the world championship of bass fishing - The Bassmaster Classic.
As he has only been fishing at this level for a year, Danes said he would have been satisfied with a top 10 finish.
According to event officials, unlike the majority of the competitors Troy had worked out that fish were sitting deeper and he focused on the 25 to 35 foot water column as the fish would replenish quicker and bite more freely under the pressures of the ultra clear tournament waters.
BASS Australia Nation Pty Ltd’s Drew McGrath said Lake Glenbawn is a pure bass factory, and at any time of the year you can expect to catch bass with ease in the system, but with a tournament of this magnitude being held and with an unprecedented two day pre-fish the bass had become a little shy.
“Troy had worked out that the fish sitting deeper would replenish quicker and would be more susceptible to a plastic bite even under the high-pressure fishing,” he said.
Second place went to Tom Slater, third was the current Australian bream champion Warren Carter, fourth was Luke Mulholland and fifth Matt Williams.
Other results were:
Megabass BASS Australia Nation Co-Angler Championship – first was Mark Ferguson, second was Matthew Langford, third was Malcolm Draper, fourth went to Daniel Quarmby and fifth to Dayne Taylor.
“The Megabass BASS Australia Nation Championship couldn’t have been so successful in its inaugural year without the support of Peter and Carol Barker from the Kiosk, the staff from State Parks, Linda and Bob Magee, Greg Wiseman from NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Ian Osterloh from NSW fisheries and the Starkey’s and Frogleys team,” McGrath said.
“Obviously we need to thank the anglers who turned up this year, you all have been genuine, polite and your passion for tournament bass fishing is the shining light that makes it all worthwhile.”
McGrath also thanked their fabulous sponsors for their ongoing support.
