The Eden Sport & Game Fishing Club is getting the season off to the right start with the news president Geoff McMahon has been awarded a Victorian State Record.
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In May Geoff and his friend, Trevor Chippindale, headed down to Lakes Entrance to chase the elusive broadbill swordfish on Trevor’s boat ‘Sea-Hog’.
After heading out about 90 kms offshore, Chippindale caught his first Broadbill that later weighed in at 60kg and then later in the afternoon McMahon hooked up.
“With Broadbill fishing you never know what you have until well into the fight,” a spokesman for the club said. “And Geoff spent the next 7 hours and 45 minutes fighting his Broadbill on just 24kg line.”
The only trouble is with game fishing, there can be no assistance during the fight given to the angler and Chippindale stood his ground and encouraged his mate to keep fighting.
When the fish finally appeared they were both impressed at the beast that McMahon had caught.
There were concerns about getting the fish onboard due to it’s size, but given the immense length of the battle, a more pressing concern was about getting back to shore after using more than half the fuel.
“It was already getting dark and there was some concern about making it back on the remaining fuel,” the spokesman said.
However, the pair man-handled the fish just enough to get it mostly on the deck and get up on the plane to save fuel.
It was about 2am when the pair were able to hitch the boat back up to the ute and drive back to Eden to weigh in at the club’s Quarantine Bay gantry.
Club members were shocked when it came in at 254kg.
Last week, his certificate arrived from the Game Fishing Association of Victoria, confirming he is the new title holder of the men’s record on 24kg line.
The spokesman said McMahon is a well-repsected fisherman on the Far South Coast and has been nominated to receive life membership with the Eden Amateur Fishing Club.
In other good news for the Eden Sport and Game Fishing Club is fellow member Billy Rebbechi – based out of Melbourne – also received a certificate recently for hauling in a 276kg broadbill swordfish on 37kg line.
He made the catch on his father’s boat ‘Flying Dutchman’.
Rebbechi was named a Victorian, Australian and All-Tackle record holder for his impressive catch with officials saying the two record-holders made a formidable pair.