"The Yamaha Broome Billfish classic is the Broome fishing club's premiere event. The competition targets all billfish species that inhabit the waters around Broome (namely sailfish and black marlin) and Sailfish are awarded 500 points per capture where as marlin captures are honored with 1000 points per capture.

"The competition attracts anglers from all over Australia and even internationally, and at some stages has had over 50 boats competing for a variety of trophies and prizes.

"The competition is a week long event that complies with IGFA rules. Furthermore Sailfish can only be caught on 10kg line or lower and fishing occurs during the productive neap tides in the dry season.

"Another Broome Billfish Classic has ended and what a classic fishing tournament it was!

"After two years of some fairly mediocre captures and ordinary weather the competition really excelled this year. Gentle seas, blue skies and acres of rampaging sailfish graced the six day long tournament.

"Over the whole duration of the tournament the VHF radio was crackling with sailfish captures and some awesome skeds coming from boats competing. For the uninitiated skeds are records of the number of:

"The total skeds for the tournament were a massive 693 sailfish raised, 531 strikes, 353 hookups and 214 tagged. Additionally there were 18 marlin raised, 16 strikes, 8 hookups with only 2 marlin caught.

"Day One of the tournament saw boats scatter into different areas to find the elusive billfish. Within half an hour of lines going into the water it seemed pretty clear that a number of boats had found the area as the radio started to sizzle into action. It did not take long before the population of boats tripled in the hot area. La Quenta took out the days’ honors, with crew member Deb Foster achieving the champion angler for the day. She also backed up this performance by taking out the champion female angler for the whole tournament.

"Day Three of the Broome Billfish Classic belonged to the Sail Raiders team who caught an astonishing eight sailfish including a number of fish from numerous double hookups. These guys simply could not do anything wrong and consequently had half the fleet following them round in circles by the afternoon. Team Billistic in the Over 7.5m Class began to amass some serious captures at this point and started to hunt down the leading boat in their class, La Quenta. Even the giant boat Highland Sea got amongst the sailfish and also recorded a marlin capture for the competition. Though their luck ran out by Day six where they were plagued by tuna and attained the unenviable name of John West."

This Article from Broome Fishing Club

"The Yamaha Broome Billfish classic is the Broome Fishing Club's premiere event.
	"The competition targets all billfish species that inhabit the waters around Broome (namely sailfish and black marlin) and Sailfish are awarded 500 points per capture where as marlin captures are honored with 1000 points per capture. The competition attracts anglers from all over Australia and even internationally, and at some stages has had over 50 boats competing for a variety of trophies and prizes. The competition is a week long event that complies with IGFA rules. Furthermore Sailfish can only be caught on 10kg line or lower and fishing occurs during the productive neap tides in the dry season."

BY THE END OF THE FIRST DAY, the La Quenta outshone the competition, making 'best boat' with a whopping seven sailfish tagged!
	On the second day of the competition, La Quenta showed consistency with again, 'best boat' and another seven sailfish tagged! By day three of the Competition, the La Quenta boat and crew achieved hat-trick status with an amazing seven more sailfish tagged! By Day 3 the La Quenta and crew were thirteen sailfish ahead of second place! La Quenta finished the tournament as the Champion boat overall, amassing a monstrous 27 sailfish. Last year the entire fleet of over 40 boats tagged a combined number of 7 sailfish in total. The La Quenta's crew took out Champion Female Angler with Deb Foster, along with Runner-up Champion Male Angler, Bob Witcombe. During the six day Yamaha Broome Billfish Classic event there is also another competition called the Fatty Tournament. This is a separate tournament held for anglers that can't get the time to fish the six day event. This is a competition held in honour of one of the founding members of the Broome Game Fishing Club, Brian Fatty Albert. La Quenta won this tournament along with Runner-up Best Male Angler, Luke Dalla Rosa. Luke had never been fishing in his life and ended up with an amazing seven Sailfish! Next year the Yamaha Broome Billfish Classic Tournament is held from July 18th to the 26th, which will be during school holidays so children can get in ther too.

"In the 7.5m and Over Class, La Quenta managed to maintain its lead by only two fish to dominate the fast finishing Billistic. Consequently, La Quenta finished the tournament as the champion boat overall, amassing a monstrous 27 sailfish for the tournament.

"Champion angler for the tournament was Vic Micallef who fished on Billistic and amassed a formidable 12 sailfish. Vic narrowly beat Bob Witcombe from La Quenta who caught 11 sailfish.

"In conclusion, this was the best tournament I have ever been in and it was a close competition to the very end. Furthermore, it is a reel credit to the fishing club to have such a fantastic, fun, exciting and social event on their events calendar and I can not wait for the next one. If you have ever had the slightest inkling to enter a tournament or even to catch a sailfish, make sure you get into next years competition. Incidentally, next years comp will be on the 18th to the 26th of July, which will be in the school holidays so that the kids will have a chance to get in there too!"

www.broomefishingclub.com.au/
The Broome Fishing Club (BFC) coordinates a number of enjoyable fishing competitions for it’s members through out the year. Each competition is supported by a variety of different sponsors and offers competitors a chance to win some great prizes. The Broome Fishing Club endeavors to make each of these competitions a fun, exciting and extremely social event.

Deb Foster of the 'La Quenta' Broome Billfish 2005 crew joined the "Reel Girls" for the Broome Billfish 2001 Tournament. Deb had never been game fishing before and was a keen angler who regularly fished for barramundi in the creeks and rivers near Broome. Deb is not the only avid female sportfisher in Broome
www.reelgirls.com.au/