A BIT of local knowledge went a long way to assisting Taree’s Paul Johnston win the men’s bluewater section of the Australian Anglers Association (AAA) championships held earlier this month at Harrington.
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Paul, 46, fished with Harrington’s John Burke, who finished second in the veteran men’s section.
“John actually approached me to fish with him,’’ Paul said.
The bluewater competition was held over two days. Paul led after the opening day and claimed the win with a third on the second. The total weight of his catch was 47kgs, with kingfish making up the majority along with snapper, flathead and leather jackets. Paul agreed that knowing the area was a huge advantage in a championship that attracted anglers from around Australia and New Zealand.
“I’ve won the bluewater section with Taree West Fishing Club for three of the last four years,’’ he explained.
“And apart from club outings, which are held one weekend a month, I usually go out at least one more time a month, although it depends on the seasons.’’
He’s also a member of the Australian Anglers Association, enabling him to enter the competition, even though he wasn’t a member of the State team.
Bluewater competitors had a fairly big area to fish from – the boundaries stretching from Dunbogan near Laurieton to Seven Mile Beach south of Forster. However, Paul and John stayed in more familiar waters.
“We fished the area from Harrington to Old Bar,’’ he said, although in typical angling fashion, he wasn’t keen to reveal where they caught they most fish.
Paul said he was ‘pretty confident’ about his chances going into the championship and even more so after his success on the opening day.
“I wouldn’t say I was over-confident, but I knew if I had another good day then I was a good chance,’’ he said.
Fishing plays a big part in his life.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession, but I do enjoy it,’’ he smiled.
He bought his first off-shore boat in 2000 and that led to Paul getting a bit more fair dinkum about the sport. His wife, Donna, and daughter, Sophie, are also keen anglers.
Fishing, he said, is a great way to ‘de-stress from the 9 to 5 grind.’
“Of course there’s the thrill of the chase, but I also find it relaxing and enjoyable,’’ he said.
“I also like exploring new grounds and finding new areas to fish.’’
Paul won a trophy and a new reel for his efforts in the AAA.
The next national championship will be in Seventeen Seventy near Gladstone in North Queensland in two years.
At this stage Paul isn’t sure if he’ll defend his title.
“It’s a long way to go, I’ll think about it when it gets a bit closer,’’ he said.
