The Gold Coast Game Fishing Club is the largest club of the Queensland Game Fishing Association, and has stood the test of time throughout the highs and lows of the Gold Coast and global economy. The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, which is an exciting milestone for any club. To have some of the members from the early days still actively involved in the club is an absolute privilege.
With a consistent membership of over 350 and a fleet of over 100 boats, the club boasts great support, both on a social basis and through the significant fishing activities.
The Gold Coast is blessed with a pelagic fishery that is arguably world class, with both heavy and light tackle species following a seasonal trend based on the Eastern Australian Current. Access to the ocean through the Gold Coast Seaway offers a generally safe bar crossing, which is an easy run from most of the local marinas and high-quality boat ramps. Many of the Cairns Charter fleet see the Gold Coast as a great place to have a break as they traverse their way up and down the east coast. The boat ramps at the Sundale Bridge and Broadwater Parklands provide excellent access to large trailer boats with floating pontoons and multiple lanes.
This year we have had one of the best years in many with the run of juvenile black marlin providing exceptional fishing at times for many of our members. The beauty of this fishery is that it is accessible to smaller trailer boats when conditions suit, which opens the experience to many families who are able to share the sport across multiple generations.
Our club heavily promotes the involvement of our juniors, as they are the future of the sport. This active participation and interest in the club is a boost not only for our club, but also for the sport of game fishing in the years to come.
Additionally, our club promotes the active conservation of game fish through an extensive tag-and-release program. The results of the efforts of our members provide highly valuable factual data to scientists that are actively involved in researching the habits and migration patterns of all pelagic species. Australia leads the way in this research effort and supports the global conservation of many pelagic species.
The seasonal nature of the black marlin fishery provides excellent enjoyment during the Summer months. However, the ultimate test of game fishing exists just a few extra miles east off the edge of the continental shelf. The blue marlin fishery off the Gold Coast provides the challenge to every angler and skipper on a consistent basis all year round, with many highly experienced skippers and anglers suggesting the grounds off the Gold Coast as being the “best blue marlin fishery in the world”.
It is no surprise that many of the most successful charter boats and their crew regularly call the Gold Coast home when the Cairns season is finished, with the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club being home to many of the most experienced skippers and crewmen in the sport.
While catching game fish is our ultimate joy as members of a game fishing club, the most prized yet underestimated value as members of a club is the ability to share and gain knowledge of many of the more experienced members. The consistent growth that the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club has experienced over the years has been founded upon the ability to create a place where our members can get together, share stories, enjoy each other’s company and find a general sense of community within the club.
An integral part of this story revolves around having a venue that we can call our own, and the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club story heavily revolves around our home, Gamebase. We hold regular monthly meetings and have social drinks on a Friday evening from our newly renovated licensed bar.
Our tournaments provide a great opportunity to visiting fishers to share in the great fishing and sense of camaraderie that the club provides. Our two major tournaments are run out of the Southport Yacht Club marina at Main Beach, which provides an excellent location to berth and share all the stories, and has all the facilities under one roof with good food and cold beer.
By Shari Newton
Published in the Jan-Mar 2020 edition.
