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November 20th - 23rd 2024
  • Sparkling gold game fishing gear
  • Bird view of Port Douglas with game fishing boats leaving marina
  • Bird view of game fishing boats in one row heading out to the Great Barrier Reefs
  • Game fishing boat Saltaire heading out to the Great Barrier Reef
  • Game fisher grabbing fishing line to draw in jumping marlin fish during tournament

Tournament Debrief 2022

2021 Tournament Diary

PORT DOUGLAS MARLIN CHALLENGE 13TH - 17TH NOVEMBER 2022

The 2022 tournament was blessed with the absolute weather possible with 10 boats competing at the highest angling level.
25 Big Black Marlin were tagged in 4 days between the vessels, reaffirming this region as the best marlin fishery in the world.

Here’s the results from the Port Douglas Marlin Challenge 2022 presentation night. In its 13th year it is the only remaining dedicated heavy tackle tournament in the southern hemisphere and Australia. This is testament to the committee maintaining its status as a premium blue ribbon tournament.
It was a great 4 days on the water with some picture perfect weather conditions and some good fishing competition which left the tournament open to a number of boats taking it out on the final day. It did go down to the wire in the end. Here are the final results:

Champion Boat and winner of the Leon Thomas Memorial Trophy: SHAKA with 6 tags, chartered by a group of friends from New Zealand and skippered by Damien Collete.
Champion Male Angler and Champion Angler Overall (winner of the Brett Thomas Memorial Trophy): IAN BLADIN, with 3 fish tagged on board Aspro.
Champion Female Angler: REBECCA HARRISON, with 1 fish tagged on board Aspro.
Runner Up Champion Boat: GORILLA, with 4 fish tagged, skippered by Mark 'Statue' Stephenson.

Daily prizes went to:

DAY 1: Iluka - 2 tags
DAY 2: Gorilla - 3 tags
DAY 3: Shaka - 3 tags
DAY 4: Aspro - 1 tag

And the final overall boat standings:

1. Shaka
2. Gorilla
3. Aspro
4. Iluka
5. Miss Nic
6. Little John II
7. Freedom Shores
8. Above Grade
9. Stiff Rod
10. Kona

The winning team on Shaka also took home $9000 in calcutta winnings as well as some amazing prizes - well done !

A huge thanks must go to our club sponsors: Tackle World Cairns, Shimano, Tin Shed, Above Grade Marine Services, Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, Big Boat Shed and ICIT who without their backing this tournament would not be the success it is.
And of course a big thanks and congratulations to all the boats that entered. We hope to see you all again next year.