The Hobie Fishing Series 17 will get underway in February with two major rounds scheduled for East Gippsland.
Round one will be held at Bemm River on February 16–17, followed by round two at Marlo on February 21–22.
Both popular kayak fishing tournaments have already attracted more than 50 entries, with numbers expected to rise significantly in the coming week.
The Bemm River event remains a favourite among anglers from across Australia. Last year’s tournament saw strong fishing, with 302 fish caught on day one and 311 on day two, at an average weight of 0.65 kilograms.
Event organiser Chris Purnell said Bemm River continued to stand out as a premier venue.
“Bemm River offers the single best bream fishing down the east coast of Australia,” Purnell said.
The close scheduling of the two rounds is expected to see the majority of competitors back up for the Marlo event.
The tournament format is cast-and-retrieve only, using lures or fly, with anglers required to return to the weigh-in area with their heaviest bag of live, legal fish, limited to three fish per day.
Registration will open from 5.30am on both days, followed by a briefing at 6am. Fishing sessions will run from 7am to 2pm.
Winners will be decided on the highest combined total
weight across the two days, with all fish released back into the water after weigh-in.
The event provides a welcome boost to the local economy while showcasing the region’s renowned waterways.
The Bemm River field will include reigning champion Joel Crosbie, who claimed last year’s title with six fish weighing a combined 5.58 kilograms. Defending women’s champion Ruth Beeby will also return after missing much of last season due to a serious leg injury.
They will face strong competition from local anglers including Paul Hariman and Nikki Bryant, a new addition to the Hobie format but no stranger to catching large bream in East Gippsland.
The Hobie series will return to Marlo for the first time since 2023, when Rosedale angler Tony Pettie claimed victory with a six-fish total of 5.19 kilograms.
