After finishing third in each of the Salmon Slam’s opening three rounds, Great Southern fisher Josh Woods has finally claimed top honours in the three-month fishing comp’s latest phase.
Josh posted a score of 3,285mm, with his four longest salmon respectively measuring 85cm, 84cm, 80cm and 79.5cm, to beat fishers Andrew Scott (3,180mm) and Brock Keymer (3,070mm).
“I was out in the boat off Fosters Beach fishing the bottom for demersals but we couldn’t get past the salmon – they were taking everything,” Josh, who is based at Bremer Bay, told Recfishwest.
“After a while we realised the salmon weren’t going away so we switched to the light gear and trolled for a bit of fun.
“There haven’t been too many schools in close lately, most have been sitting out deeper.”
It marks a great run of form for the Woods family, with Josh’s four-year-old son Lachlan winning the Slam’s ‘Best Photo’ in the first phase and his brother, Nathan, winning the first open category.
“We’ve enjoyed a bumper season down here this year,” Josh said.
“Nath and I have always been right into salmon fishing, ever since we were youngsters and used to drive a HiLux down the beach trying to find schools.”
Slam’s sensational sponsors
For winning the fifth phase, Josh is now the proud owner of a new Shimano Saragosa 5000 reel, a Shimano Coltsniper 10ft rod and a $170 Down South Camping and Outdoors voucher.
He has also won a $50 Early Bird Bait voucher and a $100 voucher to Midland 4WD Centre for the win.
Recfishwest Operations Officer Aaron Moses thanked Shimano, Down South Camping and Outdoors, Midland 4WD Centre and Early Bird Bait for sponsoring the terrific prizes.
“All of the sponsors’ support is what helps make the Salmon Slam as successful as it is,” Aaron said.
Best of the rest
The photo below of Taro Okamoto smiling with his salmon at Bunker Bay is exactly what salmon fishing is all about – fun!
The happy snap encapsulates the WA salmon fishery’s importance to the recreational sector and shows why recfishers spend $331 million annually chasing the iconic southern sportfish.
Taro has claimed the ‘Best Photo’ honours of the Salmon Slam’s fifth phase, with Taro set to receive a Western 4WDriver magazine pack and a Richter Lures lure pack.
The latest round’s random adult category – which includes a Halco Tackle pack, a $100 Anglers’ Fishing World apparel pack and a $50 Early Bird Bait voucher – was won by Pete Hastie.
It comes as the junior random category was won by Kasey Spaanderman.
Well done, Kasey, keep an eye out for a $150 Whitey’s Tackle and Camping tackle pack and a $100 Dunsborough Outdoor Sportz voucher in the post.
Less than one month
With the Salmon Slam set to come to an end on 31 May, there’s still many great prizes up for grabs!
This is highlighted by the 3.5m Seajay aluminium dinghy, powered by a six horse-power, four-stroke Honda outboard and trailer, supplied by Rusty’s Marine in Albany, decided by a random draw.
That means all fishers need to do to be in the running to win the tinny-trailer-outboard package is simply download the Salmon Slam app, catch a salmon and enter it in the comp. Read more here!
Two Shimano Stella 5000SW, one donated by Compleat Angler Nedlands and the other from Compleat Angler Rockingham, are also up for grabs. One will be given away as part of a random draw, while the other is part of the prize pack for the competition’s overall longest four fish winner! If you want to potentially claim a Stella, be sure to enter the Salmon Slam!
While the La Niña weather event has led to warmer water temperatures and in turn impacted this year’s salmon run, there are mounting reports of schools near Mandurah and along Perth.
If you’re a metro-based fisher, be sure to join us on the run and enter any Perth salmon catches into the Salmon Slam’s sixth phase before it comes to an end on 21 May.
- Feature image credit: Chris Liaros / Drone Adventures Bunbury WA
