For further information contact:
President: John Ambrose 0425 254063
Secretary: Jackie Keane 0407 807733
Treasurer: Ted Mackay 0416 770345
Shoal Bay Fishing Club History
The club doesn’t have the history of our other more famous local fishing club, the Newcastle & Port Stephens Game Fish Club but nevertheless has been long established as an important part of social and fishing opportunities for families on the Tomaree Peninsula.
The club was started in late 1985 with the support of the Shoal Bay Country Club, support which has continued through the years. Many of the founding members were also active members of the Game Fish Club and hence the two clubs have always enjoyed a close association
The first competition weekend was held in March 1986 with a weigh-in and BBQ in the park near Shoal Bay Boat Ramp carpark on the Sunday afternoon. The club has held a competition weekend and Sunday social function & weigh-in every month since. Monthly functions are now held at the Shoal Bay Fishing Club shelter which was erected by club members on the site in 1987 with the sanction of Port Stephens Council as a public facility.
Events
Activities revolve around monthly fishing competition weekends where anglers target a list of common local species competing for small monthly prizes and major bragging rights. Monthly points accumulate for annual trophies which are normally presented at a dinner in late June. Competitions are in three sections, Estuary, Beach & Rock and Deep Sea with separate competitions for Juniors under 10 and Juniors 10 - 15.
Monthly competition weekends, usually on the second full weekend of the month finish with a social BBQ and weigh-in at the Shoal Bay Fishing Club shelter near Shoal Bay boat ramp.
The club has been very successful over many years with a cross section of members from skilled anglers to the not so skilled and many who just enjoy the social side of it with a bonus feed of fish from time to time.
An important responsibility and fund raiser is the Nelson Bay Trailerboat Fishing Tournament which the club has hosted each year just prior to Easter for the past 20 years. After the rigours of the trailerboat tournament the club traditionally spends a social weekend at Seal Rocks highlighted by a fish cook–up on the open fire on the Saturday night.
A major fundraiser and social gathering is our raffle evening at the Newcastle & Port Stephens Game Fish Club, Shoal Bay every Friday starting about 5.30pm.
An annual competition is held with Fingal Bay Fishing Club competing for the Broughton Island Classic Shield. The competition is so named because it started as a weekend stay on Broughton Island until a storm wiped us out in the early 1990s. All vessels and crew returned safely but the competition has not included an organised weekend stay since.
Hello
Due to Port Stephens Council's conditions of the shelters construction, the facility is well used by different organisations both sporting, local and the general public.
