{"id":135142,"date":"2016-02-16T19:44:30","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T09:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=135142"},"modified":"2020-10-22T16:19:25","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T06:19:25","slug":"yellowbelly-weekend-breaks-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/02\/16\/yellowbelly-weekend-breaks-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellowbelly Weekend Breaks Record"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boondooma Fish Stocking Association’s Terry Allwood congratulates Lincoln Neal from Tara, who won this year’s Heaviest Bass with a 1.75kg specimen; compere Matthew Mott said Lincoln’s haul had also won him a nameplate on the Wondai Accounting and Tax Services perpetual trophy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year’s Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition broke a 28-year record.<\/p>\n

The popular amateur fishing competition, which was held at Lake Boondooma last weekend, drew 832 competitors (630 adults and 202 juniors), smashing the previous record of 721 set several years ago.<\/p>\n

Boondooma Dam Fish Stocking Association spokesman Terry Allwood said the lake fished extremely well for this year’s event.<\/p>\n

“The water level was 62 per cent and over 200 fish went through the catch and release section, and another 316 in the gilled and gutted section,” Terry said.<\/p>\n

“The biggest Yellowbelly of the event was weighed in at 2.25kg.”<\/p>\n

To handle the record numbers turning up at the competition’s three weigh-ins, the Association trialled a new processing method that shaved almost one-third off normal weigh-in times.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fish Stocking Association President Glenn Munro said he wanted to pass on the group’s thanks to participants for their “patient and supportive” attitude.<\/p>\n

Glenn said next year the group will see if it can streamline the process even more.<\/p>\n

Lake Boondooma Tourist Park operator Corey Goldie said he was delighted with the turnout.<\/p>\n

“The camping grounds were packed all weekend, and the atmosphere was great,” he said.<\/p>\n

Cash and other prizes were presented at the end of each of the competition’s three sessions, and the overall winners picked up the major prizes at the conclusion of the event.<\/p>\n

The Fish Stocking Association uses profits from the event to supplement fishing permit funds it receives from the Queensland Government to restock Boondooma Dam.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We made more than a $20,000 profit from the weekend, so the future for Lake Boondooma fishery is looking very healthy,” Terry Allwood said.<\/p>\n

To date, the group has released approximately 4.5 million fingerlings into Lake Boondooma.<\/p>\n

The Association congratulated all the winners and everyone else who attended and help make this year’s Yellowbelly such a success.<\/p>\n

It also wanted to thank the many generous sponsors who continue to support the Yellowbelly.<\/p>\n

During the weekend more than 250 prizes, with a total value of more than $25,000, were given away.<\/p>\n

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2016 Yellowbelly Winners<\/strong><\/h3>\n