Mott Prevails in Boondooma BASS Pro

Mild conditions and a rising dam greeted anglers for the fourth qualifying round of 2005, the Yamaha Boondooma BASS Pro. Overcoming personal setbacks, Matthew Mott topped the field of talented anglers to claim his second tour victory, and his first on home water.

Compiling a 6/6, 6.78kg limit for the tournament, Mott saved the best for last. He delivered his biggest session limit to the scales on Sunday morning, relegating Gold Coast local and Attack Boats manufacturer Drew Griffith to second place.

Alternating between a spinnerbait and a soft plastic presentation to tempt his quarry, Mott primarily focused his attention on two specific locations: the timber in the upper reaches of the Stuart arm of the waterway and the shallow sloping banks in the lower reaches of the Stuart.

Mott alternated his presentation between a ½ oz Smak Spinnerbait (colour- gold/ black/ and white), and a 3/8 oz Nitro jighead rigged 3” Slider (colour- blue gill). He cast his presentation to the weed-lined edges before freefalling it down the face of the weed, and retrieving back to the rod tip with a constant slow rolling retrieve. “The fish were definitely holding in the weed,” Mott said. “Working the lure across the top of the weed bed, then down the face where the fish were sitting, was the key.
“We found the fish during the Friday prefish, so I just plugged away all weekend with the same approach, and the fish slowly but surely came.”

Mott’s choice of tackle included a 6’6”, 3-6kg, Black Diamond Jigcast rod, matched to a Daiwa TDX baitcaster reel when fishing spinnerbaits, and a 7’ Black Diamond Flats Ranger rod, matched to a Daiwa 1500 Certate reel, when fishing soft plastics.

His choice of line and leader was comprised of 20lb Stealth braid and 20lb Berkley Vanish on his baitcaster tackle, and 4lb Berkley Fireline and 10lb Berkley Vanish on his spin outfit. He also used garlic scent and Egimax scent from Ecogear.

The standout lure of the two used by Mott, especially on the second day, was the more subtle soft plastic offering. It was this that delivered Mott the Daiwa Big Bass prize for the tournament.

Tipping the scales at 2.01kg, the specimen provided Mott with one of his few smiles early in the day, with his new outboard self destructing half an hour into the final session of the tournament.

“I was ropable when the boat blew a piston,” he said. “If I was able, I would have unbolted it and let it sink to the bottom of the dam.
“It wasn’t easy to overcome the disappointment and frustration. It was my non-boater Wayne Gordon who largely got me back on track, getting me to focus on putting two fish in the well.”

Those two fish proved to be his biggest limit for the event, delivering Mott, by his own admission, a surprising tournament win.

Event runner-up Drew Griffith showed that he’s more than just a boat builder, compiling a 6/6, 6.78kg limit to secure the $1250 prize cheque and the second of two automatic Grand Final berths on offer at the event.

Fishing for the edge bite, Griffith targeted the weed-dwelling bass in the Stuart arm of the dam. Here he cast his Jackall TN-70 (colour- HL black) to the shore, presenting it 4-5 feet from the edge, before retrieving it over the top of the weed and down the face of the weed.

“Once the lure had cleared the top of the weed I slowed the retrieve to allow the lure to the swim deeper,” Griffith explained.
“It was just like bream fishing. I used a slow jerking retrieve once the lure was away from the weed, and the fish seemed to like it.”

Griffith’s choice of tackle included a Gladiator Master Touch IM8 rod, 4kg, 1.8m, baitcaster rod, Banax Methodology 600L reel spooled with 20lb Tortue braid, and 13lb Tortue fluorocarbon as leader.

Claiming the mantle of the highest placed non-boater was ABT debutant Simon Barkhuizen.

Compiling a 3/6, 4.55kg bag for the event, the 37-year-old electrician shone on day one, leading the event heading into the second session, as well as having his hands on the $500 Daiwa Big Bass cheque before relinquishing it in the final session.

Barkhuizen’s tournament tackle included a 6’6” Daiwa baitcaster rod, Shimano baitcaster reel, 6lb Berkley Fireline and 10lb Berkley Vanish as leader. His lure of choice was the ever-popular Jackall TN-60, in chameleon colour.

The Yamaha BASS Pro tour moves to the fifth and final venue on the tournament schedule, travelling to Queensland, 27th-28th August, for the Suncorp Lake Somerset BASS Pro. For more information visit www.australianbass.com.au or phone Simon Goldsmith (07) 3268 3992 (b/h), 0427 32 64 64 (b/h).




Yamaha BASS Pro Series 2005: Yamaha Lake Boondooma BASS Pro Results
Place Angler AOY State F1 W1 F2 W2 F3 W3 TF TW Payout
1 Matthew MOTT 100 QLD 2 1.67 2 2.15 2 2.96 6 6.78 $2500 + $500
2 Drew GRIFFITH 99 QLD 2 1.6 2 2.7 2 2.08 6 6.38 $1,250
3 Carl JOCUMSEN 98 QLD 2 1.87 2 1.89 2 2.57 6 6.33 $1,100
4 Stephen KANOWSKI 97 QLD 2 1.85 2 2.13 2 1.76 6 5.74 $800
5 David YOUNG 96 QLD 1 1.43 2 2.01 2 1.99 5 5.43 $700
6 Tony PAYNE 95 QLD 1 0.66 2 2.13 2 2.55 5 5.34 $600
7 Dale MULLINS 94 QLD 2 1.45 2 2.47 1 1.24 5 5.16 $500
8 Dan RYAN 93 QLD 1 1.14 2 2.9 1 1.09 4 5.13 $400
9 Greg WALTON 92 QLD 2 2.61 2 2.52 4 5.13 $400
10 Zach KRONK 91 QLD 1 1.5 1 0.8 2 2.75 4 5.05 $400
11 Dave ROBINSON 90 QLD 2 2.29 2 1.58 1 1.02 5 4.89
12 Wayne PARRY 89 NSW 2 2.64 2 2.19 4 4.83
13 Colin SINGLETON 88 QLD 2 0.97 2 2.29 1 1.44 5 4.7
14 Paul FLEMING 87 QLD 2 1.73 2 1.51 2 1.38 6 4.62
15 Simon BARKHUISEN 86 QLD 2 3.33 1 1.22 3 4.55 Prize pack + Millerod + Shimano Spin Reel
16 David WARD 85 QLD 2 1.56 2 2.1 1 0.81 5 4.47
17 Barry OXFORD 84 QLD 2 2.48 1 1.3 1 0.67 4 4.45
19 Roy SOUTER 83 QLD 2 2.66 1 0.65 1 1.05 4 4.36 Prize pack + Eva Kool Esky + Pflueger Baitcaster Reel
18 Kerry SYMES 82 QLD 2 2.52 1 0.76 1 1.08 4 4.36
20 Dan MALLORY 81 QLD 1 0.49 2 2.18 2 1.65 5 4.32
21 Steve MORGAN 80 QLD 2 1.64 2 2.56 4 4.2
22 Wayne BLUNDELL 79 QLD 2 1.63 2 1.59 1 0.87 5 4.09
23 Gerard BARTON 78 NSW 1 0.75 2 1.74 1 1.45 4 3.94 Prize pack + Mossops Prize Bag
24 Ian BLACK 77 QLD 1 0.82 2 2.62 1 0.48 4 3.92
25 Trevor FOOTE 76 QLD 1 0.91 1 0.63 2 2.38 4 3.92 Prize pack + Angler rod
26 Bruce MOSS 75 QLD 1 0.99 2 2.18 1 0.72 4 3.89
27 Trent MANDER 74 QLD 2 2.27 1 1.58 3 3.85
28 Wayne GORDON 73 QLD 1 1.12 1 0.91 2 1.79 4 3.82 Prize pack + Pfluger rod
29 Chris THOMPSON 72 QLD 2 2.07 2 1.72 4 3.79 Prize pack + Shimano Baitcaster Rod
30 Peter MORGAN 71 QLD 2 2.43 1 1.35 3 3.78
31 David GREEN 70 QLD 2 1.93 2 1.85 4 3.78
32 Kerry EHRLICH 69 QLD 2 2.37 1 1.36 3 3.73 Prize pack + Strudwick Sic Stik
33 Mark HARTWELL 68 QLD 2 2.22 1 1.45 3 3.67 Prize pack + Keep Alive Aerator
34 Brad SMITH 67 NSW 2 2.17 2 1.47 4 3.64
35 Mark MANGOLD 66 NSW 2 2.24 2 1.23 4 3.47 Prize pack + Keep Alive Aerator
36 Kevin JONES 65 QLD 1 0.97 1 1.82 1 0.65 3 3.44 Prize pack
37 Mal FAVAGER 64 QLD 2 2.86 1 0.52 3 3.38
38 Mike CONNOLLY 63 QLD 2 1.38 2 1.94 4 3.32
39 Barry JACKSON 62 QLD 2 1.45 2 1.87 4 3.32
40 Mike CREIGHTON 61 QLD 2 2.17 1 1.14 3 3.31
41 Baden SPARROW 60 QLD 2 1.99 1 1.28 3 3.27
42 Jeff BRUNSDON 59 NSW 1 0.64 1 0.6 2 1.99 4 3.23
43 Rob SMITH 58 QLD 2 2.12 1 1.08 3 3.2
44 Justin SCOTT 57 NSW 1 0.86 2 2.29 3 3.15
45 Glen CASEY 56 NSW 1 1.29 2 1.84 3 3.13
46 Peter MAY 55 Qld 2 1.26 2 1.23 1 0.59 5 3.08
47 Brent POWER 54 NSW 1 0.73 1 0.94 1 1.36 3 3.03
48 Dean SILVESTER 53 NSW 1 0.66 2 2.32 3 2.98
49 Charlie LADD 52 QLD 2 2.35 1 0.55 3 2.9
50 Craig SIMMONS 51 QLD 1 0.57 2 2.31 3 2.88
51 Paul FOOTE 50 QLD 2 1.85 1 0.99 3 2.84
52 Jay MORGAN 49 QLD 1 0.68 2 2.03 3 2.71
53 Michael PASCOE 48 NSW 1 1 1 0.91 1 0.73 3 2.64
54 Chris ELDRED 47 QLD 2 2.61 2 2.61
55 Stephen ALMOND 46 NSW 1 0.72 2 1.8 3 2.52
56 John SCHOFIELD 45 QLD 2 1.48 2 0.98 4 2.46
57 Harry WATSON 44 QLD 2 2.44 2 2.44
58 Jason EHRLICH 43 QLD 2 1.65 1 0.74 3 2.39
59 Peter KEIDGE 42 QLD 2 2.37 2 2.37
60 Christian SERNE 41 NSW 2 2.37 2 2.37
61 Rod PENNINGTON 40 2 2.34 2 2.34
62 Gary HARDMAN 39 NSW 2 2.34 2 2.34
63 Mark PERTOT 38 QLD 1 1.1 1 1.24 2 2.34
64 Max FROST 37 NSW 1 0.68 2 0.98 1 0.68 4 2.34
65 Mike DELISSER 36 QLD 1 0.92 1 1.41 2 2.33
66 Mick CLARKE 35 NSW 1 1.71 1 0.59 2 2.3
67 Chris ELLIOT 34 Qld 2 2.2 2 2.2
68 Stephen TRACEY 33 Qld 1 0.79 1 1.41 2 2.2
69 David MUDD 32 NSW 2 1.63 1 0.56 3 2.19
70 Steven BECHLY 31 QLD 2 2.16 2 2.16
71 Ross MURRAY 30 Qld 2 2.13 2 2.13
72 Michael STEWART 29 QLD 1 1.09 1 0.8 2 1.89
73 Robin ROBINSON 28 Qld 1 0.61 1 1.19 2 1.8
74 Jeremy WAKELIN 27 Qld 2 1.79 2 1.79
75 Cameron BALL 26 QLD 2 1.78 2 1.78
76 David HISLOP 25 QLD 1 0.92 1 0.74 2 1.66
77 Trevor STEAD 24 QLD 1 0.64 1 0.95 2 1.59
78 Trevor ELLIOT 23 QLD 1 1.51 1 1.51
79 Bradley CLARK 22 QLD 2 1.5 2 1.5
80 Peter JENKINS 21 NSW 2 1.49 2 1.49
81 Bob TOWN 20 QLD 1 1.46 1 1.46
82 Gavin DUNNE 19 QLD 2 1.42 2 1.42
83 Jamie HARDMAN 18 NSW 2 1.28 2 1.28
84 Robert BARTLETT 17 QLD 1 1.27 1 1.27
85 Steven MCDONALD 16 NSW 2 1.2 2 1.2
86 Vicki WINTER 15 NSW 1 1.12 1 1.12
87 Trent BUTLER 14 QLD 1 1.09 1 1.09
88 Adrian KAMPF 13 QLD 1 1.04 1 1.04
89 Spiro ZANTIOTIS 12 QLD 1 0.94 1 0.94
90 Jason JOVANOVIC 11 QLD 2 0.91 2 0.91
91 Matt ANDERSON 10 NSW 1 0.9 1 0.9
92 Tony ZANTIOTIS 9 QLD 1 0.85 1 0.85
93 David MCLEAN 8 NSW 1 0.82 1 0.82
94 Matt FRASER 7 QLD 1 0.72 1 0.72
95 Ken MURRAY 6 Qld 1 0.65 1 0.65
96 Rodney SCHULL 5 QLD 1 0.59 1 0.59
97 Sue FLEMING 4 QLD 1 0.56 1 0.56
98 Nicole JOVANOVIC Qld
98 Andrew HOMANN NSW
98 Brad HOLMAN QLD
98 Ray SARGENT QLD
98 Andrew PULBROOK NSW
98 Scott MCKENZIE QLD
98 Bill JONES
98 Tony MOTT QLD
98 Paul COOPER QLD
98 Peter BOUGHTON NSW
98 Corey EHRLICH QLD