Friendly rivalry is part and parcel of fishing and so it was on this trip. The title for Champion Angler was out of reach, with George Rehua’s two billfish effectively unbeatable on the last day. Mick Keeling and Simon Deane were happy with one each, but Craig ‘Grinner’ Newton was yet to score.


Grinner is a serious fisherman, one of Queensland’s professional shark catching contractors, with his own boat and charter business. He is an experienced campaigner when it comes to competition fishing. With the titles for Most Fish and Most Wahoo safely under his belt, he switched tactics to target the prestigious title for Best Variety.

Directing Captain Jared to likely spots, Grinner showed his skills in a devastating display of angling ability. His first capture for the day was this solid Coral Trout, followed in short order by a nice Dogtooth Tuna.

Well done Grinner!