Catching carp and shooting targets during Weeks of Speed

Nearly 100 people took part in the Sinker to Shotgun competition last weekend as part of ‘Weeks of Speed’.

There were 33 teams of three for the fishing at Lake Keepit last Saturday, before the same contingent converged at the Gunnedah Sporting Clays club the next day for the shooting.

Many attendees were locals while others came from Sydney, Port Macquarie, Narromine and Wollongong, as there was a mix of regulars and first-timers.

With very strong winds on the first day, some participants stood near the edge of the water as they used their fishing rods while other participants sat on a boat in the lake.

The teams gained one point for each carp that they caught, with more than 800 carp being captured as there was a laidback and casual vibe despite the realisation that these sought-after fish were invasive.

There was also a very social atmosphere as many tales were told about ‘big fish that got away’.

For the record, the biggest fish caught was 87cm long.

The following day, the teams of three were made into squads of six while the scores from shooting 102 targets were added to the previous day’s fishing scores.

The wind was somewhat lighter on the second day than the first day, although the cloud cover made it hard to see the targets clearly.

The overall winning team for the weekend was Tangles 2 with 301 points, as this team comprised brothers Ben and Josh Chaffey and Josh’s son Lachlan.

Results were as follows:

Fishing: winners Sinkin Tins 107; biggest fish Tangles 2 with 87cm.

Shooting: Overall high gun Matthew Hutton 96; Best lady shooter Dimitty Dawson 71; Best junior shooter Lachlan Chaffey 66; Best dressed team Fins and Tins; Captain’s Cup Darren Dewson.

Overall team results: 1st Tangles 2 301, 2nd Mud Marlins 295, 3rd Crokked Shots 279, 4th The Hutto’s 267, 5th Team Mutiny 264.