The Fishing Factory Orange will host its fourth Redfin Challenge at Lake Lyell this Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21.
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Anglers from as far as Nelson’s Bay, Salamander Bay and Newcastle, as well as locals, will be in attendance.
According to Owner of The Fishing Factory Ian “Macca” McLean, the aim of the weekend was to catch and remove as many Redfin from the lake as possible.
“Redfin are a pest and they eat all of the other fish and breed like crazy, so we hope to get a lot out of the water and make some fun out of it,” he said.
Last year’s competition saw 773 Redfin caught over two days of fishing.
“It just goes to show you how many of the little buggers are in there,” Macca said.
He said throughout the weekend there would be prizes from The Fishing Factory for the biggest Redfin caught and something for every child.
“We will have a weighing point at our campsite where we can measure how big each fish is, put it on a score sheet and hopefully give you a prize,” Macca said.
He also mentioned that prizes were only for caught Redfins, not trout or bass.
Macca said there would be an opportunity to catch tagged Redfin worth good money.
“We’ve got a red tag valued at $700, pink for $300, yellow for $200 and a beige and green tag worth $100 each,” he said.
He urged people to come to Lake Lyell and have a go.
“It’s fun for everyone and we can save our fish and catch those pests,” he said,
While it was a weekend of fun Macca said the worst thing was that they would never be able to get rid of the Redfin completely.
“We can have a good time and make some sort of difference, but there’s just so many of them,” he said.
He said most Redfin were only small in size, but powerful in numbers.
“Fresh water rabbits, that’s what they are, the rabbits of the waterway, they breed and takeover everything,” he said,
In hope to get rid of the pests Macca said they would help anglers locate the schools of fish.
“There are no secrets, if you don’t know where they are then we’re gonna tell you,” he said.
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There will be plenty for everyone over the weekend including a fishing simulator and The Fishing Factory merchandise van.
Entry fee is $40 each or $100 for a team of four and $15 for children under the age of 16.
Lines are to be in the water by 7.30 am on Saturday and up by 1 pm on the Sunday, followed by a presentation at 2 pm.
More details about the event can be found on The Fishing Factory Orange Facebook page.
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