Local bream fishing enthusiast, Steven Pryke, is the 2023 Hobie Fishing Series 14 Australian Champion after outpointing 56 of the country's best anglers at Mallacoota last weekend.
The championship saw the leading qualifiers from 14 events, including bream events at Marlo, Bemm River, Camden Haven, Woy Woy, Sydney, Gold Coast and St Georges Basin, hit the water in identical supplied kayaks, specially fitted out for the event, with Pryke emerging victorious his nine bream haul weighing in at 8.05 kilograms (kgs).
Pryke held the lead after day one with his three bream bag weighing in at 2.64 before relinquishing the lead to Bega's Ben Hanscombe on day two by just 0.08kg.
But another consistent bag of 2.68kg saw Pryke home by 0.72kg from Queensland's Tyson Hayes and Hanscombe.
The event had to be modified because of the strong winds that struck the region, resulting in the loss of the navigation day (Thursday) and Saturday being called a rest day.

IMAGE:  Lakes Entrance angler Steven Pryke is the Hobie Fishing Series 14 Australian Champion after a near perfect outing of bream fishing at Mallacoota last weekend. Pryke weighed in nine fish with a total weight of 8.05 kilograms to finish 0.78kg ahead of Queensland’s Thomas Hayes. (Photo: Hobie Australia)