Nagambie resident Jono Moore's weekend of fishing took a profitable turn when he caught the largest Murray cod at the GoFish Nagambie tournament at the weekend.
Almost 1500 competitors made their way to Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre from Thursday to compete, and more than 2000 fish were caught over the course of the weekend.
Mr Moore’s 105cm cod earned him the $80,000 top prize.
The 18-year-old caught the Murray cod on Saturday morning, taking top spot on the leader board.
“We were in the right spot, but I didn’t think we’d get one,” Mr Moore said.
“I cast it in behind a log and the big cod smashed my lure and took me under the log.
“It took me five minutes to get it out and it was only just hooked.”
The winning catch was the first metre-long cod Mr Moore had ever caught.
“I’m buying a boat and hopefully a house,” he said.
GoFish Nagambie organiser Rod Lockwood said the event was a great way to show off the local fishing scene to tourists.
“It’s great to be back in Nagambie hosting fishos from all over Australia,” he said.
“To showcase this amazing waterway and town and get the fishing fraternity together for a celebration after a tough few years is amazing.”
Social Fishing founder and GoFish Nagambie ambassador Rhys Creed said fishing conditions were “red hot” at the weekend.
“The fishing has been the best we’ve seen at a GoFish event,” he said on Saturday.
“It’s been a windy morning but it hasn't slowed the fish down.”
Speaking after running into Mr Moore at the bakery after he hooked the winning catch, GoFish ambassador and IFish TV host Paul Worsteling said the winner and his friend “had the biggest grins on their faces”.
“I asked them if they’d had a good morning on the water,” he said.
“They were shaking and they said they reckoned they’d just landed the winner.”
Hosted and organised by Go Nagambie, GoFish joined forced with the Nagambie On Water Festival, which also attracted hundreds of swimmers to Lake Nagambie’s shores.
Go Adventure Nagambie yabby races, grape stomps, open water swims, Vic Fish Kids fishing clinics, canoe challenges and Golf Shootout, as well as Seymour and Kilmore Toyota Longest Kick, were also hosted at the weekend.