The biggest news this week is that the Bundegi Boat Ramp will be officially open this Thursday the 30th!!! Hooray. It will ready perfectly in time for the Betta Billfish Bonanza which starts on Friday. There is an open invitation to all residents and visitors to attend the official opening at 4pm at Bundegi. There will be light refreshments after the official opening. This will certainly make access to surrounding areas much safer for small craft, as well as shortening the extra miles to the marina for trailer boat users.

Thursday the 30th is also the briefing for the Betta Billfish Bonanza, while fishing commences Friday and finishes on Sunday. John Ericson from one of the Exmouth Game Fishing Clubs sponsors, Failea Wines, is competing in the fishing competition and is presenting a 'Fun Night with Wine' on the Saturday at the rec centre. These wines are preservative free (which means no headaches... I like it!) and his port just won a major award in WA. If you are not competing and would like to come along to this evening or the presentation night, then please contact Jeni on 9949 1315 for further information.

Lots of bait schools have been spotted out in the gulf with the likes of trevally, tuna, sailfish, mackerel and cobia feeding on them at different times. The sailfish haven't been showing up in large pods yet according to a couple of teams who headed out for practice days, although one boat raised over 20 fish yesterday, but they are keeping the location in the gulf secret! No doubt, the word will be out and hopefully there will be plenty for the many teams expected to participate. Bonnie McKinven and Jae Danks caught their first sailfish on Sunday. As you can imagine, both girls were ecstatic and got some happy snaps from the day.

Pictured this week is Bonnie, with partner Steve Moore on Steve's boat. The weather was so calm, that they even took their two dogs out for the day! Touch wood for the weather for the tournament! A few marlin have been hooked on the west side but only a couple have been landed. With the increase in air and water temperatures, as summer approaches, all sorts of pelagic fish have been showing up including large dolphin fish, schools of wahoo and large mackerel off the west side.

Youngsters Braden Cooper, Luke Collins and Luke's Dad headed out to the islands in the gulf over the weekend and managed to land some ripper cod, blue line emperor and a huge charlie using Atomic gold and glitter soft plastics and Roosta poppers. The cod took the popper off the surface with a spectacular strike, but shortly after spat the lure