Silvester wins on Somerset

Dean Silvester of Queensland, Australia, won the third event of the Australia B.A.S.S. Nation’s inaugural season, in July.

QUEENSLAND, Australia — Dean Silvester of Queensland, Australia, won the third event of the Australia B.A.S.S. Nation’s inaugural season, in July.

“Somerset is a unique place, as you are only ever one cast away from a true record fish,” said Drew McGrath, president of the Australia B.A.S.S. Nation.

Silvester caught 4.85 kgs (10 pounds, 11 ounces) over two days using a specific long-lining technique that he discovered last fall.

“In the Queen Street area fishing in 28 to 32 feet of water, Dean would locate the bass on the sounder, and then run a Jackall Muscle Deep 4+ or a Jackall Muscle Deep 2.5+ that had some weights added to them to make them sink through the schools,” explained McGrath.

“Dean would cast out the lure, drive away from it and count it down for around 120 seconds, then dredge it through the area to entice a strike. He noticed that most of the fish would take the lure at the start of the retrieve, and the only reason he stopped fishing the technique on Day 1 because quite a few anglers started gathering around.”

Silvester used a Dobyns 703 Champion Extreme and a Quantum EXO SP PT EX 25PTI reel spooled with 12-pound-test Yamatoyo P.E. with a Yamotoyo 8-pound fluorocarbon leader.

“Even though long-lining has been around for an extended period, this technique obviously hasn’t been overexposed by the Australian tournament anglers,” explained McGrath, “and Dean has refined it to a point where it has the bass climbing all over it.”

Matt Johnson finished in second place with 3.28 kg, and Tom Slater finished in third with 3.14 kg. Mick Cullen won the co-angler competition with 3.17 kg.

Dane Radosevic caught the Arrow Big Bass of the tournament, a 2.41-kg (5-pound, 5-ounce) Australian bass. He was using a 1/2-ounce TT jighead and a Baby Bass Slider. Silvester caught the Austackle Big Bass Bag for 3.72 kgs on Day 1.

The next tournament will be held at Lake Glenbawn in New South Wales, followed by the Megabass B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

“In only a matter of months, one of our anglers will be representing us for the first time in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in Louisiana, with a real opportunity to make the Bassmaster Classic,” said McGrath. “I can’t think of anything more exciting in Australian fishing at this time, and realistically it’s a game changer for the anglers, fans and industry, so get behind us as much as you can.”