Ep 184: Hobie Kayak Fishing, Round 9, St Georges Basin, 4-5 Oct ,2025

Hobie Fishing Series Round 9 – St Georges Basin | Grant Oliver Claims First Hobie Win | The Bream Fishing Project

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to St Georges Basin on the South Coast of New South Wales to recap Round 9 of the 2025 Hobie Fishing Series, brought to you by BerleyPro and Fish Tech Solutions.

This was a tough two-day tournament, with only three full bags recorded across the entire field, but despite the difficult conditions there were still some standout performances, including a dominant win from Grant Oliver, who put together two full bags for a total of 4.57 kg and secured his first Hobie Fishing Series victory.

Host Andrew Death, the 2019 Hobie Kayak Fishing World Champion, was also on the water for this event and sets the scene for a challenging but memorable weekend that included changing conditions, strong bite windows, a daylight savings time change, and a few big storylines — including the season-long Batman and Robin battle between Simon Morley and Tony Petty.

If you enjoy tournament recaps, kayak fishing strategy, and hearing how top anglers break down difficult BREAM events, this is an episode worth listening to.

Event Overview

Event: Hobie Fishing Series Round 9
Location: St Georges Basin, NSW
Dates: 4–5 October 2025
Sponsors: BerleyPro and Fish Tech Solutions

St Georges Basin produced a very tough round, with anglers having to adapt to changing weather and low bag numbers across the field.

Conditions and Bite Periods Saturday – 4 October

Fish Activity Wheel: 60
Major Bite Period: 8:02 AM – 10:32 AM

High Tide: 6:12 AM – 1.18 m
Low Tide: 11:51 AM – 0.44 m

Sunday – 5 October

Fish Activity Wheel: 74
Major Bite Period: 9:49 AM – 12:19 PM

High Tide: 7:49 AM – 1.29 m
Low Tide: 1:39 PM – 0.32 m

A couple of factors made the event even tougher:

• A north-westerly wind came through on Sunday
• Daylight savings changed on Saturday night, meaning anglers effectively started an hour earlier on Sunday

The result was a challenging competition where every fish counted.

Division Winners Anaconda Big BREAM

Ben Harrison – 0.99 kg

Monster Mover

Luke Rogan – 1.95 kg

After recording zero on Day 1, Luke came back strongly on Sunday to claim the Monster Mover prize.

Women’s Division

Leanne Cowen

Leanne landed three fish for 1.97 kg on Saturday, which was enough to secure the women’s division and finish 12th overall.

Masters Division

Peter Nord – 2.62 kg

Peter recorded 1.99 kg on Saturday and one fish for 630 g on Sunday.

Overall Podium Results

🥇 1st – Grant Oliver
Day 1: 3 fish – 2.27 kg
Day 2: 3 fish – 2.30 kg
Total: 4.57 kg

🥈 2nd – Adam Lalor
Day 1: 3 fish – 2.15 kg
Day 2: 3 fish – 1.35 kg
Total: 3.50 kg

🥉 3rd – Rick King
Day 1: 3 fish – 1.85 kg
Day 2: 2 fish – 1.30 kg
Total: 3.15 kg

Only three anglers recorded full bags for the entire tournament, highlighting just how tough the fishing was.

Rick King – Third Place

Rick King continued what he described as a “purple patch” season, finishing third overall with 3.15 kg.

Rick committed to fishing the islands, using shallow crankbaits and blades to grind out bites in difficult conditions.

Key lures and techniques discussed in this episode:

• Pro Lure Combat crankbaits
• Stealth blades
• Slow rolling crankbaits to avoid weed
• Fishing 1–2.2 metres around the islands

Rick finished the season 7th in Angler of the Year and walked away with:

• $550 cash
• Hobie trophy
• Sponsor prize pack

Adam Lalor – Second Place

Adam Lalor had one of the most dramatic performances of the event.

After struggling most of the morning on Day 1, Adam suddenly caught three fish in three casts to secure a bag over 2 kg.

Key techniques Adam discusses in the episode:

• Daiwa Rolling Cranks in brown suji
• Fishing shallow structure around the islands
• Switching to Hurricane Vibe 37 in camo crab
• Fishing the entire event on 2 lb fluorocarbon

Adam also talks about rod choices, including Millerods Flats Freak rods, and how long casts helped him cover water effectively.

For second place Adam received:

• $915 cash
• BerleyPro Bottom Drawer storage system
• Trophy
• AC qualification
• Sponsor prize pack

Grant Oliver – First Place

Grant Oliver delivered the standout performance of the tournament, catching two full bags for a winning total of 4.57 kg.

Grant relied on years of accumulated marks around St Georges Basin and focused on a consistent pattern fishing 2–2.5 metres around the islands.

Key lures and techniques:

• Jackall Chubby Deep – brown suji
• Pro Lure Clone Prawn
• Gulp Nemesis soft plastics
• Slow rolling crankbaits into weed and sand patches
• Targeting known fish-holding structure

After filling his bag early both days, Grant upgraded multiple times to secure a winning margin of just over one kilogram.

First place winnings included:

• $1,500 cash
• Hobie trophy
• Sponsor prize pack
• Australian Championship qualification

Batman vs Robin – The Season Result

For years, Simon Morley and Tony Petty have jokingly been called Batman and Robin, a nickname given by Peter Nord.

The rule is simple:

Whoever finishes highest becomes Batman.
The other becomes Robin.

Round 9 Result

Simon Morley – 7th place (2.58 kg)
Tony Petty – 8th place (2.57 kg)

Just 10 grams separated them, meaning Simon Morley was Batman for the round.

2025 Angler of the Year

1. Joseph Gardner

2. Simon Morley

3. Tony Petty

4. Jack Gamy

5. Ryan Honeybrook

6. Adam Lalor

7. Rick King

8. Brendan Pieschel

9. Greg Cooper

10. Peter Nord

This means Simon Morley was Batman for the 2025 season as well.

Why This Episode Is Worth Listening To

This episode is packed with insights for anglers interested in:

• BREAM tournament fishing
• Hobie kayak fishing events
• St Georges Basin fishing strategies
• lure selection in tough conditions
• two-day tournament tactics
• how top anglers adapt when fish are hard to catch

When only three anglers manage full bags, every decision becomes important — and that’s where the best lessons come from.

The Bream Fishing Project

Hosted by Andrew Death,
2019 Hobie Kayak Fishing World Champion.

Each week the show features:

• tournament recaps
• interviews with top anglers
• lure fishing strategies
• kayak fishing insights

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