Mallacoota failed to disappoint last weekend, producing exceptional catch numbers for round three of the Vicbream Classic, even if the legendary “blue-nose” monsters of yesteryear proved elusive.
A sensational second-day surge saw Mario and Mikey Vukic rocket up the standings to seize victory and the Doug Phayer Memorial Trophy with a 10-bream tournament total of 9.815 kilograms. Sitting in fourth position after opening day, the pair delivered a masterful Sunday bag of five fish weighing 5.22 kilograms to secure the crown.
Mitch Nichols and Ben Thelan (9.735kg) held onto their consistency to claim a clear second place, while overnight leaders Peter Bakaj Sr and Peter Bakaj Jr (8.960kg) finished third.
The undisputed big movers of the tournament were Jacob Dobbs and Tristan Lock. Their day-two haul of five fish weighed in at an impressive 4.905 kilograms, catapulting them a massive 39 places up the leaderboard to finish 15th overall. The duo also walked away with individual honours after landing the biggest bream of the classic — a cracking 1.205-kilogram black bream.
Meanwhile, the future of the sport looked bright as Dusty Treloar took out the junior angler prize, finishing an seventh overall in the senior field.
The highly successful weekend saw 68 teams descend on Mallacoota, landing a total of 628 fish with a healthy average weight of 0.724 kilograms.
Anglers will now turn their attention to Warrnambool, which hosts the next round of the Vicbream Classic on August 23–24. The 2026 season grand final will take place on the familiar waters of Marlo on November 21–22, where the top 50 teams from across the nation will battle for the prestigious title.
