Fish of the Month

Competition

Each month fantastic prizes are up for grabs in both Junior and Senior divisions of our Fish of the Month competition. Entry is FREE and open to all recreational anglers. Simply snap a pic of your catch (must be caught in the month of entry) and let it find its way to our Facebook page.

Important Competition Update

Entries in the all new Fish of the Month competition have been fantastic and already, in these first months, include estaury, landbased, inhore and offshore catches. Congratulations to all who have submitted entries so far, and we encourage you to enter as many times as you'd like. Understandably, we have also fielded questions regarding the criteria which might decide the winning entry in each division. The FISHING WAREHOUSE TEAM has delivered these points for consideration. *SIZE - The largest fish by length or weight does not guarantee a winning entry, but either or both measures are helpful when considering an entry. PHOTOGRAPH - A good clean photograph of your catch is always better than a blurry photo or one marked by shadows. Equally, a nice clean fish free of blood and broken gills might not find favour with the judges. MERIT - Tell us a yarn about your catch and include thinks like difficulty of capture, line size, lure or bait... and perhaps other details that make for an interesting story. POPULARITY - In the event of hung decisions determining the winner in either Senior or Junior categories, public opinion by way of Facebook 'likes' and 'shares' may tip the judges decision in your favour - so SHARE your 'Fish of the Month' entry post with all of your Facebook friends. #fishingwarehousefom

SIMPLE FISH PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

Anglers need not be experienced or avid photographers to snap quality images of their catch.

Following just a few simple guidelines can show off your, or your mate's, catch and preserve that special moment for a lifetime. Regardless of the camera you might be using – an expensive SLR, compact camera or cheap point-and-shoot unit – or most commonly your mobile phone – the tips are universal for most travel type photography and generally an Auto or Automatic setting will do the job just fine.

FILL THE FRAME with the subject – in this case, fish and angler. While the background can sometimes help tell the story, the point of interest is the fish first – and secondly, the angler.

NOTE – holding a fish way out in front with extended arms might fill the frame, but doesn't fool judges regarding the size of the fish and often hides the angler who is most often, as important a subject as the fish.

The main subject, the fish, should be clean and free of blood, loose or damaged scales and broken fins. It is usually best if the fish is photographed in the moments soon after landing while alive and fins erect, colours vibrant and the eye vivid. Likewise, the successful angler could do well to show any emotion surrounding the catch – a smile is always a winner – and hat, sunglasses and buff can be removed momentarily for the best photograph.

COMPOSITION of the photograph can be considered at this time and removing unsightly background clutter like drinks, discarded clothing, food packaging, cigarettes and the like can greatly enhance the end result. Even other anglers in the background can distract from what might have been a fantastic photograph.

LIGHTING is always worthwhile considering and simply, the dominant light source (usually the sun) should generally be kept over the photographer's shoulder and hopefully reducing shadows cast on the fish and /or the angler.

Use a flash when possible – even in the middle of the day. This is referred to as 'fill flash' and can negate shadows cast by hats, rods, angler and fish. It remains possible and sometimes creative to shoot with the subject in front of a low setting or rising sun and that same fill flash will negate any unsightly shadows.