Pro angler Corey Goldie supports ambassadorship with Bluefin Boats

Corey 'Cap' Goldie attends five fishing tournaments annually in Queensland, where he lived up until two years ago, but recently found himself unable to fish at all.

"Once a month is a general tournament for me, once a week is a general fish, so once COVID hit, I was going a bit stir-crazy," he said.

"So I started up a little live stream show called 'Chewing the fat with the Cap', running it live on YouTube and Facebook on Monday nights.

"I started calling up people from the tournament scene and having them as guests.

"I gave away some gear I wasn't using, and got some people to send me the gear they weren't using."

It attracted the attention of Bluefin Boats and Mr Goldie put to his competition sponsor that he'd really like to mentor a future sportsman or sportswoman.

Mr Goldie is taking video applications for an Alloycraft Australia brand ambassadorship and will guide the person successful - who will also win a boat - in becoming a pro angler on the Australian tournament circuit.

"I'm going to teach them, not just how to fish but how to be on social media and interact with people," he said.

"It's not set up for somebody like myself whose established in the tournament scene, it's finding that next up-and-comer.

"This is the first time in Australia that a program like this has been run.

"The response has been massive - we are hunting Australia-wide."

Tournament fishing is so popular in America, there are college teams.

"In Australia it's still classed as a recreation - a lot of people are scared to do it," Mr Goldie said.

"The tournament season here is just about finished; this weekend was going to be the Australian open in Monto, Queensland.

"Because of Covid, they couldn't run that, so they decided to run NSW and Queensland opens.

"There are local Victorian comps, but they're not as big on the scene as the NSW and Queensland comps."

The Wodonga Caravan and Cabin Park manager, nicknamed 'Cap' for 'captain' because he "was always the oldest bloke on the boat" is passionate about growing the sport.

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"I am mad-keen," Mr Goldie said.

"Growing up in sport, once I got to that dreaded age of 40, I still wanted competitiveness, but didn't like golf or anything like that.

"Social fishing is great, but tournament fishing gives you that competitive edge."

With his business being quiet, Mr Goldie is stoked to be back in the water after stage three restrictions were eased, and is excited about choosing a winner for the brand ambassadorship.

"We can't really complain," he said.