2022 Champion Angler Matthew Caruso with RSL Club CEO David Hart and Mel Clarke.
Photo by
Bryanna Rossow
He might only be 12, but Matthew Caruso has proven he can fish with the best of them.
The youngster claimed the Deniliquin Fishing Classic’s most coveted trophy — the Champion Angler.
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Believed to be the only junior to have ever won the trophy, Matthew claimed it with a cumulative total length of 511cm.
He landed 10 native fish combined on Saturday and Sunday to rack up the total.
The youngster said he was ‘‘shocked and excited’’ to have his name engraved on the famous fish trophy.
He did not get the honour of lifting the massive trophy though, which even adult recipients have struggled to hoist in previous years.
Matthew’s largest fish of the weekend was a 75cm carp.
He followed it up with a personal best cod catch, which was about 74cm.
A few smaller ones made up his total.
Matthew’s dad Anthony Caruso said his son is out fishing ‘‘all the time’’.
‘‘He doesn’t go out every weekend, but whenever he can he’s on the water — he just loves it.’’
While Mr Caruso said he wouldn’t give away Matthew’s secret fishing spots, he said he fished mostly with cheese.
‘‘He would kill me if I gave away his spots,’’ he said.
‘‘He had a ripper of a day on the Sunday though; for about an hour and a half the fish didn’t stop.’’
Matthew’s sister Ellie Caruso also won big for the Caruso family, being awarded a prize for the longest Murray cod in the adult female section at 73cm.
Prizes were awarded for the longest carp, golden perch and Murray cod in each section — junior and senior male and female.
