One Ocean. Two Spearos. Nothing Guaranteed!
When the Tribe Gathers: The Manolias Brothers at the Adreno Kingfish Cup 2025
Competitive spearfishing weekends don’t come much bigger on the East Coast than the Adreno Kingfish Cup! Each year, the event brings the tribe together. The divers, the boats, the stories, and the shared drive to find kingfish under pressure.
For the Manolias brothers, the 2025 edition wasn’t just another competition. It was a test of preparation, decision-making, and adaptability across changing weather and challenging water.
Kingfish are the fish everyone wants in the Sydney spearfishing community. Powerful, fast, and often unpredictable, they’re the ones that separate a good day from a great one. The pressure is even higher when they're the main target in a competition!
Day One: Cold Water, Big Ground, Slow Rewards
The day began early. By 7:00 am, George and Steven were signed on, boat in the water, and ready to execute their plan. The strategy was straightforward but demanding: work the headlands, move methodically north, and cover every pressure point that might hold fish.
On land, it felt like summer. Offshore, the ocean was cold and uncooperative.
Despite a forecast of 33 degrees air temperature, the water temperature sat at a brutal 16 degrees. Wind hovered between 15 and 20 knots, visibility was green and unsettled, and the swell made every descent a calculated decision.
The brothers rotated through multiple locations, committing to each drop even when the signs weren’t there.
At the first spot, two solid kingfish appeared, both around the metre mark, roughly eight kilos. One ghosted off before a shot could be lined up. Later dives produced only smaller fish, followed by a move to a local mark known as “the leg shoot,” and then on again. Spot after spot demanded effort, breath-ups, and patience.
By the final stop of the day, there was nothing. No movement. No flash of silver. Just murk, surge, and the slow realisation that this was going to be a grinding kind of competition.
Across the day, sightings were limited. Around five kingfish in total, most undersized, two pushing 8–10kg. In swell and low visibility, even seeing fish felt like a small win. Landing one would have required perfect timing!
Still, the Manolias stayed grounded. With more than 300 kilometres of coastline in play, no one can be everywhere. Boats can’t hit every headland. Rock hoppers have just as much chance as anyone. Competitive spearfishing doesn’t favour hype... it favours presence!
By day’s end, the scoreboard told the story. Out of roughly 230–240 competitors, only 11 kingfish had been weighed. Less than five per cent success. Brutal, but honest.
Day Two: Knowing When Not to Dive
Overnight, the ocean shifted again.
Northeast swell and northwest winds gave way to strong south and southwest blows, and by mid-morning the swell had built to three metres. For the Manolias brothers, the decision wasn’t about pride... it was about experience.
They assessed the conditions and made the call to stay out. In competitive spearfishing, knowing when not to dive is just as important as knowing when to push. Others tried. Most didn’t last long. Cold water, lifeless ground, and building swell shut the door quickly.
It wasn’t the day they’d hoped for, but it was the right call.
The Weigh-In: Proof of Potential
Even in the chaos, kingfish still found their way to the scales.
Thick, well-conditioned fish, likely "Lord Howe" or “Kiwi” stock, sat alongside leaner east coast kingfish. One standout fish, estimated between 15 and 20 kilos, came from a tight school moving together. Right place, right moment.
By the end of weigh-in, the numbers crept up slightly. Not many fish, but enough to confirm what everyone already knew: the fish were there, just not for everyone.
The Bigger Picture
For the Manolias brothers, the weekend wasn’t defined by what hit the scales. It was defined by time in the water, sound decisions under pressure, and adapting to conditions that never truly settled.
Spearfishing kingfish at this level is a balance of preparation and timing. You can do everything right, plan your ground, dive clean, manage the swell, and still come up empty when the ocean doesn’t line up.
And sometimes, all that changes is the conditions!
The following week, back in the water with cleaner visibility and more cooperative seas, the same approach delivered a very different outcome. A proper kingfish, taken when everything finally aligned. Same divers. Same discipline. Different day!
It was a reminder every spearo understands: success isn’t always about ability. Often, it’s about waiting long enough for the ocean to give you a chance.
