WOMENS FISHING CLASSIC
AMBASSADORS
Kalina BONELLI
Crystie Oatley
I’m Crystie, and it’s a privilege to be selected as one of 2025 Women’s Ambassadors for the Women’s Fishing Classic.
My love for fishing started in Jacob’s Well, where I grew up casting nets for prawns and setting crab traps with my Stepdad. We were always out on the water, and I always had a fishing rod in my hand.
As a teenager, I met my now-husband, Ross, a fellow mad keen fisherman and we’ve spent countless days casting lines and making memories, especially around Moreton Island where his dad lived, and now in Yamba where we call home, with our son Zac.
Over the years we have moved all over, but we have always been drawn to the salt water, and we take the boat out as much as we can.
Over the past three years competing in the Women’s Fishing Classic, I’ve had the honour of winning the “Flatty” section, first in 2022, then my Mother in Law in 2023 and now in 2024. But more importantly, I’ve shared amazing memories with those I now call friends. I love this community as we share and grow. I am in my happy place. Continually striving and proving to myself what my capabilities are and strengthening my passion for fishing, all while encouraging and celebrating those around me too. A dedicated month just for me, doing what I love, with those that love it too woohoo!
When I’m not competing, you can find me at our local tackle shop in Yamba. I love getting everyone hooked on fishing, whether it’s holiday makers or a local kid’s first time holding a rod or a seasoned pro looking to try something new. There’s always something new to learn and share. And I love that I get to empower them with the confidence to get out there and have a go.
My husband and I also run our own soft-plastic lure business, Madz Lures, where we focus on making great, eco-friendly gear.
As the secretary of our local fishing club, it’s all about community for me. I’m keen on bringing our locals together and building friendships through our shared love for fishing. It’s more than just a sport to me. It’s about community and having a good time with mates, it’s my passion.
My favourite targets are definitely Flathead and chasing Mulloway in our local waters, but I’m just as happy catching anything that bites, or sharing a laugh.
My goal as your ambassador is to empower more women to join us in this incredible community, to discover not just the tranquillity of our waters, but get hooked on fishing and show everyone how fun and rewarding it can be to feel the strength and excitement that comes with each catch.
Thank you for this fantastic opportunity to connect with more women in the fishing community.
Let’s grab our rods, hit the waters, and have a cracking season together!
Cheers and tight lines, Crystie!
Bec Krojs
My name is Bec, and I’m proud to have been invited to be an ambassador for the Women’s Fishing Classic. I have fished in the WFC every year since 2021, and I look forward to it each year. A month of extra motivation to ignore most responsibility and go fishing as often as I can with the chance at prizes and glory? Don’t mind if I do! 😂. I even won the Mahi Mahi category last year & got some great prizes thanks to WFC & the awesome sponsors.
If all that “glory and prizes” talk has you thinking you “don’t have what it takes”, don’t worry! The WFC is very inclusive from beginners to experienced fishos, there’s a category for everyone!
Plus, you don’t even need to catch a single fish to win the major prize which is a BOAT!
I have been fishing since I was very young, joining Dad fishing offshore before I can even remember, and working in the family charter business (BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters) since I was 14 in 2000 (yep, 24 years! 😱). Dad retired in 2020 when my partner, Kaleb, and I took over the business. BK’s has always opened our arms to ladies & families, so when I heard about the WFC it was definitely something I had to do. We have since taken countless WFC ladies on mixed charters, and ladies only charters and look forward to more to come.
As well as the chance to win glory and prizes, I enjoy the WFC because it creates an awesome social aspect, and I personally have made many friends & memories through this event, whether it’s fishing together or meeting at the briefing or presentation. It also makes me think outside the box, fishing different areas to suit conditions which often results in even more learning opportunities.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! You can find me on Instagram @beach2reef_adventures or just tag me in a post in the WFC group 😃
Thanks for having me, WFC! 🎣
Sue Templar
Hi! My name is Sue Templar and I’m really excited to be an ambassador for the Women’s Fishing Classic. My love of fishing came from fishing with my family a few times as a child and seeing my mum land a flathead with a hand line from the beach. From then on I always wanted to catch a flathead myself so I started land based fishing with bait when my two daughters were young, and loved seeing their excitement when they caught little bream or whiting on their rods. I’ve had many blissful holidays standing knee deep in a river or the ocean, fishing for bream with worms on my hook. My fishing progressed into my ‘sport’ when I met my husband who was the Gamesmaster for the Gold Coast Sportsfishing Club and I started fishing their flathead competitions and the Qld Teams Series bream and bass competitions. Since 2016 I’ve been lucky enough to win Female Angler of the Year four times at the Gold Coast Sportsfishing Club, including this year. 2024 was my first year fishing the Women’s Fishing Classic and I had such an amazing time and made so many friends that I’m already looking forward to next year. In preparation for the WFC I got my boat licence in 2023 and started learning all I needed to be able to fish in the boat by myself. The Women’s Fishing Classic gave me the opportunity to learn so many new skills including reversing the boat down the boat ramps, launching and retrieving the boat, as well as navigating the water ways, using the electric motor and sounders, tying my own knots and handling the fish I caught. These new skills, along with my improved confidence, led to me to teaming up with Joanne Martin, who also fishes the Women’s Fishing Classic, as a female only team in the Gold Coast Flathead Classic with a team sponsorship from Berkley. I think it’s fantastic to see the Women’s Fishing Classic helping to increase the numbers of women and girls getting out and enjoying their fishing, making friends and sharing their knowledge and skills with each other.
EVA McPhee
Hello, my name is Eva McPhee and I have a lot of years fishing ahead of me. My dad took me fishing as soon as I could walk, but I had my own rod and reel before that. I love fishing and can see myself doing it my whole life. I hope to inspire other girls to go fishing too because it is a healthy outdoor activity.
I mostly fish land based in Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast. In summer I target whiting, grunter bream and trevally and have been lucky enough to catch big whiting consistently. In winter I generally target tailor and flathead. I think my best recent catch was an 84 cm flathead which I was able to safely release. Throughout the year though I fish Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) and target squid, grass sweetlip, spangled emperor, black spot tuskfish and tuna.
Entering the Women’s Fishing Classic has allowed me to realise how many girls and women really like fishing. It is an event I now look forward to every year and I want to make the event grow.
Abby Greensill
Hi, I’m Abby Greensill and i am a junior ambassador for the Women’s Fishing Classic 2025. I started fishing at a young age and the past few years i have been very lucky with the opportunities i have been given. I started competing around 2021 in the Queensland Team Series and from there i competed in the Flathead Classic and the Women’s Fishing Classic and in November i will compete in my first ever Barra round. In the 2023 WFC, i won junior all round champion angler, i was very happy with this result as it was my first ever year fishing the comp and i missed out on the first week but put all my dedication in the last 3 weeks to get the win. At AFTA 2023 i was offered a sponsorship with Wilson Fishing and Addict Brothers. My favourite type of fishing is inshore as we do it the most. It also is very easy for anyone at any level of fishing to do as you can go from multiple east access spots. Some goals for me in fishing are to be an inspiring angler for other younger girls wanted to go fishing but feel like they can’t and just to have a good time on the water hanging out with family or friends. Some inspiring people in my life are my dad as he was the one who introduced me into fishing. Another person would be Mark Berg as he has always supported me in fishing and offered me the sponsorship with his own company. A female angler who also inspired me is Kristin Goodchild (but most people know her as Goody). She is a great inspiration for younger female anglers like my self and is very supportive. I would also like to thank Nicole for all the hard work she puts into this comp every year and the out come is always amazing!
Imagen Mills - WFC social marketer.
Hi everyone, I’m Imagen, and fishing has been a big part of my life with my family since I was a kid. Lately, I’ve gotten really into barramundi fishing, all thanks to my partner’s love for these awesome fish. What started as just a fun day out has turned into a little competition between us. Now, every fishing trip is an adventure packed with laughs, learning, and some friendly rivalry!