BILL CLASSON
Hall of Fame Inductee – 2023
Video Speech by Travis Dowling, CEO, Victorian Fisheries Authority
Bill Classon is probably the nicest bloke I’ve ever met. He doesn’t get rattled, he doesn’t run agendas, he just loves fishing. He is truly passionate about life; for him, life is fishing. Bill is a passionate and tireless advocate for recreational fishing across Australia.
For more than 40 years, he has written, published or produced hundreds of books, fishing maps, DVDs, and TV fishing shows to engage, educate, promote and celebrate the wonderful world of recreational fishing.
Bill, Rex, Paul, and David Kramer, the heroes of fishing in Victoria for the last 20 years, and for Bill, all of Australia. Bill’s commitment to recreational fishing goes well beyond catching fish. He is intrigued by the science of management and what makes a good recreational fishery.
He seamlessly works with recreational fishers, government agencies, researchers, fisheries managers and politicians to provide insight, critique and share their views and aspirations. Bill is among the most influential figures in Australia’s recreational fishing industry.
His star continues to shine brighter and brighter, and he’s super fit as well. In Victoria, Bill has driven and supported many great fishery development initiatives, from the first stock Murray Cod at Lake Charliegrok in the 1980s to the transformation of Lake Eildon into Australia’s best Murray Cod fishery and also the development of Rocklands Reservoir as an incredible Murray Cod and Golden Perch fishery.
Bill has been a champion of the introduction of slot limits for Murray Cod and the Care for Cod program, Estuary perch breeding and stocking program, the removal of commercial netting from bays, Australia’s first Barramundi fishery at Haswood, which would have been Australia’s best Barramundi fishery, and many other projects that have made Victoria the fishing capital of Australia.
Bill’s contribution to recreational fishing has been extraordinary. Through his work, Bill has created a generation of informed, responsible and passionate recreational fishers and helped make recreational fishing the number one pastime of over five million Australians.
He loves his sport fishing. He likes fishing for food. He identifies with all of Australia’s fishers, and fishing in Australia would not be where it is today without Bill Classon. Thanks, Bill. Have a ripper night, mate, well deserved.