OCEAN REEF SEA SPORTS CLUB
BEACH FISHING COMPETITION RULES
1. BEACH FISHING CAPTAIN.
The Beach Fishing Captain has complete charge of all Beach Fishing Competitions.
2. BEACH FISHING PROGRAMME.
The competition year commences in October of each year.
Beach fishing competitions are generally held every second month throughout the year. Normally they are conducted on the Saturday and Sunday of the third weekend in the month, although some exceptions do occur due to other events in the calendar. Refer to the Club magazine for upcoming events, locations, dates and times.
3. DIVISIONS.
Beach fishing competitions shall have four divisions; Men’s, Ladies, Juniors and Mini Juniors. Juniors must be under sixteen (16) years at the commencement of the Club year (1st October). Mini Juniors must be under twelve (12) years at the commencement of the Club year (1st October). Juniors and Mini Juniors can be either male or female. Once a division has been nominated by a competitor, they must remain in that division for the entire club year.
4. SIGN-ON.
No sign-on is required for beach fishing competitions and no registration fee applies.
All competitors must be financial members of the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club. Visitors may register and have their bag weighed but are not eligible for monthly or annual awards.
5. START TIME.
Start times are from 6:00am on the Saturday of the competition weekend.
6. START PROCEDURE.
The competition will commence at the start time. Competitors may travel to their fishing location and set-up, but may not commence fishing until the start time. Any competitor fishing before the start time shall be disqualified.
7. FINISH TIME.
All bags should be tagged for identification and deposited in the weigh-in area at the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club premises by 3pm on the Sunday of the competition weekend.
8. FINISH PROCEDURE.
No specific requirement, other than the requirement to have the competitors bag in the weigh-in area by the finish time.
9. WEIGH-IN.
All competitors fish catches must be individually bagged, tagged for identification and deposited in the weigh-in area at the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club by the Finish Time. The weigh-in will commence at the Finish Time, or as otherwise advised.
Undersize (as per ORSSC or Department of Fisheries minimum sizes) or protected fish deposited in the weigh-in area will automatically disqualify the bag. It is the sole responsibility of the competitor to ensure that their fish are at least the minimum size before depositing their bag in the weigh-in area. The Weigh-in Officer or any other member of the Angling Committee cannot rule on fish sizes prior to the weigh-in.
Competitors are responsible for checking their weigh-in slip prior to the conclusion of the weigh-in.
10. BAGS.
All fish to be weighed must be presented in a hessian or cloth based bag, preferably in an esky with ice. Fish presented in plastic, woven plastic or woven fibreglass bags will be disqualified. Bags should be damp, but must not be immersed in water in the weigh-in area.
Bags must contain only fish caught on that day by the competitor weighing in, and must be washed and identified as belonging to the competitor. Bags containing more than one competitors catch or not appropriately identified will be disqualified. Bags containing undersize (as per ORSSC or Department of Fisheries minimum sizes) or protected fish will be automatically disqualified.
11. CONDITION OF FISH.
Any fish presented in a rotten, badly deteriorated or generally unfit for consumption state shall not be eligible for weigh-in. Fish must be whole and clean.
Fish that have their necks broken will be pushed back into original shape and must be 1cm longer than the listed minimum size. Note this does not apply to gilled and/or gutted fish, and fish with the throat cut for bleeding, as long as the neck has not been broken.
12. MONTHLY POINT SCORES.
Point scores for monthly competitions are awarded based on 1 point per fish, 10 points per eligible species weighed and 4 points per kilogram of bag weight.
In the event of any fish being hooked in or through the mouth by more than one competitor, the points attained for that fish must be shared.
In the event of any competitors scoring equal points, the determining factor shall be the highest bag weight.
13. ANNUAL POINT SCORES.
For the purposes of determining the overall annual champions for each division, total points will be calculated by tallying an individual’s best "n” monthly scores, where "n” is the number of monthly competitions held during the year minus 1. For example, if six competitions are held during the year, then an individual’s best 5 monthly scores will count.
14. BAG LIMITS.
Each competitor may only weigh a maximum of EIGHT (8), or Department of Fisheries one (1) day bag limit, whichever is the lower, of each species groups below. A total bag limit of 50 fish applies.
If more than eight of any species group is present in a competitor’s bag, then the bag will be disqualified.
If a competitor’s bag exceeds the Department of Fisheries one day bag limit, the bag will be disqualified.
The Department of Fisheries has introduced a closed season for high risk demersal scale fish from 15th October to 15th December inclusive. The high risk scale fish in the ORSSC boat fishing eligible species list are denoted with asterisks (***) below. If a competitor weighs in a high risk scale fish during the closed season, their bag will be disqualified.
All competitors must make themselves aware of the current Department of Fisheries bag limits.
15. ELIGIBLE SPECIES.
Plate references are a guide only and are from Sea Fishes of Southern Australia (Barry Hutchins and Roger Swainston). Plate references in bold Italics are from The Marine Fishes of North Western Australia (Gerald R. Allen and Roger Swainston).
Minimum sizes are correct at time of printing. Should a Department of Fisheries minimum size be greater than the ORSSC minimum size, then the Department of Fisheries size limit applies.
Species Group
Baldchin Groper
Barracuda
Blue Groper
Breaksea Cod
Bream - Black - Yellowfin
Butterfish
Cod - Wirrah
- Grey Banded
- Chinaman
- Estuary
Cobbler
Cobia
Coral Trout
Dart (all)
Dhufish
Emperor - Red
Emperor - Spangled
Emperor - Blue-lined
Flathead
Flounder
Foxfish
Garfish
Goatfish
Harlequin
Herring
Herring, Giant
King George Whiting
Leatherjacket
Mackerel (Spanish, narrow-barred)
(Spanish, broad-barred)
Mackerel - (Shark, Spotted)
- (Queensland School)
Mackerel
Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Mullet
Mulloway
Pigfish
Pike (Long-finned, Striped Seapike)
Queen Snapper
Salmon
Samson Fish or Amberjack
Shark (all)
Snapper, Pink
Snapper, Red or Swallowtail
Snook
Sweep (all)
Sweetlip (all) )
Tailor
Tarwhine
Trevally
Trumpeter
Tuna (all)
Wahoo
Western Rock Blackfish
Whiting
Wrasse
Yellowtail
Yellowtail Grunter
Yellowtail Kingfish
Other - mixed limit of 8 other fish
(only 1 set of species points) 200 Various, other than those already listed
*** - These species are in the Department of Fisheries high risk demersal scale fish category, which has a closed season from the 15th October to the 15th December inclusive.
The following sharks are excluded from the competition: Wobbegong, Carpet, Port Jackson, Cat, Leopard, Grey Nurse, Speartooth, Whale, White Pointer and Tiger Sharks.
16. TACKLE AND LINE RESTRICTIONS.
A competitor must not use more than two (2) rods or handlines at any one time and each rod or handline must not have more than two (2) hooks (A flight of hooks to be considered as one hook). Additional rods, handlines may be carried but competitors must not have more than two (2) lines in the water at any time. A competitor may use any gauge line. A competitor must hook and land their own fish, but may receive assistance in gaffing, gilling or landing which does not entail the assistant handling their rod, reel or line.
17. DISPUTES AND DISQUALIFICATIONS.
ANY dispute must be submitted in writing to the Beach Fishing Captain no later than ten (10) minutes after the completion of the weigh-in. A Disputes Committee shall adjudicate on all disputes within these rules and their decision shall be final. Any competitor found to breach these rules shall be liable to disqualification.
The Disputes Committee will be chaired by the Beach Fishing Captain and shall comprise three other members chosen on the day by the Beach Fishing Captain, excluding any competitors materially affected by the outcome. The decision will be by majority vote of the three members.
18. ALTERATION TO RULES.
The Angling Committee shall have the power to vary the rules or arrangements to contribute to the smooth running of the competition.
19. LIABILITY.
All competitors and persons taking part in the competition do so entirely at their own risk and the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club and/or the Angling Committee; will not be held responsible for any loss or damage sustained by any competitor or any other persons to their persons or effects.
20. BOUNDARIES.
No limit.
21. MONTHLY PRIZES.
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
Individual Awards - Best score in Mens’, Ladies, Juniors and Mini Juniors divisions.
22. PRIZES PRESENTATION.
Prizes will be presented at the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club, or other venue as advised, as soon as practical following the conclusion of the weigh-in on the competition day.
