2017 will see the first Stealth Series offshore kayak fishing competition in the Southern states. With Australian Kayak Specialists running hugely popular events up North for a few years now, Sea Sherpa have taken up the challenge of bringing a comp down south.
We are expecting a solid turnout, with a few border hoppers from SA having already put their hands up to try and pants the Vics.
The location:
With a cracking kingfish season down the coast this year and plenty of reports of tuna mixed with kingfish schools, Portland’s North Shore will be the venue. The competition will be based at Henty Bay Beachfront Park with ramp access to North Shore.
The date:
The comp is on Saturday, 28 January 2017 (following the Australia Day Thursday public holiday). Accommodation will be busy so plan ahead! The competition briefing and equipment check will be on the Friday night, 27 January 2017 at 6pm, with Saturday fishing from 6.30am to 1.30pm. BBQ and presentations will take place back at the caravan park afterwards.
Competition rules:
1. Entries: There are 35 spots available for the competition on a first come, first served basis. All competitors must have returned their indemnity form and made full and final payment to have secured a competition spot. See section 11 below for entry fees.
2. Vessels: All man powered kayaks and skis are welcome – this includes surf skis, tandems and those funny ones that require leg pedalling but no motors, no sails (ie human power only). The onus is on the entrant to provide a seaworthy kayak compliant with marine requirements.
3. Age: Competitors must be 18 years of age or above.
4. Species: There are 5 eligible species for the comp: kingfish, tuna, snapper, gummy shark & salmon. You may enter your two best fish of each species to count towards your points tally. Only fishers entering kingfish or tuna will be eligible for the best catch award.
5. Fishing Equipment: Each competitor must supply their own bait and equipment, which must comply with the Victorian rules and regulations. Competitors can use bait, lures or live bait.
6. Safety Equipment:
Each competitor is responsible for supplying their own safety equipment that meets the minimum legal requirements. Inspections will be carried out to confirm the equipment is carried during competitions but not that it meets legal requirements. Due to the offshore nature of the competition, entrants are also required to carry a PLB or Epirb and a VHF radio to receive communications and weather reports even when fishing within 2nm of the shore.
7. Entering Fish: Photo entries are welcome for catch and release. Fish over 1m for catch and release must be verified on the water by a competition official This can be done by calling the boat/jetski crew via VHF. We would like to discourage bringing in fish you do not plan to eat or share – if this is you, bring a camera.
8. Signing in and out: Anglers must sign themselves out at the admin tent at the boat ramp to begin the competition. Entrants must have signed back in at the tent before the 1.30pm deadline for fish entries to count in the competition. Fish returned late will not be entered.
9. Scoring: The scoring system is the same as for the northern competition rounds and aims to encourage pelagic fish being brought in:
0cm – 49cm = .5pt per cm
50cm – 99cm = 1pt per cm
100cm – 149cm = 1.5pts per cm
150cm+ = 2pts per cm
10. Prizes:
There will be an individual comp with 1st to 5th place having their preferred choice (in order of placement) from the prize pool.
First place in the individual comp also receives the Sea Sherpa North Shore Challenge Champion trophy.
There will be a team comp for both bragging rights and the Sea Sherpa North Shore Challenge Team Trophy. Teams will be formed by admin, into groups of five people that will be a mix of fishing ability. You will find out your team and team name at the Friday night briefing. Teams comp will simply be the highest scoring fish from each team member tallied and averaged.
A further trophy will be awarded to the angler deemed to have secured the best catch of the comp.
We will also be running a photo/video comp for the event weekend. Entries can be submitted for the week following the event to either instagram, facebook or one of the forum threads. The winner of the photo/video comp will receive a prize from BerleyPro.
11. Entry Fee:
•Early Bird Entry – $20 (Early Bird Entry now closed)
•Standard Entry – $30
12. Weather:
Due the offshore nature of the comp, it will run subject to weather. If Saturday morning is deemed un-fishable, the competition will run either on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. If both these are unsuitable we will run a restricted area comp and include squid in the target species.
To Enter:
- All spots for this year’s comp have now been filled. Email us if you would like to be added to the waiting list.
- Click ‘going’ on our Facebook event page to keep up to date with the latest discussion and prize info. Facebook Event Page
Xplora Watercraft 