Venue: EVANS HEAD RSL CLUB
Competition Runs from 5pm Friday, July 17 to 2pm Friday, July 24th 2009.
Official Opening: 5.30 pm, Saturday evening July 18th, 2009.
NOTE: Entries must be submitted and paid for by 4 pm each day, to be eligible for the draw on that night.
Major Trophy Presentation: At the weigh-in and entertainment area at 5.30 pm on Friday, July 24th, 2009 at the conclusion of all other weekly fi sh prize presentations and entertainment, the draw for the 21 major prize winners will be conducted. Entry Fee: $120.00 per person (Incl. GST) Entrants must also privately arrange and purchase their own recent passport size photograph which is to be clipped to the application form, together with the fee. Entries will not be confirmed unless passport size recent photograph, fee, and application form are presented altogether. Application forms not correctly filled out will render the entrants ineligible for the draw to determine the winner of the major prize.
Non Competitors: These persons will be allowed free entry into the weigh-in and entertainment area but will not be eligible for any cash or prizes.
Competition Finish: Anyone not in the queue at the Official ‘Weigh-in Stage’ with a fish to be weighed at 2 pm on Friday, July 24, 2009 will be deemed ineligible to be weighed-in and therefore outside the official finish time.
Weigh-ins: Daily weigh-ins will be conducted from 8am to 4.30pm for all species (Saturday to Thursday) and 8am to 2pm Friday. All fish must be weighed in on the official scales provided by the organisers to be eligible. All entrants must be present when weighing in any fish. i.e.: No proxys to be used.
Note: Any fish deemed to be more than 25 hours since being caught, in the opinion of the Judge will be ineligible to be recorded for cash or prizes, (the Judge’s opinion is final and no discussion will be entered into).
Fish: All dead fi sh must be weighed-in gilled and gutted. All live fish must be weighed in good condition suitable for release as per rules 1a, 1b & 1c. In this regard the judge’s decision is final.
Professionals: All professional fishermen are eligible for entry into the competition provided only that they abide by the same rules as amateur entrants.
Fraud: Any evidence of fraud such as fish more than 25 hours since being caught, foreign matter pushed down the mouth of the fish, fish transported from other than the inside of official boundaries, more than one person fishing for each individual $120 entry, netted fish, or any action in defiance of the rules and goodwill of the competition, will be placed in the hands of the police. The winners of all ‘cash’ fish prizes will be required to sign a statutory declaration declaring that the prize winning
fish has been caught in accordance with these rules.
Snapper Catch, Photograph and Release Day: Monday 20th July 2009 is designated as the Snapper Catch, Photograph and Release day. From 4pm on Sunday 19th July to 4pm on Monday 20th July 2009, no entrant of the Evan’s Head Fishing Classic will be permitted to bring any dead snapper into the Evans river. By signing the entry form for the Evans Head Fishing Classic, entrants agree to let any authorised marshall board and search any vessel in which that entrant was present. Should there be any dead snapper located on board a vessel or on the person of any entrant, that entrant or all entrants on board the vessel will be disqualifi ed for the day, the rest of the week, or from all future events, subject to the committee’s discretion, and no further correspondence will be entered into. Entrants in the Snapper Catch, Photograph and release day must pay a designated entry fee to the relevant person before they commence fi shing. Upon paying the entry fee, each entrant will receive a ‘kit’ that will be suffi cient for 1 boat and the crew aboard. The ‘kit’ will at least contain a measure, recording sheet, camera and token for the day. Any photo entered in the competition must contain the fi sh in its entirety, along with the authorised measure showing all increments and the offi cial token for the day. The details of the fi sh caught must then be recorded on the provided recording sheet. The winner of the Snapper Catch, Photograph and release competition will be the longest snapper photographed according to these rules. For a photo to be eligible for a prize, the camera and recording sheet must be in the hands of the designated organiser at the boat ramp NO LATER than 4pm on Monday 20th July 2009. The committee reserves the right to disqualify any photo that is not clearly visible, or does not adhere to the rules listed above, and no further correspondence will be entered into.

Other Fish Rules:
1. All live fish weighed in become the property of the organisers and will be released.
(a). To be eligible for a daily prize, a live fish must be alive and in good condition at 5,30 pm on the day it is weighed in.
(b). To be eligible for the weekly prize, a live fish must be alive and in good condition at 8.00 am the morning after it is weighed in.
(c). In (a) & (b) above. The judges decision is final and no discussion will be entered into.
2. All dead fish weighed in become the property of the organisers. Fish not eligible to be written onto the official scoreboard may be returned to the original owner upon request. Fish not requested to be returned to the original owner will be donated to the Evans Head Coastguard and Surf Club. If the fish is returned to the original owner, then the organisers accept no responsibility for the condition of the fish, whether it has been frozen or not.
3. Special Rule For all ‘Dead’ Fish Categories. All entrants will be permitted to weigh in fish for 5 days only. This is only valid for the ‘dead’ fish categories. Entrants must be present when they weigh in any fish, and will have their entry cards marked when they weigh in any ‘dead’ fish on any day. Any entrant that has previously weighed fish in on five (5) separate days will be ineligible to weigh fish in for the remainder of the competition. Live fish categories may be weighed in for the entire period of the classic.
4. All entrants must comply with NSW Fisheries rules and regulations and have a current NSW Fishing Licence, where required. Any entrant found contravening these requirements will be immediately disqualified from the competition.
5. The bag limit for all fish species will be one half of the regular bag limits according to the latest issue by the NSW fisheries department, rounded up to the nearest whole number. All entrants in the classic must adhere to these amended bag limits for the entirety of the event. Any entrant found contravening these requirements will be disqualified from the event for the day, the remainder of the event, or from all future events, subject to the organiser’s discretion.
6. All fish eligible for weigh-in must be weighed within 25 hours of being caught. Between when the fish is caught and when it is weighed, it may be iced down but not frozen.
7. The official boundaries of the competition are from the South Wall Ballina to the 4 wheel drive access at Shark Bay, Nth of Woody Head and taking a straight line east out to sea from those positions for offshore fishing.
8. Any entrant caught fishing outside the nominated boundaries, during the event, will be immediately disqualified for the remainder of the competition and banned from any future competition.
9. There will be a contact number available for anybody with information relating to an entrant fishing outside the boundaries of the event. If the information is proven correct, subject to the organiser’s discretion, then the informant may be issued a $500 reward. This will be entirely to the organiser’s discretion.
10. Fish presented to the scales must be taken on rod and reel or hand line and must conform to legal size to be eligible for weighin.
11. Management decision is final and The Organisers retain the right to withhold any cash prizes or trophies pending investigation. Winners of daily fish prizes may use a proxy. Prizes must be claimed within 4 minutes of being called. Unclaimed prizes will become property of organisers.
12. The management has the right to exclude anyone whom the management thinks need be, without giving any reason whatsoever.
13. The competitor nominated on the application form notes that the Organisers accept no liability for any injury, loss, damage of any person or property in the course of excursion, whether such injury or loss is due, or alleged to be due to any act, neglect or default of The Organisers or of any official or agency thereof, and all competitors fully understand that in so participating they do so entirely at their own risk and agree to abide by all rules and regulations.
14. No fish may win more than one trophy, except for daily prizes and most meritorious catch.
15. The Management reserves the right to cancel or postpone the fishing time prior to or during the competition or any section of trophy category.
16. Any action, incident, or situation not covered by the rules and conditions written in this brochure, shall be determined co-jointly by the Official Judge or Acting or when those conditions arise. Their decision is final.
17. Prize Draw Rules:
(a). All prize draws are to be made by an independent person witnessed by an independent observer. Members of the Evans Head Fishing Classic Committee and sponsors are eligible to win any of the available prizes on payment of the entry fee. (b). There shall be a minimum of 20 nightly prize draws, one prize each night for SIX nights shall be a "sea kayak". The entrants photographic pass must be presented, by the entrant within 4 minutes, or another draw will occur.
18. Major Prize Draw:
(a). On Friday 24th of July 2009, commencing at 6:00pm. The presentation of all weekly fish prizes will be conducted at the weighin and entertainment area. At the conclusion of all other prize presentations and entertainment the 21 Major Prize draws will take place.
(b). There will be 21 prizes drawn, with the major prize being drawn first and the balance of the prizes being drawn. As each prize is drawn, the number will not be announced, but shall be recorded and placed in an envelope opposite the prize on a display board.
(c). At the conclusion of the above draw, the 21 winning entries will be called onto the stage, in random order. These winning entries shall be given 4 minutes to present themselves, with their photo ID card, or another draw will take place. In the event of another draw being required, then all winners below the absent winner will be moved up one place, and the redrawn number will be added to the bottom.
(d). Once 21 winning entries have been identified and assembled on stage, then the winners will be announced, in reverse order, with the Major Prize being announced last.
(e). No number can be drawn more than once in the major prize draw.
(f). Any action, incident or situation not covered by these major prize rules shall be determined as in Rule No. 16.
19. Boat Competitors:
(a). All vessels must have current NSW registration or registration recognised in NSW and must carry all safety equipment as required by the NSW Marine Regulations. The registration number must be displayed on both sides of the vessel.
(b). Boat skippers must be the holder of a NSW speedboat driver’s licence or a licence recognised in NSW. All skippers AND crew MUST attend the skippers briefi ng at 4pm on Friday 17th July 2009 or view the official video of the Skippers briefi ng which will be available from 6am on Saturday 18th July and they MUST sign the attendance book before going to sea.
(c). Any vessel deemed by the Official Judge or Acting Official Judge to have an unreasonable advantage over the other competitors’ vessels due to weather conditions or any other reason will be excluded from the competition for each day the unreasonable advantage exists.
(d). All occupants of any boat fishing in the competition must be registered entrants, excluding crew of licenced charter vessels.
20. SAFETY REGULATIONS: for boats fishing at sea.
(a). Boats must be launched at Evans Head unless otherwise advised by committee.
(b). Must have a minimum of 2 contestants aboard.
(c). Life jackets must be worn by ALL contestants when crossing the Evans River bar, as per NSW Marine Regulations.
(d). Boats MUST register with the Evans Head Coastguard before going to sea and must LOG-IN and OUT with the Evans Head Coastguard, using the Skippers entry number, if crossing the bar. Marine rescue requires advising a return time. See 19(b). (e). Failure to comply with any of the above safety regulations will mean disqualification of ALL occupants of the boat for the day or for the remainder of the competition for serious or repeat offenders.
21. Junior Mini Comp: Saturday 18th July 2009 12:00 noon till Sunday 19th July 2009 1:00 pm. Entrants must be aged between 4-12 years, at the starting date of this competition. Entry fee is $10 for the Mini Comp. Juniors entered in Major Competition are eligible for entry into the Junior Mini Competition.
22. Cancellation: In the event of cancellation of the whole competition due to weather, or any other reason, a $20 management fee will be retained by the committee with the balance of the entrance fee being refunded. A cancellation fee of $15 will apply where an entrant cancels after he or she has been issued with an ID card. Lost card replacement fee $10.