WELCOME. We look forward to seeing you on the water and making this a successful event. Good luck and tight lines.

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2 WELCOME Welcome to the 2018 Bluewater Tackle World Marlin Cup, to be held in the waters surrounding Rottnest Island on the weekend of 17 and 18 February A heavy tackle billfish focused event with a minimum line class of 15 kg. With an impressive prize pool and entry to the prestigious Offshore World Championships in Costa Rica on offer, there is no better time to get the big reels out and fish one of WA s longest running billfish competitions. This year s tournament will have a closed species list: Marlin (all species) Broadbill Swordfish All other billfish Tuna (all species) Mackerel (all species) Wahoo Mahi Mahi All scoring fish need to equal or exceed the relevant line class. Scoring is based on the best aggregate scores for each boat and angler. The Marlin Cup will be awarded to the highest point scoring boat for billfish captures. This Tournament is sanctioned by The Western Australian Game Fishing Association (WAGFA). PGFC supports and encourages the tag and release of fish. Briefing Night - Tuesday 13 February 2018 at Bluewater Tackle World Myaree Saturday Night Dinner and Score Update Saturday from 19:00 at the Karma Rottnest Lodge, Rottnest Island. Some great prizes and awards on offer. Presentation Night Tuesday 20 February at the RPYC Annex Fremantle. Pens at the Rottnest Fuel Jetty have been reserved for competitors please contact the Tournament Committee for availability. This event is a standalone event, however points earned will be included towards the PGFC Club Championship for Club members. PGFC boats entering and competing in the Tournament will earn 500 bonus points towards the PGFC end of year boat awards (these bonus points will not be allocated as Tournament points). We look forward to seeing you on the water and making this a successful event. Good luck and tight lines. Deon van der Westhuizen/Ashley Hicks/Johan Oosthuizen Tournament Committee Page 2 of 12

3 A. Schedule of Events 1. Briefing Night - Tuesday 13 February 1800 hours a) Bluewater Tackle World Myaree, North Lake Rd, Myaree. b) All skippers and crew are invited to attend the briefing night. It is mandatory that at least the skipper or one crew member from each participating boat attends the briefing night. c) All Club members and guests are welcome as the briefing night coincides with the Club s February social night. A cash bar and food will be provided. Please read the briefing notes. We will be happy to answer any questions. 2. Boat Muster & Sail-past - Saturday 17 February hours a) Vessels are to muster no later than 0715 hours in Thomson Bay, west of an imaginary line between the start boat and the northern extremity of Phillip Rock. b) Boat-to-boat chatter and the start sequence will be run on VHF channel 68. Boats are to form up behind the 2017 Champion Boat Simrad to do a clockwise rotation of the bay before sailing past the start boat. The President Deon van der Westhuizen will greet each boat as it sails past. Once all boats have sailed past and returned to the muster point, a signal to commence fishing will be given. Until this signal is given all craft must remain in Thomson Bay. c) To enhance the spectacle, all boats are encouraged to fly club flags or other decorative flags from a conspicuous position on each boat preferably from outriggers, for that boat to be recognised as competing in the Tournament. d) All boats attending the muster and sail past will go into the draw to win a weekend for two at Karma Rottnest. 3. Evening Activity - Saturday 17 February 1800 a) On Saturday evening a complimentary dinner function will be held at the Karma Rottnest Lodge. The dinner and 2 complimentary drinks are included in the Tournament fee. b) Prizes and awards are to be presented at the Saturday night function. 4. Presentation Function Tuesday 20 February 1745 for 1800 a) The presentation gathering will be held at the RPYC Fremantle Annex and will be in the form of a cocktail event with finger food provided and a cash bar. B. Entry Fees Entry fees are $ per senior team member. (Early bird entries received by 2 February 2018 are discounted to $150 per senior team member). For junior team members, under the age of 16 years, the fee is $90. (Juniors are eligible for Champion Angler and Runner-up Champion Angler only if they have paid the full adult entry fee). The entry fee includes the Saturday night function at Rottnest Island, and food at both the briefing and presentation nights, a quality Tournament shirt and sponsors items in each boat s grab bag. 5. Boat Teams C. Tournament Rules a) Teams shall consist of a minimum of two competing anglers. The definition of a competing angler includes all crew members participating in the act of capturing or releasing a fish this includes skippers and deck hands. Team members who are Page 3 of 12

4 not members of a WAGFA or GFAA affiliated club must join PGFC prior to competing in the Marlin Cup. Members of other GFAA/WAGFA clubs are not required to join PGFC. Special PGFC membership deals are available. b) Observers are permitted but they may not participate in any act of catching or tagging a fish including, but not limited to, setting out or retrieving baits or teasers, handling rods, leadering or wiring a fish, placing a tag, using a landing net or gaff, or driving the boat. c) Teams will be assigned a team number which will be used to identify teams during radio schedules. 6. Angling Rules a) This tournament is sanctioned by The Western Australian Game Fishing Association (WAGFA) and will be fished under Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA) rules. All competing anglers must be conversant with these rules. b) The Tournament angling rules are in accord with those for the PGFC Club championship. Any rules or specific changes in this document supersede Club rules for the length of the event. Club rules can be found on the Club website and competitors are requested to ensure they pay particular attention to leader lengths and wind-on leaders allowing sufficient buffer for line stretch when fighting a fish. c) Note that all live baiting must use non-offset circle hooks. 7. Fishing Area a) All fishing is to be limited to within a radius of 75 nautical miles of the Port of Fremantle. 8. Fishing and Weigh-in Times Date Fishing Times Weigh-In Time Weigh Station Sat 17 Feb 0730 to 1600 Hrs 1630 to 1800 Hrs Rottnest Fuel Jetty Sun 18 Feb 0530 to 1600 Hrs 1600 to 1700 Hrs Rottnest Fuel Jetty a) After a 15-minute warning, lines out will be called by Bluewater Base each day. Any fish hooked-up prior to lines out time will be eligible for inclusion in scoring provided that the vessel has notified Bluewater Base that they are hooked up prior to the lines out time. Radio silence should otherwise be observed in the 15 minutes before lines out. b) Boats fighting a fish at lines out time should notify Bluewater Base of the capture, tagging or other outcome of the hook-up as soon as this occurs. c) Any boat fighting a fish at lines out time will be allowed additional time to be at the weigh-in station. The maximum additional time allowed will not exceed 90 minutes post the capture, tagging or other outcome. d) No fishing, berleying or running of teasers shall commence before lines in time each day. Page 4 of 12

5 9. Weigh In a) The weigh-in will be conducted at the PGFC gantry located at the end of the Fuel Jetty, Thomson Bay. All fish being weighed must be presented on the day of capture, in an edible condition and within the weigh-in times. b) Fish which are too large to hold in a refrigerated space may be cut into a maximum of 3 pieces provided that each piece remains connected. Any fish which has been treated as such must have been photographed whole to be eligible for a State or Australian record. c) When weighing-in a fish or handing in a tag card, the rod, reel and rig used, together with the double, leader and 3 metres of the line class line, must be presented to the weigh master. d) Be aware that if an angler uses the same lure or tackle after tagging a fish and it is subsequently lost the capture will not be awarded any points. e) If the fish being weighed is a potential record, 16 metres of line together with the entire terminal tackle used must be presented. The rig and line must be presented as one piece, and be the actual rig used in the capture of the fish. f) All fish captured or weighed must be recorded on a fully completed PGFC capture form. g) Fork length of weighed fish is to be recorded on the capture form for inclusion in the Club s database. h) After allowing reasonable time for photographs, weighed fish must be removed from the weigh-in area immediately after weighing by the capturing crew. The fish must be placed fully aboard a boat. Weighed fish must not be left overnight either on a beach or tethered to a competitors or other s vessel or buoys. Fish cleaning and filleting in Thomson Bay is prohibited. Non-compliance with this rule will result in disqualification of the capture. 10. Communications ALL BOATS MUST HAVE AN OPERATIONAL VHF RADIO The safety of all competitors and vessels is a principle concern of the Perth Game Fishing Club. Accordingly, the following communications and radio schedule procedures will apply during the Tournament: a) On-water communications during the day will be run via Bluewater Base on VHF 81. This service is kindly run by Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group (FVSRG). All competitors must log on and off with Bluewater Base on VHF 81 at the start and end of both days fishing. b) If a boat is unable to contact or hear Bluewater Base on VHF 81, VHF 82 may be used as an alternate. VHF 73 is only to be used as a last option. c) Radio schedules will be conducted at 10:15hrs and 13:15hrs each day. Bluewater Base will call each boat requesting position and fishing status. PLEASE DO NOT CALL BLUEWATER BASE UNTIL THEY CALL YOUR BOAT they will go through the boat list in team number order. d) Boat teams will be required to report the following: o Your current position as a quadrant reference from the map provided; o Billfish in the raised / hooked up / tagged (or captured) format i.e. 0/0/0. e) If a boat crew fails to hear their position report call, they must advise Bluewater Base AFTER the completion of the official schedule either via radio, by relay through another boat or by phoning Sea Rescue directly. Please wait until the completion of the schedule before contacting Bluewater Base DO NOT interrupt the remainder of the radio schedule. Page 5 of 12

6 f) If Bluewater Base has been unable to contact a vessel within 45 minutes of the official schedule, they will advise the Tournament Committee and may initiate a search for the vessel. Additionally, the boat and the boat team members will lose all points for that day. g) If a boat has difficulty communicating with Bluewater Base, it is that boat s responsibility to have a message relayed by another boat. If a radio fault occurs, the only condition for a boat to continue fishing will be if that boat is able to relay its position and the Tournament Committee agrees that it may continue fishing in the company of another vessel. Any boat that develops radio difficulties during the competition must advise the Tournament Committee and have the radio repaired before commencing a new day s fishing. h) Chatter between boats is encouraged and should be conducted on VHF 68. Any competing boat failing to comply with the communications schedules on either day will not be awarded points for that day s fishing. 11. Tagging a) Competitors must immediately announce a billfish hook up on VHF channel 68. b) Once a billfish has been tagged a competitor must contact Bluewater Base on VHF channel 81 to advise them of the capture and the time the tag was inserted. c) All tag cards must be presented to the weigh-master on the day of capture to be eligible. There will be no exceptions to this rule. The angler must have a photo of the tag inserted in the fish and record the time the tag was inserted. d) For all other species, tagged fish must be measured and photographed on an acceptable brag mat (Shimano or IGFA). Measured length will be used to allocate a fish weight for point scoring. Captures with a fork length longer than those available on a brag mat or the PGFC measure tables will need to be weighed. e) Only NSW DPI Tags and Cards and PGFC capture forms must be used. f) Tags are available at any time from the Club s weigh-master John Webber, contact or and will be available at the briefing night. All members are reminded to have the correct tag applicator. Details of correct use of tags and completion of tag cards can be found on the Club s website at All billfish caught or tagged must be radioed in at the time of capture. 12. Species List This year s tournament will have a closed species list: Marlin (all species) Broadbill Swordfish All other billfish species Tuna (all species) Mackerel (all species) Wahoo Mahi Mahi * All fish weighed or tagged and released must equal or exceed the line class used. 13. Line Class The minimum line class for captures to count towards champion and runner up boat and angler awards will be 15kg. Should there be no non-billfish species captures on 15kg and over line classes for a specific non billfish species, the award will be made to the highest point scoring non-billfish species capture regardless of line class. Page 6 of 12

7 14. Points Scoring Billfish Billfish species tagged and released will be allocated the following nominal points: Billfish Description Nominal Points Awarded Marlin, Blue and Black 33,000 Broadbill Swordfish 33,000 Marlin, Striped 16,500 Other Billfish 16,500 Tagged Billfish - Actual points scored for tagged billfish will be calculated by the formula: Total points = Nominal points/line class Captured Billfish - Capture points will be calculated by the following formula Actual Fish Weight / Line Class x 150 = Points Scored #note All fish must be equal or greater than the line class used to qualify Other Species Point scoring for non-billfish species will be as per PGFC Club Championship Rules. Points will be awarded for captures, measure and release and tagging of fish. Details can be found on the PGFC website. Tied Scores a) In the event of scores being tied for trophies and prizes, the winner will be determined on countback, with the earliest fish tagged or captured taking precedence. b) For billfish, the time of capture used for this purpose will be that logged with Bluewater Base. 15. Fishing Licenses, Bag and Size Limits a) It is a requirement of this Tournament that all competitors comply with WA Department of Fisheries regulations concerning licensing, bag limits and minimum sizes at all times. b) The latest rules can be downloaded from c) Other than billfish species, only 5 of each species will be accepted tagged or weighed per boat per day. 16. Line Testing The Club s line tester will be used for random checks on competitors lines. Any line which does not pass this test will result in disqualification of the angler s and boat s catch on that line class for that day. 17. Weather a) The decision to put to sea or stay at sea, and the responsibility for the vessel and crew, is solely that of the skipper. b) If the Bureau of Meteorology s Perth Coast Forecast issued at 0400 for any fishing day of the Tournament includes a strong wind warning for that day s sea breeze, that day s fishing may be shortened or cancelled at the absolute discretion of the Tournament Committee. All boats will be advised by radio from Bluewater Base or Page 7 of 12

8 by mobile phone. 18. Conduct a) All competing anglers are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsman-like manner and at all times follow the rules, regulations and ethics of game fishing. b) All skippers and crews competing in the Tournament are reminded that for the duration of the Tournament they are regarded as representatives of the Club. As such, any unbecoming behavior reflects adversely on the Club and indeed on all game fishers. c) The Tournament Committee may on its own initiative investigate and act upon any incident that may have occurred during the Tournament and may invoke penalties of loss of points, disqualification of fish, angler, boat or team where misconduct is deemed to have taken place. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary in these circumstances. 19. Protests a) Any protests relating to weight of, or the manner of weighing a fish, must be made to the weigh-master before the fish is removed from the scales. All other protests must be made in writing to a member or members of the Tournament Committee as soon as practicable after the event being disputed has occurred. b) No protest will be accepted after 1700 hours on 18 February The Club reserves the right to lodge a protest. 20. Organiser s Liability The Perth Game Fishing Club (Inc) will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to their person or effects, or consequential losses, sustained by any competitor or third party. All competitors taking part in the Tournament shall do so at their own risk. Page 8 of 12

9 2018 Bluewater Tackle world Marlin Cup Trophies and Prizes Marlin Cup Bluewater Tackle - Champion Boat Awarded to the boat with the highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Runner-Up Champion Boat Awarded to the boat with the 2 nd highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Champion Male Angler Awarded to the male angler with the highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Runner Up Champion Male Angler Awarded to the male angler with the second highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Champion Female Angler Awarded to the female angler with the highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures. Runner Up Champion Female Angler Awarded to the female angler with the 2 nd highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Awarded to the Team with the highest points scored on Billfish. Invitation to represent PGFC at the 2019 Offshore World Championships in Quepos, Costa Rica. Framed Roger Swainston Print Hookem Tag Pole or Gaff Bluewater Tackle World Game Fishing Dredge + Gift Pack Bluewater Tackle World $750 Custom Fishing Rod Voucher Bluewater Tackle World $350 Gift Card Bluewater Tackle World $750 Custom Fishing Rod Voucher Bluewater Tackle World $350 Gift Card Junior Champion Angler Awarded to the junior with the highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. Bluewater Tackle World $300 Gift Card Page 9 of 12

10 2018 Bluewater Tackle world Marlin Cup Trophies and Prizes Runner up - Junior Champion Awarded to the junior with the second highest 2 day points aggregate for all allowable captures*. First 3 boats to Capture or Tag & Release a billfish Cash awards will be made for the first three boats to capture or tag a qualifying line class billfish. The capture must be radioed in immediately after tagging or boating and photographic evidence of tagging must be provided. Highest Point Scoring Species Highest point scoring Tuna Highest point scoring Mackerel Highest point scoring Wahoo Highest point scoring Mahi Mahi Bluewater Tackle World $150 Gift Card $1000 cash First boat to tag & release a billfish $500 cash Second boat to tag & release a billfish $250 cash Third boat to tag & release a billfish Bluewater Tackle World $150 Gift Card + Gift Pack for each species Highest Point Scoring Fish on a Halco Lure Highest Point Scoring Fish on a Richter Lure Most Meritorious Fish (Non Billfish) Sail Past Attendance Lucky Draw Photographic Prize Prize for the best fish, action or boat image as judged by the Tournament C ommittee. Images must be ed to tournaments@pgfc.com.au by 19 February This award will be made at the Presentation night. Halco Lure Pack Richter Lure Pack Bluewater Tackle World Optia Deluxe Game Rigging Kit 2 Night Karma Rottnest Lodge Accommodation Voucher Bluewater Tackle World $100 Gift Card *Allowable Captures: Include fish weighed in as captures, fish measured and released and fish tagged in accordance with PGFC Club Championship Rules. Note: Non-billfish allowable captures will count towards champion and runner up boat and angler awards only if the capture is made on 15 kg or above line class. Allowable captures of non-billfish species on up to 10 kg line classes will be considered for the other prize categories only if there were no captures for the species on a 15 kg or above line class. Species are limited to: Tuna, mackerel, wahoo and mahi mahi. Page 10 of 12

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