About Longreach Yellowbelly Fishing Classic 2024
The Longreach Yellowbelly Fishing Classic 2024 is an annual event showcasing the mighty Thomson River.
This is a family friendly, all age event with prizes for angler categories as well as random and major prize draws for registered competitors. Entertainment for all ages kicks off Saturday with free kid’s activities, live music, yabby races, food, bar, raffles and market stalls.
This year we are pleased to have a boat as one of the major random draws.
Camp at Council’s adjacent caravan park or anywhere along the banks of the Thomson.
This year we are also hosting the last leg of the 2023 Triple Crown Challenge – across the three local fishing events of Windorah Yellowbelly Hunt, Isisford Fishing Competition and our own Longreach Yellowbelly Fishing Classic. The angler with longest total length from a single fish at each event will be crowned thechampion and take home a $1,300 prize.
Longreach Yellowbelly Fishing Classic T-Shirts!
Adult Sizes Available: XS - 8XL
Child Sizes Available: K2-K14
LONGREACH YELLOWBELLY FISHING CLASSIC 2024 RULES
By purchasing any tickets competitors acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions of the competition set out below:
The decisions of Longreach Yellowbelly and Recreation Club Inc are FINAL and the Committee has the right to withhold prizes pending investigation.
Longreach Yellowbelly and Recreation Club Inc. and Longreach Regional Council accept no liability for injury, loss or damage to persons or property in the course of event, whether such injury or losses are due, or alleged to be due to any neglect or default of Longreach Yellowbelly and Recreation Club Inc or of any official or agent thereof, and all competitors fully understand that in participating, they do so entirely at their own risk and agree to abide by all the rules and regulations and laws.
Fish must be alive at time of weigh and measure. “NO PINK FISH” (Yellowbelly go pink when kept too long in fish keepers, we do encourage catch and release and these odd colour fish will not survive re-entry). PLEASE BE HONEST AND PLAY FAIR.
Fishing areas are any point between the Fairmount Weir and the Town Weirs in the Thomson River Longreach Area. Longreach Council have approved camping from 17-31 August 2024. Please do not rope off camp sites.
Competitors must purchase a ticket BEFORE fishing and may enter the competition as many times as they wish. One ticket accompanied by the payment fee is required per entry.
Only adult tickets are eligible to for the major draws (boat and cash prize draw). One draw of $5000 will occur on Saturday evening between 7 - 9 pm and the boat will be drawn Sunday between 11.30 am – 1.30 pm. The winner must be present at the draw to collect the prize and will have two minutes to claim the prize prior to redraw. The $5000 cash prize will be forfeited after three draws and no winner. The boat/trailer will be redrawn until a winner is present.
Fishing competition hours: Friday 23 August 2024 12 pm until final weigh and measure on Sunday 25 August 2024 10.00 am. Only live fish caught between these hours are eligible for measuring and recording at Apex Riverside Park. Catch and release of Yellowbelly is preferred but not compulsory. Weight & measure at Apex Park HQ Friday: 3-6 pm; Saturday: 8am – 6pm & Sunday 8am – 10.00 am. FINAL WEIGH AND MEASURE 10.00 AM SUNDAY – NO EXCEPTIONS
All fishing must be in accordance with Recreational Fishing Rules and regulations in Queensland issued by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Copies of these rules are available from the Department's website.
All boats are to obey regulations set out by Qld Department of Transport and observe protocol regarding no wash zones. It is up to the Competitors to know and abide by all the fishing and boating laws and rules that pertain to this river. Boat trailers left at the boat ramp are done so at own risk.
If there is more than one species of equal longest or mystery length, weight or number caught in a particular category, the first species registered at a weigh station will be the winner. For mystery Yellowbelly length category if no angler catches a fish at that length the first angler to register a Yellowbelly closest to the mystery length will be deemed the winner.
Anyone caught cutting trees down on the Town Common will be disqualified from this competition instantly. Longreach Regional Council will have Local Laws officers on patrol. If you have any questions, please contact an LYRC committee member at the registration area during fishing times.
*If the major prizes are not claimed within 2 minutes they will be redrawn
**Photos and images taken during the event may be used for publicity and marketing purposes.
Competitive categories are:
First fish off the Bridge – Friday 23.08.2024 commencing at 4.00 pm
$250 cash prize - $2 entry fee
**NO ALCOHOL ON THE BRIDGE PLEASE**
First fish of the bridge runs for one hour on the Friday afternoon. If no fish is caught the competition will be run the following morning at a time set by the Committee for a further hour.
The first fish off the bridge must be hooked and reeled in on the bridge to qualify.
If no fish is caught the prize is forfeited.
Mini Anglers (2 - 6years) - $5 registration
- Longest Yellowbelly
- Longest Other Fish
- Mystery Length Yellowbelly
- Most Sleepy Cod by Quantity
- Heaviest Single Red Claw
Junior (7 – 16 years) - $10 registration
- Longest Yellowbelly
- Longest Catfish
- Longest Other Fish
- Most Yellowbelly Caught by Centimetres
- Mystery Length Yellowbelly
- Most Sleepy Cod by Quantity
- Heaviest Single Red Claw
- Most Red Claw by Quantity
Adult (17+ years) - $30 registration
- Longest Yellowbelly
- 2nd Longest Yellowbelly
- Longest Catfish
- Longest Other Fish
- Most Yellowbelly Caught by Centimetres
- Mystery Length Yellowbelly
- Most Sleepy Cod by Quantity
- Heaviest Single Red Claw
- Most Red Claw by Quantity
Winning Team by points - $500 cash prize
- Best camp site (10 points per team) - Register your team and post pictures of your camp site on Facebook/Instagram tagging @LongreachYellowbellyFishingComp to enter.
- Best Team Shirt (10 points)
- Damper competition 2 points per entry and 10 points if winner
- First fish off the bridged (1 point per entrant)
- Team member registrations (1 point per registered entrant)
- Registered fish caught by a team member (2 points each fish)
Most Invasive Species – in 2 age groups - U18 & Adult.
Sponsored by Longreach Tourist Park & Lake Eyre Basin Rangers
The award shall be given to the person who catches the most in quantity invasive species, of either one species or a combination. The invasive species must be one or more of the following: sleepy cod, red claw, gambusia.
Yabby Races (Saturday from 5 pm Apex Park HQ)
Yabbies will be numbered and individually auctioned to the highest bidder. The winning bidder will also be given the opportunity to name the yabby. Names must be appropriate to a family orientated event. Yabbies will be placed in the centre circle of the drawn track. The first yabby to reach the circle finish line wins.
Triple Crown
Be a registered competitor and catch a Yellowbelly at the Windorah, Isisford and Longreach event to win. The angler over 13 years with the longest total length from a single Yellowbelly at each event wins.
What’s on at Yellowbelly HQ - Apex Park
Friday
12 pm – 6 pm Registrations open
3 pm – 6 pm weigh/measure at Yellowbelly HQ
4 pm – 9 pm Bar opens
4 pm First fish off the bridge - $250 cash prize (gold coin entry fee)
Saturday
8 am – 6 pm Registration
8 am – 6 pm and weigh/measure at Yellowbelly HQ
8 am until late food vendors on site
12 pm –10 pm Bar open
4 pm kids activities inc. colouring in competition closes
4 pm damper must be submitted at Yellowbelly HQ ($5 per entry) – winning damper announced at Sunday prize ceremony
5 pm Yabby races (be there to bid on your yabby)
4 pm until late DJ Phil
7 – 9 pm $5000 prize draw (you must be there to claim the prize).
Sunday
8 am – Food vendors open
8 - 10 am registrations and weigh/measure at Yellowbelly HQ
10 am – 2 pm Bar open
10.00 am STRICTLY last WEIGH IN
From 11.30 am prize ceremony concluding with Boat/Trailer major random draw
Without the generous support of our community this event would not be possible. We thank everyone who has supported this event.
*Plus booking fee
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