Sydney's inaugural 'Tuna Slam'

The historic Sydney Game Fishing Club (SGFC) at Watsons Bay, formed in 1952 and gathering place of the country's best anglers including legendary TV personalities Bob and Dolly Dyer and many more, has just released details of its inaugural Tuna Slam competition.

Open to all Game Fishing Association of Australia, NSW Game Fishing Association, Australian National Sportfishing Association and affiliated members, the Tuna Slam has simple rules.

HEAVIEST TUNA WINS
The angler weighing the heaviest tuna, bound to be a bluefin or yellowfin (although big-eye, albacore and striped tuna are eligible) caught during the competition will be deemed the winner and collect the substantial cash-prize pool.

The minimum fish weights for adult anglers are the same for yellowfin and bluefin tuna, that being, 15kg on line classes up to and including 15kg line, equal to line class for over 15kg line, and for junior anglers equal to the line class in all cases.

FISHING AREA
The event will be run all July and August within a fishing area limited to SGFC prescribed ocean waters, which essentially extend from Norah Head to Wollongong Lighthouse and 60 nautical miles seawards from the NSW ?Coastline.

ENTRY FEES AND DETAILS
Entry fee costs $200 prior to July 7 and $250 per boat thereafter but prior to the day of fishing, which would ideally be before July 1 to maximise your fishing time and chances of catching a big tuna. Entries won't be accepted retrospectively after fish are caught.

SGFC is also offering competitors club membership for the sole cost of at the annual subscription and is therefore waving the usual joining fee.

Meantime, a briefing night will be held at the Watsons Bay clubhouse at 7.00pm on July 7 coinciding with the monthly club meeting.

The briefing will include talks on tuna tactics, sea surface chart analysis and other techniques to maximise success rates. Experienced skippers and crew will be available on the night to answer any questions regarding tackle requirements for the competition.

FISHING RULES AND METHODS
NSWGFA Rules will apply for this competition and they can be found at the NSWGFA website.

?The use of braided lines is allowed in this event. It should be noted that captures on braid or multifilament lines will not be eligible to submit applications for records.

All rods/tackle gear used for the capture of the tuna must be presented at the time of weighing the capture. Any fish captured with non-regulation NSWGFA requirements will be disqualified from the event. Gear presented as that used per fish is deemed the correct one and cannot be changed/substituted. ?

THE WEIGH IN
All fish must be weighed at the Sydney Game Fishing Club at Watsons Bay.

Fish must arrive by boat and may not be transported to the weigh station by road. ?Fish submitted for weighing must be captured by the boat presenting the fish at the weigh station. Fish may not be transferred between boats.

?NSW DPI bag limits apply. ?The SGFC Committee reserves the right to refuse any boat/team entry. Fish caught during charter operations will not be eligible for the competition.

PRIZE POOL
First Prize – 70 per cent of the total pool gained from the entry fee, eg, if 10 boats enter the competition, the winning boat will receive a prize of $1400.00 (10 x $200.00 x 0.7 (70 per cent) plus Trophy.

Runner Up – 10 per cent of the total pool gained from the entry fee plus Trophy.

In the event of a tie, the countback system will be used to determine the winner, i.e. the angler or boat to reach the winning score first will be deemed to be the winner.

The remaining money raised by the entry fee will be utilised by the SGFC for the running of the event. Competition details and entry forms at http://www.sgfc.com.au Photos courtesy of SGFC FB page.