Zululand Yacht Club Garrick Competition 2025- Notice of Competition & invitation to enter:
Dear Fishing Members. I am excited to announce our 2025 Garrick Competition on the weekend of 19-21 September!
Every winter brings a very special and largely unknown run of fish to the Zululand Yacht Club.
From early winter shoals of tiny sprat-like fish congregate in the mangroves and backwaters of Richards Bay Estuary, these can often be seen trying to find shelter under our walk-on moorings. These little fish attract large shoals of Razor Bellies (Hilsa Kelee) a member of the Herring family and distantly related to sardines), which feed on these little fish and can be seen on most winter & spring days splashing in the water around our Club as they feed aggressively on these little planktonic fish. What many do not realize is that these vast shoals of Razor Bellies represent a food source that is eagerly predetated upon by the Garrick that are migratory winter & spring visitors to our waters, Garrick are highly prized, hard fighting sport fish that are actively targeted by fishermen throughout their migratory range which extends from the Western Cape up to northern Zululand. We are truly privileged to have such excellent fishing for these wonderful gamefish right in front of our Club. These shoals of bait-fish also attract Dusky (Daga) Kob, Ignobilis Kingfish (GT's), Queen fish, big Shad and other gamefish to the waters around our Club. Anyone who has fished on this run and has witnessed the excitement when the gamefish are smashing into the balled-up bait on the surface will agree that this resembles the sardine run, and will never again look at this piece of water quite the same way again! And this happens right in front of our Club!
The season for this run will be at its peak and the Club will be hosting a Garrick fishing competition over the New Moon weekend of the 19-21September, so if you are not already planning to come down to the Club and enjoy this weekend please add another reason to make this a fun Zululand Yacht Club weekend!
Competition Format: The competition is open to all members and their guests, It is intended as a Fun Competition and the entry fee for members is R75 for adults & R50 for Children under 12. Non-Members entrance fee is R100 for adults & R75 for children under 12. Our usual Club rules of access applies: Members, Guests of Members and Members of reciprocal Clubs. Guests need to be signed in by a member. Although the competition is mostly aimed at Club members and their guests. Non-members are most welcome to participate. Temporary membership is available for Non-Members who do not have a member buddy to fish with. Please come and join in the fun!
Just a note please regarding the junior prizes. Juniors are under 12 years old, and their catches must be unassisted. While it is permissible for a parent or adult to assist with making traces, baiting up, and even casting, that is where assistance must end. The child must strike, play and land the fish on his or her own, without anybody else touching the rod for this catch to qualify as a junior catch. Assistance with netting and landing the fish is permitted, as long as this is done withing the limits allowed under IGFA rules (nobody other than the angler may touch the rod or the line above the leader knot once the fish has taken the bait). It’s all about learning, and we encourage the under 12s to yet again show the adults how it’s done!
There will be a briefing on Friday 19 September at the Jib & Anchor at 19h00, where tactics, rules (not many!) and information will be discussed, the competition will be open immediately after the briefing, Although Garrick are predominantly day time feeders the competition is open to anyone who wants to fish through the night for Kob & Kingfish which can feed strongly on this food resource at night. Lines up is at 14h00 on Sunday 21 September and the prize giving will be held at 15H00. All entry photos must be posted on the competition Whatsapp group by 14h00 Sunday afternoon for judging. No photos of catches posted after 14h00 on Sunday will be considered.
This is a competition that is ideally fished from your Dinghy/Tender, but can also be fished from Yachts, SUP paddle boards, canoes, Hobies, Oppies, Ski-boats or from the bank. With respect to the threatened conservation status of Garrick & Kob, this is intended as a Catch and Release competition where these species are concerned. Anybody killing a Garrick or Kob in this competition will be disqualified, these are indeed the target species, but they may not be killed & kept. Other ways to get immediately disqualified is fishing of any sort from the walk-ons or closed area north of the parking, or using Club tables, benches or braais as bait stations, leaving behind any kind of litter, interfering with innocent wildlife, or refusing to wind in your lines to make way for passing boats. Please respect the non-fishing members and their right to enjoy the Club too, without being confronted with a mess left by fishermen, lets heal our image as fishermen at the Club though our respectful behaviour, and help ensure that the privilege of access to this great fishing spot is not lost.
The catch will be judged according to photographed measurements taken prior to release (photo taken to include Club Judging Ruler issued at briefing). These Rulers have again been generously sponsored by Richards Bay Print & Sign who have been stalwart supporters of the Zululand Yacht Club fishing competitions for several years. Judging the competition in this way allows these threatened fish species to be released unharmed, to breed and grow and continue contributing to their diminishing Gene Pool. Grateful Thanks go to RB Print & Signs for their continued support of this event.
Although predominantly a Garrick competition consideration will also be given to other gamefish species caught, (e.g. Kob, Kingfish, Shad, Queen fish etc). Any legal rod & line fishing method is permissible, with drifting live Razor Bellies definitely being the most productive method, but added credit will also be awarded to fish caught on more challenging fishing methods such as Drop-Shot, Plugging, Spooning or Fly-Fishing. Added merit will certainly be given to anybody seen trawling a bait under Sail!
Join us for a fishing weekend at Zululand Yacht Club. Participate in this Fun Filled event at your Fantastic Club. This is a child friendly event, families fishing with small children are welcomed and catered for. The hotly contested “Young Guns” section is expected to provide some proper catches too! The main object is to have fun! Any Members who want to camp at the Club for the weekend benefit from the special camping rate for events! Please just book your Camping in the normal way with the Office and specify that you are part of the event (you must pre-enter the competition to receive the reduced camping rate).
The Office is open for pre-entries of both the main competition and the Pro’s Challenge.
Please make sure you have a valid fishing licence & observe catch restrictions in terms of size, bag & season limits.
Yours in looking forward to another excellent ZLYC Weekend. Anybody that would like any additional information please don't hesitate to contact me via Whatsapp on 0832369564
Tight Lines!
Morgan Smit
Also check out other Contests in Richards Bay, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Richards Bay.
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