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| 1. Tournament Rules |
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| All participants must be current financial members of a club affiliated with either the G.F.A.P.N.G or
I.G.F.A and all fishing will be strictly in accordance with the rules laid down by these organizations and the requirements of the Madang National Titles Committee. |
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| 2. Tournament Waters |
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| The tournament waters shall be the Madang Game Fishing Clubs fishing waters (refer to your grid maps in the
skipper satchels and the main map in the centre of the magazine). |
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| 3. Teams, Rods and Fishing Times |
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The national game fishing titles is a team event in which the spirit of fishing and mateship is
encouraged. Any one team must consist of a maximum of 4 and a minimum of 2 anglers. All members of a team must fish from the same boat and on the same days. Each
team shall be limited to a maximum of 2 days fishing; however, these days need not be consecutive. There are no rod restrictions per angler or per boat but I.G.F.A. rules must
be followed for double strikes, clearing rods and the capture of fish.
Anglers in each team are required to notify the Tournament Committee by 1800 hours the evening prior to their fishing day of their intent to fish the following day. Madang
based anglers are requested to fish the first weekend (7th & 8th) and mid week to reserve the long weekend (13th, 14th & 15th) for visiting anglers.
Boats may depart Madang Club any time 0500 hours each morning. Actual fishing times will be 0600 hours to 1800 hours each day. On the first day of fishing boats are
permitted to fish into Madang on their first day so long as the above procedure is followed but must depart Madang Club for all remaining days of fishing. Weigh in time on each
day will be strictly 1830 hours.
Inclement weather or engine failure will not be accepted as valid reasons for failing to return to Madang base by 1830 hours. Boats fishing in distant waters must allow for
sufficient travel time to return by 1830 hours. Fish hooked up and reported to base before 1800 hours may be played and weighed after 1830, except on the last day of the
competition (Easter Sunday, the 15th April), when there will be no exception to the 1830 hour weigh in. |
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3.1 Billfish Shootout |
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The Billfish Shootout will be on Thursday the 12th April. To register, each competing boat must have a
minimum of four anglers, each paying K250.00. There will be no maximum, although the legal safety requirements for the carrying capacity of each boat must be followed.
Registration will be at the Madang Club from 1900 hours on Wednesday the 11th April. The heaviest billfish weighed in accordance with G.F.A.P.N.G and I.G.F.A rules will win 85%
of the cash pool (15% will go to the National Titles Committee). All competing boats will participate in a sail past from 0630 hours and must leave from the Madang Club.
Weigh in will be 1830 hours. If the winning billfish also exceeds 216.2 kilos, landed on 37 kilo line class or less that angler will also win a 4WD utility sponsored by PNG
Motors. However, the cash pool alone can still be won by the heaviest fish if landed on 60 kilo. Note that rules 1 and 2 above apply. |
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| 4. Line Categories |
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| Line Classes and categories will be as follows |
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Ultra Light |
1 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg & 4 kg |
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Light |
6 kg & 8 kg |
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Medium |
10 kg & 15 kg |
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Heavy |
24 kg, 37 kg & 60 kg |
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| 5. Scoring |
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5.1 Tournament Points for Weighed Fish |
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Tournament points for weighed fish will be calculated by dividing the weight of the fish by the line class
and then multiplying by the fish FACTOR (as indicated below). Fish scoring less than 50 points will not be considered for tournament points. |
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ALL Billfish |
150 |
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Gamefish |
100 |
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ALL Sharks |
50 |
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Tournament points will count for angler, team and boat for overall tournament points. Boat points for
the purpose of tournament points for weighed fish prizes are taken as tournament points accumulated over any two-day period fished by a team per boat. Tournament points for
weighed fish will not be eligible for, nor count towards any tagging points or prizes. |
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5.2 Tournament Points for Tagged and Released Fish |
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Tagging will be treated as an entirely separate category to weighed fish with the following point system
applying for fish tagged |
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ALL Marlin |
40 tag points |
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Sailfish |
20 tag points |
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ALL Sharks |
2 tag points |
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Gamefish |
1 tag point |
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Note that only 5 points can be accrued per angler for each gamefish species, and only 10 points for all
shark species. All billfish are the only fish that can accrue unlimited points. |
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Further note that in the event of a tie, the winner and consequent runner ups will be determined by the
first fish tagged and released, called in to base (on a time basis). |
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Tagging points will not be eligible for tournament points for weighed fish or prizes and all tagging must be
in accordance with G.F.A.P.N.G rules. |
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| 6. Radios and Safety Equipment |
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| ALL boats must be able to receive and transmit on VHF Channel 82 (the best coverage and safest radio
frequency for Madang) and must maintain hourly contact directly with Madang Club base. Daily radio schedules will be from 0705 hours to 1805 hours, on the hour. As a
standby only, the Madang Club will monitor 27 Mhz CB radios in case of emergencies, boat radio problems and as a communication backup to VHF Channel 82. |
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| On being called on each radio schedule, every boat shall reply with her grid position (as per the club chart
supplied in the skippers satchels) and score ie. 3 -2 - 1 - 1, representing 3 strikes, 2 hookups, 1 landed, and 1 tagged. Each boats first schedule must also include the number
of P.O.B (people on board). |
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| Boats who miss two consecutive radio schedules or give misleading information are liable for
disqualification of the boat and team from the competition. |
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| BASIC FIRST AID KIT / EPIRB / VHF OR HAND HELD RADIO / 1 LIFEJACKET PER PERSON / 1 PARACHUTE & 1 HAND
HELD FLARE / HAND HELD MIRROR / V SHEET / 2 LITRES WATER PER PERSON / ANCHOR AND ROPE / COMPASS / BUCKET / GRID CHART |
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| The Committee reserves the right to check on any boats safety equipment. |
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| 7. Weigh In |
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| The official weigh station (Madang Game Fishing Club gantry) will be situated on the wharf at the front of
the Madang Club. All captures (including tag cards) will be weighed and or recorded by one of the Committee or arrival at the weigh station. All fish presented for
weighing must be identified with the tag provided (in each anglers bag) wired to the tail or dorsal fin of the fish and clearly marked with the following information: |
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A. |
Angler registration number and name |
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B. |
Line class the fish was captured on |
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C. |
Boat name |
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| In the case of tagged fish, fully completed tag cards must be handed to the weigh master. All anglers
are required to submit to the weigh master the rod, reel, lure or bait hook/s and all terminal tackle if requested to verify conformity to I.G.F.A rules (an illustrated guide to
equipment regulations is printed in the magazine). |
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| All fish weighed, or presented for weighing become the property of the Madang Game Fishing Club. |
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| 8. Transfer of Fish |
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| Where a boat break down occurs the fish may be transported (so long as Madang base is notified and at the
discretion of the Committee) to the weigh station by another vessel provided that the angler and tackle accompany the fish and are present at the weigh station by the specified
deadline in rule 3. The alternate boat provided for angler and fish will be at the sole discretion of the skipper of the boat providing the alternate means of transport. |
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| 9. Protests |
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| Any protest relative to captures must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Director by 2000 hours on
the day or within one hour of a disputed fish being weighed in. Any decision will be final and made by the Protest Committee. The Protest Committee shall consist of the
Tournament Director (Ian Middleton), I.G.F.A Representative (Bob O'Dea) and G.F.A.P.N.G Representative or another Committee member. |
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| 10. Boat Allocation |
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| Boat allocation for visiting anglers will be made immediately after the nomination form closing date (15th
March). Any late entries will be accommodated only if there are boats still available and cannot be guaranteed. |
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| 11. Chartered Boats |
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| All boats, including those on Charter for the tournament are permitted to win the listed boat prizes.
The winning boat/s will be determined by their 2 best days of fishing recorded for the whole tournament (not necessarily the best 2 days by any one team). |
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