There will be plenty of red-hot action on the water when anglers battle for bragging rights in the 2024 Weipa Billfish Tournament on 5-7 October. Photo: Supplied.
Weipa’s reputation of being home to “arguably the best sailfishing” in Queensland will be put to the test when teams converge on western Cape York to battle for billfishing bragging rights next month.
The 2024 Weipa Billfish Tournament will be held from 5-7 October with teams from across the state set to make the trek north.
The competition is offering those who nominate before 27 September the chance to go into the draw for an early bird prize and Weipa Billfish Club president Ben Bright said he expected there would be a wave of registrations before the deadline.
“We generally expect around 15 or so teams to compete, and no doubt there will be a flurry of nominations just prior to the early bird cut-off on [27 September],” he said.
“Final nominations will be accepted up until 5pm on 30 September.”
Mr Bright said he believed Weipa’s laid-back attitude, landscape and the fishing made the annual tournament unique within Queensland Game Fishing Association (QGFA) competitions.
“Weipa represents a totally unique fishery and boasts arguably the best sailfishing the state has to offer,” he said.
“The club focuses closely on competitors having a great time and the tournament showcases the town and its charismatic relaxed way of life
“This year, we will have some competitors travel from Mackay, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Townsville and Exmouth.”
The topic of shark depredation has been at the forefront of recreational fishing conversations across Cape York in recent months and Mr Bright said the tournament was not immune from the issue, adding it also played a vital role in research relating to billfish.
“Shark depredation is becoming more of an issue right around the country and offshore game fishing in Weipa isn’t immune,” he said.
“As this is a QGFA-sanctioned tag and release tournament, we are continually educating anglers and adopting and modifying best fish handling practices to ensure the very best outcome for the sport.
“Recreational tagging of billfish has directly led to much of what is known about them by the scientific community, and the Weipa Billfish Club has been directly involved in recent groundbreaking fish handling and acoustic tagging techniques.”
