There are few bragging rights in the angling world like sailfish bragging rights, and they will be on the line when teams contest the 2025 Carpentaria Marine Services Weipa Billfish Tournament in October. Photo: Supplied.
Early birds keen to flex their fishing muscle only have until 26 September to register for Weipa’s ultimate billfish competition.
The 2025 Carpentaria Marine Services Weipa Billfish Tournament will be held from 3-7 October, with teams already fine-tuning their gear after sailfish made an early season appearance in the waters off western Cape York.
Weipa Billfish Club spokesperson Ben Bright said it was good to see competitors already practicing for the fight for sailfish bragging rights.
“If this past week was anything to go by, club members are super keen on getting as much practice in as possible leading up to the annual tournament,” he said.
“Plenty of club members have been out, and the sailfish have made an appearance already this season, keeping anglers well entertained.”
Following a briefing on 3 October, teams will spend 4-6 October on the water fishing before success is celebrated and tales of lost monsters told at the presentation dinner on 7 October.
Mr Bright said the social aspect of the competition was a big lure for many competitors.
“The 2025 Carpentaria Marine Services Weipa Billfish Tournament has a proud tradition of focusing on everyone having a great time,” he said.
“The tournament format typically sees most teams spending two nights anchored in the sheltered waters of Boyd Bay, and enjoying the after-fishing socialising and camaraderie.”
While competition in the tournament is fierce, the event has proved to play a critical role in understanding the region’s fishery after a sailfish tagged in 2023 was detected off Groote Eylandt five months later in a first.
“The phrase ‘there’s no fences at sea’ is a term often coined in Weipa’s fishery, and recent data analysis has revealed one of our acoustically tagged sailfish has been detected near Groote Eylandt about 5 months after release – the first confirmed record of one crossing the Gulf,” Mr Bright said.
“It adds another piece to the puzzle as we wonder about the life cycle of Weipa’s sailfish; while information like this is always super interesting, we will have to wait and see what statistics come from this year’s tournament.”
For more information about registering for the event, check out the Weipa Billfish Club’s Facebook page.
