Club Points & Trophies By-Laws

Club Points & Trophies By-Laws last updated: May 2021 (changes to Summer Point Score rules as it relates to Interclub tournament – refer 4a).

1. Definitions

NSW Waters: all waters off the NSW coast (Northern Boundary at degrees 28.9 South and Southern Boundary at degrees 37.3 South), limited to 200 nautical miles off-shore and including a 200 nautical mile radius around Lord Howe Island (as it forms part of NSW). Note: this is generally aligned to all waters East of NSW that form part of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) and is aligned to NSWGFA definitions.

Sydney Waters: defined as the area on the SGFC Gridmap marked with white grid squares which extends from Grid Reference Golf in the North (33 degrees 15 min South) to Grid Reference Tango in the South (34 degrees 25 min South) and extends seaward to Grid Reference 20 in the East (152 degrees 25 min East).

Coastal Waters: all NSW Waters excluding Sydney Waters.

Club Trophy & Record Waters: waters off the NSW mainland coast (Northern Boundary at degrees 28.9 South and Southern Boundary at degrees 37.3 South) limited to 60 nautical miles off-shore. Note: this is a historical definition that has always formed part of the Sydney Game Fishing Club rules and regulations.

2. Trophies

The Club shall not accept Commercial Trophies in any form.

(a) All trophies and records shall be fished in the Club Trophy and Record Waters only unless otherwise specified.

(b) Club trophies will be based upon the following line classes: 4 Kg, 6 Kg, 8 Kg, 10 Kg, 15Kg, 24 Kg, 37 Kg and 60 Kg. Any Record Claims made on International Line Classes ie. 1 Kg and 2 Kg will be processed by SGFC and forwarded to the relevant authorities.

(c) All Club trophies be awarded in accordance with their Donor’s Charter or intended to those anglers entitled to the same by virtue of their captures(s) or tags.

(d) First Marlin if tagged is eligible for First Marlin Certificate.

(e) To be eligible for Record and/or Club Trophies and Point Score, captures must be caught and recorded for SGFC. Fish caught and recorded for any other NSW Game Fishing Club shall not be eligible for Club Record and/or Club trophies and Point Score with the exception where the boat and anglers are representing our Club in an ratified Tournament.

(f) Captures made for a boat representing any other Game Fishing Club shall not be eligible for Record and/or Club Trophies or Point Score.

(g) All Perpetual Trophies shall remain the property of the Club.

(h) Financial Club members may claim individual Club Trophies if captures are made and recorded from vessels other than those shown on the Club register.

(i) Unless otherwise specified all Club Trophies are awarded annually based on the fishing season which runs from July 1st and through to June 30th.

3. Point Score Rules

Any fish captured or T&R in a competition not ratified by NSWGFA will not be eligible for Club purpose, ie. Point Score, weight, trophies, records etc.

SGFC Point Score competitions shall be fished in three sections by the maximum number of points scored winning boats in each of the four categories for (except for Winter Point Score):

(a) Sydney Summer Point Score

(b) Coastal Waters Point Score (Capture Only – Joe Ritchie Trophy)

(c) Winter Point Score

Points awarded as per NSWGFA point score system.

Categories for capture are:

  1. Ultra Light 4kg, 6kg Line Class (no captured sharks on 4kg line class)
  2. Light 8kg Line Class
  3. Medium 10 & 15kg Line Class
  4. Heavy 24,37 & 60kg Line Class

Categories for Tag & Release are:

  1. Ultra Light 6kg, 8kg & 10kg Line Class
  2. Light 15kg Line Class
  3. Medium 24kg Line Class
  4. Heavy 37 & 60kg Line Class

4. Sydney Summer Point Score

(a) The Sydney Summer Point Score competition occurs on the first and third full weekends of each month. Commencing on the third weekend of September until the first Weekend of May and includes any Central Zone tournaments sanctioned by NSWGFA (ie, Central Zone Rounds) a special inclusion (currently under review) is the three days of the Interclub at Port Stephens.

(b) Only Captures or Tag & Releases made in Sydney Waters shall be recorded and contribute towards total points for the Sydney Summer Point Score. Sydney Waters are defined as the area bounded by Wollongong to the South (Tango on SGFC Gridmap / 34 degrees 25 min 25 sec south), Norah Head Lighthouse to the North (Golf on SGFC Gridmap / 32 degrees 17 min 00 sec south)- between these two latitudes and a maximum of 60 nautical miles seawards. A special inclusion (currently under review) is the three days of the Interclub at Port Stephens.

(c) On all Summer Point Score weekends you must stipulate which day you want to fish, this can be done by logging onto a radio boat or any other SGFC boat out fishing on the day as well as marking any T&R certificate clearly as Summer Point Score.

(d) Fishing on Summer Point Score days commences at 7am and finishes at 5pm unless the day coincides with a Central Zone’s Club Tournament in which case the times are automatically adjusted to the Tournament’s specified times.

(e) Boats entering into any Central Zone Club’s Tournament will accrue points for the Summer Point Score across the entire tournament.

(f) All paperwork must be submitted to the Club within 7 days for the points to be registered, failure to lodge paperwork within the 7 day window will result in points not being awarded.

(g) The minimum weight for a shark will be 60kg, or double the line class, whichever is the greater.

5. NSW Coastal Waters Point Score (Capture Only – Joe Ritchie Trophy)

Commencing the third Sunday in September, this competition is then fished on alternate first and third Sundays of each month until the last competition day, this being the first Sunday of May the following year, including days of competitions sanctioned by NSWGFA that fall within the time span.

Recordable captures are those made outside boundaries of the Sydney Waters only, and Capture Certificates are all to be endorsed Coastal Waters Point Score.

6. Winter Point Score

Commencing the Monday after the first full weekend in May and continuing each Month until the first Sunday in August – any day may be fished.

Winter Point Score is made up of Capture and Tag & Release sections.

  • Capture: only the highest point scoring fish (one only) per month (one per boat) is counted.
  • Tag & Release: only the best poinstcoring day each month is counted.

The total of each section will be added to find the winner.

7. Visitors

Each year the points from a maximum of two visitor caught fish (capture or T&R) may count towards the Point Score competitions for a given boat – a visitor caught fish is a fish caught by a non-member.

Once the point for a visitor caught fish have been submitted it cannot be changed or swapped at a later date for a different visitor caught fish.

Visitor catches are not entitled to any Club Trophy and only where the Trophy Charter permits are the points eligible for the boat.

8. Penalities

(a) Weighing of undersize fish = shout of the bar.

(b) Debts to the Club over 120 days will result in no points or trophy awarded for fish caught until the outstanding amount is brought up to date

9. Trophy List

Sydney Trophy List – unless otherwise specified the relevant By-Laws as specified above apply to all trophies.

The trophy list is maintained at the Club Trophy List page.