2025 Rules

2025 Rules - PROVISIONAL

The competition is open to shore fisher persons and is limited to 400 tickets. Limited to one entry per person.
On the event of the Taranaki Open Surfcasting Challenge being abandoned, entry fees will be refunded.
If insufficient fish are weighed-in, unclaimed prizes will be drawn as spot prizes.
Tickets are not transferable to third parties and no refunds will be given after 5:00 p.m. Monday 10 November 2025.
The fishing boundary is from the south bank of the Marokopa River to Nukumaru Rock (Waiinu Beach). All fish must be caught within these boundaries.
Fish must be caught using only rods or conventional hand lines. Cannons and mortars are banned. Lines must NOT be taken out by boat, kayak, surfboard, kontiki, torpedo, drone, surf ski, kite, canoe or by any other method other than casting.
More competent casters may cast for others but must not assist in playing fish.
The use of amphibious vehicles, kayaks and boats are permitted to cross rivers, provided they do not enter the sea.
Each competitor is limited to two rods or hand lines, with a maximum of two single hooks per line (double or treble hooks are NOT permitted).
The competition period is from the 6:00 p.m. Wednesday 12 November 2025 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday 16 November 2025. Competitors are able to fish 24 hours per day within the competition period. Any competitor found with lines fishing in the water before 6pm will result in a lifetime ban from competition.
Competitors with fish to weigh on the final day, Sunday 16th November 2025, must be at the Cape Egmont Boat Club’s Official weigh-in area by 5:00 p.m. at the latest. Fish will NOT be accepted for weighing after 5:00 p.m.
Fish must be weighed in green (i.e. not gutted, gilled or mutilated) and fresh (i.e. not frozen or thawed). Mutilated fish includes clipping of fins or tails. Recreational Fishing Regulations must be complied with, in regard to minimum lengths.
Contestants must weigh-in their own fish and must present their digital TOSC numbered identification card when doing so.
Fish may be gutted by the weigh-master. Foreign matter found in the stomach of a fish shall disqualify the contestant of any participation in the Taranaki Open Surfcasting Challenge.
In the event of a tie, the first fish weighed-in will be declared the winner.
Only one prize, per section, per angler will be awarded. Contestants weighing in prize winning fish, do not have to be at the prize giving to claim their prize.
Weighed-in fish will be tail clipped, by the weigh masters, after weighing.
The Prize Giving Ceremony will be at the Cape Egmont Boat Club, Coast Road (off Bayly Road, off Surf Highway 45), on Sunday the 16th November 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
For spot and early bird draws, after announcing the winner, a 30 second countdown timer is activated. If the winner does not come forward, before the timer reaches zero, the prize will be forfeited and drawn again.
The organising committee reserves the right to disallow any fish where the committee considers the fish was not caught under the rules of the competition.
The organising committee reserve the right not to sell (or may cancel) a competition ticket to any person whose conduct, in their opinion, is contrary to the spirit in which the contest is run.
Any competitor who wishes to lay a complaint against another competitor, for breach of the rules, must do so in writing, with evidence, before 5:30 p.m. Sunday 16th November 2025. The organiser reserves the right to withhold prize money and may introduce outside parties to investigate any such breach.
All decisions of the organising committee will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The purchasing of a ticket in the Taranaki Open Surfcasting Challenge constitutes acceptance of the rules of the contest and participants agree to abide by the decision of the organisers.
All competitors enter the Taranaki Open Surfcasting Challenge at their own risk. Neither the organising committee nor sponsors shall be liable for any loss, injury or misadventure however arising.