Question 1

How do I enter?

Accepted Answer

Through the registration page - the captain enters the whole crew in one go. First in, first fishing, and last year sold out in six days, so don't sit on it.

Question 2

How do teams work?

Accepted Answer

Teams are 2 to 4 anglers. One person registers the whole crew in one go and pays the full team entry in one hit, on one card. Sort the money with your crew before you sit down to register.

Question 3

Can I register as an individual?

Accepted Answer

No - entry's by team, 2 to 4 anglers. If you're a crew short, drop us a line and we'll see who else is looking.

Question 4

What do I need ready before I register?

Accepted Answer

Each angler's full name and email. After you've registered, every angler gets sent their own waiver to sign online, so the email addresses need to be right. Juniors need a parent or guardian to sign off on theirs.

Question 5

Do I need a fishing licence?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every angler needs a current Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence unless they're exempt - under-18s and some concession holders don't need one. Check your situation and buy online at the VFA before you arrive, because fisheries officers love a tournament weekend.

Question 6

Can I register without using the website?

Accepted Answer

It's all online - that's what keeps rego quick and the comp weekend running smooth. If you're stuck or the tech's beating you, head to the contact page and the crew will get you sorted.

Question 7

How much is an entry?

Accepted Answer

$250 per adult angler and $125 for juniors - half the adult entry. The captain pays for the whole team in one payment on the registration page.

Question 8

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Card, through the secure checkout when you register. One payment covers the whole team - the captain pays in one hit.

Question 9

Can I buy the event tee when I register?

Accepted Answer

Tees are $45 each and available any time after you've registered.

Question 10

Can I buy the event tee if I'm not competing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it just has to be collected from Scallywags on comp weekend. No deliveries.

Question 11

Never fished a comp before - am I out of my depth?

Accepted Answer

Not even close. The Classic's built as much for first-casters as it is for the salty veterans who've fished every one. Never measured a flatty on a brag mat in your life? We'll walk you through it at the briefing before anyone touches the water. Some of the best stories come from the crews who rocked up with no idea and drove home with a fish tale they'll be embellishing for years.

Question 12

What kind of comp is it?

Accepted Answer

A team-based, catch-photo-release, lure-only flathead tournament, fished from boats on the Mallacoota lake. Every fish is measured on the brag mat, photographed and released - nothing comes back to the scales.

Question 13

How does scoring work?

Accepted Answer

2 points per centimetre. A 50cm flathead scores 100 points, a 50.5 scores 101. Your team's score is your ten best flathead across all sessions of the weekend. If two teams tie, the team with the single largest fish wins.

Question 14

What lures can I use?

Accepted Answer

Hard bodies, soft plastics or fly - that's it, no bait. Any line class, and spin, baitcast, spincast or fly tackle are all fine. Scent is allowed on the lure only, and berley is banned outright, including before the comp.

Question 15

How many rods can I fish?

Accepted Answer

One actively fishing rod per angler at a time. If you snag up, break off before you pick up another rod.

Question 16

Can I troll?

Accepted Answer

No. Using the boat's momentum to work your lure is trolling and it's out. Casting along a bank under electric power is fine, and so is using the electric to hold position - but leave your lines in the water while you move spots and you're trolling.

Question 17

What's the minimum size?

Accepted Answer

30cm from the mouth to the tip of the tail. And a fish only counts if it swims away when released - if it doesn't, it can't be scored.

Question 18

How do catches get verified?

Accepted Answer

Photo submission. The photo is taken directly above the fish with its mouth touching the 0cm end of the approved brag mat, your team's key tag fully visible, and the tail-tip measurement readable. Officials verify each photo and points land on the live leaderboard.

Question 19

How do we submit our photos? Do we need an app?

Accepted Answer

The comp runs on TMF Tournaments - you'll submit your catch photos through it, and the full rundown happens at the briefing before anyone touches the water. Bring at least one reliable smartphone per team with a working camera and a healthy battery. Mallacoota has its black spots, so how out-of-range catches are handled is covered at the briefing too.

Question 20

What's a key tag?

Accepted Answer

Your team's unique ID for the day, handed out at the briefing and reissued each morning. It has to be visible in every catch photo, and the whole team has to be back at check-in with it before the session ends - late back costs you 1cm per minute off your team's length, and 15 minutes or more scrubs the session.

Question 21

What about the biggest flathead prize?

Accepted Answer

Awarded to the longest single flathead submitted by the Saturday evening deadline. If two fish tie, whoever caught theirs first wins the countback.

Question 22

Do I need a boat?

Accepted Answer

Yes - it's a boat-based comp. Minimum 3.7m in length, with enough horsepower to plane with your registered crew and gear aboard (15hp is considered the floor).

Question 23

Can teams fish from the bank or shore?

Accepted Answer

No - it's a boat comp through and through. Anglers can't leave the vessel to fish, and a fish landed away from your boat doesn't count.

Question 24

Can I fish from a kayak, jet ski or canoe?

Accepted Answer

No - it's a powered-boat comp. Your vessel needs to be at least 3.7m with enough grunt to plane with your crew and gear aboard, so paddle craft and PWCs are out by definition.

Question 25

What paperwork does my boat need?

Accepted Answer

Current boat insurance, boat registration, and the captain's marine operator licence - all provided to the tournament directors before the comp. Whoever drives the boat must hold a current marine boat operator's licence.

Question 26

What are the safety rules on the water?

Accepted Answer

Kill switch fitted, operational and the lanyard worn whenever the engine's running. PFDs worn as per maritime requirements for your vessel, and by everyone while the boat's underway - boats under 4.8m mean a Type 1 PFD at all times. Stick to waterway speed limits: a speeding fine from the Police during a session scrubs that session's score. The driver stays under 0.05, no exceptions.

Question 27

What if another team's in trouble?

Accepted Answer

You help. It's the law (Marine Safety Act, section 91) and it's the comp's rule too - a team in distress outranks your bag, your key tag and your spot on the leaderboard, every time. Officials will sort the catches and check-in times of anyone who renders assistance.

Question 28

Can kids fish?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely - it's very much a bring-the-kids comp. Juniors fish at half the adult entry, and anyone under 16 fishes with a parent or guardian in the boat. A parent or guardian also signs off on their waiver during registration.

Question 29

Is there an age limit?

Accepted Answer

No age limit at either end.

Question 30

When and where?

Accepted Answer

23 to 25 October 2026, on the Mallacoota lake. Comp HQ is Scallywags Bar, overlooking the main boat ramp - briefings, presentations, the leaderboard on the big screen and most of the exaggerating all happen there.

Question 31

What are the session times?

Accepted Answer

Confirmed at the briefing before the first session. Teams fish within the designated times - not before, not after.

Question 32

What if the weather turns bad?

Accepted Answer

We fish in rain, not in danger. The Tournament Director can change session start and finish times if conditions call for it - any changes get announced at or after the briefing. Safety outranks the scoreboard.

Question 33

Can I pre-fish?

Accepted Answer

No. A pre-fish ban covers the entire waterway in the lead-up to the comp - and it's not just anglers. Anyone connected to a team who's on the water gathering info counts too. Exact ban dates for 2026 will be advertised, but bank on roughly the two weeks before the comp.

Question 34

What's the go with prizes?

Accepted Answer

Ninety per cent of entry fees go straight back to competitors as prizes. The full 2026 prize pool, categories and payouts will be announced closer to the comp.

Question 35

Can I follow without entering?

Accepted Answer

Yep - the whole comp runs live right here. Follow the live leaderboard session by session and watch the standings shift in real time from the bank, the boat or the bar.

Question 36

How do I get my business involved?

Accepted Answer

The comp partners with everyone from local businesses through to national fishing brands, with packages to suit - cash, product or a mix. Every sponsor gets real exposure to exactly the crowd they want in front of, and the site shows them what their support actually did. Head to the contact page and the crew will find the right fit.

FAQs.

Entering

The Format

Boats & Safety

Juniors & First-Timers

The Weekend

Sponsors & Partners

Still have a question?

Entering

01How do I enter?

02How do teams work?

03Can I register as an individual?

04What do I need ready before I register?

05Do I need a fishing licence?

06Can I register without using the website?

07How much is an entry?

08How do I pay?

09Can I buy the event tee when I register?

10Can I buy the event tee if I'm not competing?

11Never fished a comp before - am I out of my depth?

The Format

12What kind of comp is it?

13How does scoring work?

14What lures can I use?

15How many rods can I fish?

16Can I troll?

17What's the minimum size?

18How do catches get verified?

19How do we submit our photos? Do we need an app?

20What's a key tag?

21What about the biggest flathead prize?

Boats & Safety

22Do I need a boat?

23Can teams fish from the bank or shore?

24Can I fish from a kayak, jet ski or canoe?

25What paperwork does my boat need?

26What are the safety rules on the water?

27What if another team's in trouble?

Juniors & First-Timers

28Can kids fish?

29Is there an age limit?

The Weekend

30When and where?

31What are the session times?

32What if the weather turns bad?

33Can I pre-fish?

34What's the go with prizes?

35Can I follow without entering?

Sponsors & Partners

36How do I get my business involved?

Still have a question?