Club Rules

Special Rules

1. All special winners shall be declared leading one (1) week after the close of the angling season and shall be confirmed twenty - one (21) days prior to the annual meeting.
2. Members may have suitably mounted trophy fish displayed within the club - rooms of the committee's pleasure. All applications for display are to be submitted in writing to the committee.
3. Delegates on club business are entitled to reasonable expenses for attending meetings.
4. The consumption of alcoholic liquor is prohibited at all times on organised club transport.
5. Upon receiving their fifty (50) year membership gold medallion members shall be entitled to free annual membership fees.
6. A presentation recognising five (5) and ten (10) years continuous membership shall be presented to eligible members at the next Annual General Meeting.

Competition Notes

1. Try to assist your Captain and referees at all times.
2. Contact your trip Captain as soon as possible if unable to attend competition.
3. Leave your fishing area tidy.
4. Do not trespass on other members whilst fishing.
5. Firearms are definitely prohibited on Club trips.
6. Prevent bushfires, be sure to extinguish all fires.
7. Owners are responsible for their cars and boats.
8. Any disputes regarding "specials" shall be decided by the Committee, whose decision shall be final.
9. Unless otherwise stated, boats are permitted.
10. Frozen fish cannot be weighed in.
11. Areas allowed to be fished at Port Albert include Port Welshpool, Manns Beach & McLoughlin's Beach.
12. All Port Albert trips surf and estuary fishing allowed with unlimited distance.
13. In other surf and estuary competitions the distance will be set for each trip.
14. Bay trips will be called off if there is a "Blue Alert".
15. S/E Competitions to start at midnight.

Angling Rules

1. Competitions shall be open to all financial members of the Preston Northcote Angling Club.
2. Four (4) entries at the meeting prior to a competition make a going concern. The committee have the power to declare the competition void due to transportation difficulties or other extenuating circumstances.
3. Entries accompanied by a fee must be made to the secretary on or before the Thursday prior to the commencement of the competition, (seasons trophies excepted) but late entries may be made on the day of the competition on payment of the fee. Late entries must not be given priority, and shall be accepted only providing there is transport available.
4. Any member who has entered as a competitor in any angling competition shall be liable for his fare or any financial commitments (boat or vehicle) unless he has been exempted from such liability by a duly constituted meeting of the members. Any member infringing this rule shall forfeit all rights to enter for further club events until such commitments are finalised. All applications for exemption must be in writing within fourteen (14) days of the incurred liability.
5. In the event of a surplus of entries for any club competition, the Committee or Executive reserve the right to reject the entry of any member if, in their opinion, the said member or members belong to another angling club.
6. The chairman at the meeting prior to a competition shall appoint a Captain, whose duty it is to represent and organise the personel on the competition, and two referees whose duty it is to assist the Captain in the weighing of fish of each competitor and to certify the rules and conditions of the competition have been adhered to. The Captain shall ensure all weights are certified by the referees and all competition details and reports are forwarded to the Secretary at the next meeting. If the Captain cannot attend the competition the competitors shall elect another Captain to carry out the duties. The Captain may appoint extra referees to replace or assist either absent or existing referees.
7. Each entry shall report himself to the Captain at the place appointed for the competitors to meet before the competition, and must remain at the rendezvous with his tackle until the time fixed for beginning the competition.
8. In freshwater or estuary competitions, competitors must not ride in or on any vehicle or both or other means of transport to or from the place of rendezvous or for moving from one place to another during the time of competition, (unless sanctioned by the committee).
9. In all competitions the time of the weigh in shall be given by the Captain and no fish to be weighed in before that time without prior permission given by the captain and referees. Competitors may only weigh in once on the final day of all competitions. Competitions held at Thornton, Eildon Res. or at such places as the committee may decide, the rendezvous may be extended to two (2) or more places, should the members wish.
10. In the event of the competitor not arriving at the rendezvous until after the competition has commenced, he must report himself to the referees or some other competitor before beginning to fish.
11. The referee shall weigh the fish of those competitors only who shall have reported themselves. Competitors who have failed to report shall be deemed not eligible for the competition.
12. The times and place of the weigh - in shall be given by the captain at the beginning of the competition, and his time shall be taken as correct for the purpose of the competition. It is the members' responsibility to know the time and place of weigh - in.
13. No member shall be eligible to compete for a trophy who has already on the day of the competition angled in the water to be fished during that competition. Note Rule 30
14. In freshwater, surf and estuary competitions fish shall be taken by rod and line only; but a competitor may use a landing net or gaff in landing his fish after it has been hooked. A competitor shall not use more than two rods unless contrary to state laws where the competition may be held. Rods must not be tied down in any way. In saltwater competitions, competitors may at the discretion of the boat captain use up to a maximum of three (3) lines.
15. All fish weighed in to be of schedule size, as per state regulations, or club rules and all competitors in fishing competitions must weigh in their fish.
16. No money prizes shall be competed for under the auspices of the club, and all trophies competed for must be approved of by the Committee, and made available for display at presentation trophy night.
17. Should any member consider that the conditions of a competition have not been properly observed, he may, within eight days of such competition, lodge a written complaint to the Honorary Secretary, who shall forward it to the Committee, by whom the matter shall be investigated and who, after inquiry, may either dismiss or uphold the protest. Every such protest must be accompanied by a deposit of One Dollar ($1.00) which shall be forfeited to the club in the event of the protest being deemed frivolous. The decision of the Committee shall be final.
18. Should the Committee obtain information the the rules and conditions of any competition have not been complied with, they may order and inquiry, of which all principals and witnesses shall get fourteen days notice in writing. When, after due consideration, the Committee are satisfied that the aforesaid rules and conditions have not been complied with, they may disqualify the competitor or declare the competition void and order it to be refished. All such enquiries shall be open to all members of the club.
19. No competitor shall take more than seven angling competition trophies during the season - three (3) saltwater, two (2) freshwater and two (2) surf estuary or vice versa - and a competitor must take the trophy for which he first weighs in the heaviest weight of fish.
20. Competition winners are not eligible to win sealed weight trophies, jackpot competitions excepted.
21. 
    
22. In all competitions no trophy can be won unless a competitor's weight is 500 grammes minimum.
23. Any trophy known as a special trophy cannot be won unless the competitor weighs in a fish weighing a minimum of 500 grammes unless at the discretion of the committee.
24. Any competitor weighing in fish shall be allotted points to be added to his aggregate. Season aggregate points to be allotted as follows, 1st 40, 2nd 35, 3rd 32, 4th 30, 5th 29, continuing down one point each competitor. The aggregate shall be decided by the total number of points of the number of trips set by the Committee for each season. In the event of equal points the aggregate shall be deemed a draw. Two (2) trophies will be allocated.
25. Eels, Native Trout, Carp, Shark (except Gummy, School, or Snapper), Squid, Gurnard, and Crayfish are excluded from all competitions unless specified by the committee. Gurnard to be allowed into the boat only at the direction of the Boat Captain.
26. The captain and / or referees shall have the right to refuse any fish considered unfit for weighing - in.
27. Should a dispute arise about any matter not specifically dealt with in these rules and conditions about the interpretation to be put on any rule or condition, such matter in dispute shall be referred to the Committee, whose decision shall be final.
28. In the event of a non - member participating in any club competition, the member nominating such non - member shall be responsible for his conduct and any financial commitment to the club. Non - members are expected to join the club after two (2) outings in any one season.
29. All firearms are prohibited on club trips.
30. The Captain has the power to waive the rules of competition when circumstances beyond reasonable control prevent competitors from adhering to the rules. All such decisions are subject to ratification by committee.
31. The Committe reserve the right of altering or reallotting the date of any competition for which conditions are not favourable on the specified date for that competition, and entry fees paid to hold good for the alternative date, but, in the event of any competition not being fished and having to be carried to the following year, further entry must be made for same.
32. Any competitor attempting to weigh in fish under size according to club rules shall be disqualified for that competition.
33. The Club Committee, within twenty - one (21) days of their election each year, shall compile and arrange a competition syllabus for the coming season, and when such syllabus is compiled it shall be placed on the notice board for at least fourteen days before its adoption by the members.
34. Any member who has ballotted out from a saltwater competition shall be exempt from further ballot for the remainder of the season.
35. Competitors shall not fish within 10 metres of other competitors whilst fishing unless by invitation.
36. Further to rule nine (9), no member shall fish in a freshwater competition who has fished in the water the day before the said competition.
37. Any water fished on a freshwater go-anywhere competition must be within two hundred and sixty (260) kilometres from melbourne. No limit applies to waters fished on freshwater go-anywhere weekend competitions.
38. On freshwater go-anywhere competitions, the competition begins one (1) hour before sunrise. Fishing must not start before the time given on the day or the first day of the competition.
39. Saltwater go-anywhere competitions begin at 12.01 am on the day of the competition from the boat ramp where the competitor has launched. If fishing the night before, competitors must return to the boat ramp and not leave before midnight. All other saltwater competitions begin one (1) hour before sunrise, unless otherwise stated. Weigh in times are eight (8) hours after the start of the competition, unless otherwise stated.
40. Weekend surf/estuary competitions start at midnight Friday.
41. all surf/estuary competitions, with the exception of bus trips are to commence at 12.01 am on the first day of the competition, unless otherwise stated.
42. All saltwater competitions are to commence at 12.01 am on the first day of the competition.
43. For all freshwater competitions all fish are to be weighed cleaned except for trophy fish and club record fish with the exception of the Easter trip and catch and release competitions. All fish weighed uncleaned are to have the weights reduced by ten percent (10%) for competition purposes.