The Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup 2024: Everything You Need To Know

What is the Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup?

The Kingfish Cup is about spearing a kingfish, over one weekend in Sydney’s prime Kingfish season, traditionally this is late October through November.

Where is the Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup held?

“Greater Sydney” is the area entrants may enter. It stretches from Bird Island in the Central Coast to Bass Point in the South covering just over 250 kilometres of coastline. Weigh in Stations are at Adreno Sydney itself, Little Manly in Sydney Harbour, and Terrigal, on the Central Coast.

Who enters the Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup?

Such a wide-ranging demographic of both age, sex, and area. Going on recent years we are expecting over 200 spearfishers entering including sub juniors from 14 years of age right up to Grand Masters (over 65’s), Ladies entries have been strong (9 ladies competed last year). Divers come from as far as Queensland to fish the event. Those who are not competition focused also fish the Kingfish Cup. We also get relative newcomers fish the Kingfish Cup some of which spearing their first kingfish in the event.

In order to participate in the 2024 Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup you need to be an USFA member and then pay the $20 Kingfish Cup fee.

If you are not already a USFA member you can get a $110 year membership (which will give you automatic 10% discount at Adreno) or a temporary membership for the weekend of the comp for $20.

To Join the USFA or to register for the Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup Visit the Register Page

How does it work?

The USFA runs the event, we work with the Adreno Sydney team, and it has been a successful partnership. Prior to the event, some 8 days before, we host a “get together” at Adreno – putting on some great food - one of our members creates amazing paella, we explain the simple rules, we have guest speakers (spearfishing gurus) that discuss kingfish habits and hunting tips, it is a great social night that includes several prizes being given out, for the early bird registrations, including one major prize (to be announced).

Since the running of the inaugural event in 2019 we have seen healthy registration numbers from 170 to 200 entrants, thus it requires a lot of organising from an efficient team. Entrants register online, they are given details of the event and how to “sign on” and “sign off” (any times between 0800 and 1600 you may fish multiple times on a day) on each day – (some entrants fish only one day) this lets organisers know who is in the water and importantly when they are back out. Safety is paramount. On safety, the organisers also make the decision on postponing the days fishing if the weather is decided to be inclement.

The fish are weighed in at the weigh stations, we try to keep the weights discreet to build some atmosphere for the presentation night the Thursday following the event.

The event is ethical! Sustainable too!

Kingfish are in healthy numbers along Australia’s east coast. In 2020 when we held the Cup over two days, we had 170 divers in the water for approximately 720 hours, that’s roughly 4 hours per diver, of the fish that were caught it worked out to over 55 hours of effort per fish, with a mean weight average of 12 kilograms per fish. Spearfishing is amazing.

ADRENO SYDNEY KINGFISH CUP DATES TO REMEMBER

Information Night: Thursday 31 October 2024 from 6:00pm

You can sign up to participate in the cup on the night!

Expect the following:

• A Q&A panel with kingfish gurus such as last year’s Champion Keiran Timp, former champion Bob McComb, Derrick Cruz and other legends.

• An evening meal catered by the Paella King Rico, throw in some sensational door prizes for those in attendance on the night, and to those who early bird register for the Cup, the night is shaping up to be a ripper.

• The night's goal is to share experiences and knowledge around Sydney Spearfishing with a focus on the Yellowtail Kingfish species. NSW Fisheries Kingfish experts will be in attendance and present some great Kingfish findings on the night, and again Fisheries scientists will be in attendance at the weigh ins to record the captures for their invaluable research.

This info/social event will be bigger than the Cup itself! 

Adreno Sydney Kingfish Cup: 9th & 10th November 2024 from 8:00am to 4:00pm each day

Presentation/Awards Night: Thursday 14th November 2024 from 6:00pm.

Another fantastic social evening, where many of the entrants gather, again at Adreno Sydney Superstore, mingle and talk about the one that got away while enjoying some quality food while anticipating the results.

GREAT PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

 

ADRENO SYDNEY KINGFISH CUP COMPETITION RULES AND INFORMATION

Kingfish Cup Regulations 

This is a fun, easy event to take part of – go diving, spear a kingfish, weigh it in at a weigh station and be in the chance to get a prize no matter the size of the legal kingfish.

However, there are some guidelines that need to be adhered to so we have a smooth running event to occur.

• Fishing Boundaries - Fish can ONLY be taken between Bird Island and Bass Point (fishing outside this area you will be disqualified.)

• Signing on daily for the event. Let us know you are going to dive on that day. Once you have registered online for the Kingfish Cup (ensuring you have entered your mobile number and email in your registration). On the days you choose to dive you will still need to let us know when you are entering the water, and approximately where you will be, and how long you expect to be diving for. This process is the “sign on” You will need to sign on https://adrenosydneykingfishcup.com.au/SignOn (the green button) your intent to dive on each of the days that you choose to fish (you may fish either one, or both, of the days of the Kingfish Cup.) You may dive multiple locations, just please remember and this is important to “sign off”

• Signing off for the day - letting us know you are safely back. You need to let us know you are back on land so we do not contact services to go looking for you and to save you from being disqualified! https://adrenosydneykingfishcup.com.au/SignOff (the red button), if you do not sign off by 16:00 PM – you will be disqualified by the committee, and emergency services called to locate you. Please press the “RED” button to sign off! Log back on to the website to sign on

• Weighing in your Kingfish - Your Kingfish must be weighed-in at one of the nominated non contact weigh-in stations

• Weighing in your Kingfish - Your Kingfish must be weighed-in at one of the nominated non contact weigh-in stations.

  • Location 1: Adreno Sydney Store - 678-682 Botany Rd, Alexandria
    Opens 10 – 5 pm
  • Location 2: Little Manly in Sydney Harbour
    Opens 10 – 5 pm
  • Location 3: Terrigal - Boat Ramp
    Opens 1 – 5 pm
  • Location 4: Norah Head - TBC
    Opens 1 – 5 pm
  • Location 5: Wollongong Area - TBC
    Opens 1 – 5 pm

Other things to note

• You are allowed to enter one kingfish per day over the weekend
• Float and Alpha flag must be used by the diver
• Fish landed by the one diver is to be weighed in by that diver only, no one else shall weigh in another diver’s fish for themselves.
• Do not enter the water before 0800
• Sign on each day
• Sign off each day before 1600
• No line fishing from boat or shore
• Dive only in the permitted areas as per NSW Fisheries regulations.
• You must comply with all current NSW health orders

• Any issues that may arise the organisers will revert to the Sydney Zone Spearfishing event rules for guidance.
• Prizes are for Open, Ladies and Junior categories, and, their will be 5 Mystery Weight prizes, and, prizes for attending the presentation evening at Adreno.
• The “OPEN” category means everyone. The Ladies, self-explanatory. Juniors under 18 years of age on the date of each days event.
• Mystery Weight shall be determined by a non-competitor drawing a weight “out of a hat” at the presentation evening. The five closest to the mystery weight shall receive the prizes. The Open category heaviest fish will not be included in the Mystery Weight, nor will the Lucky Door entrant major prize winner.