All The Big Fishing Competitions in May
Offshore to game fish, bottomfish to light tackle, couta and even some big international comps in heavenly places – all your big fishing tournaments in May 2022
From game fish nationals to all inlands and international bottomfish comps, to all coastals and big couta classics and a record Noordhiek Fish Derby this year. These are the big fishing tournaments in May you should know about.
UMLALAZI CUTA CLASSIC
1–2 MAY 2022
One of the big couta events of year. With big cash prizes and bonuses at Mtunzini this May. Discover the Umlalazi Couta Classic (some footage from a previous below to whet your appetite).
Umlalazi Ski-Boat Club | 1 Hulley Ave, Mtunzini | 035 340 1006
MAPELANE TROPHY INTERCLUB
6–9 MAY 2022
This game fish tournament challenges angler teams of max 3 crew to go after trophy-worthy fish. It’s along one of our country’s richest game fish stretches at Mapelane Ski-Boat Club. And it’s open to entrants from all clubs. Check out the Mapelane Trophy Interclub.
Mapelane Ski-Boat Club, St Lucia | 082 787 6005
SHELLY BEACH INTERCLUB
7–9 MAY 2022
Various clubs from around South Africa head down to Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club in KZN for the two-day interclub competition. It’s usually one of the highlight events of the year on the East Coast. Check out the Shelly Beach Interclub.
Albert Meyer Dr, Shelly Beach, Margate | 039 315 1476 | shellyp@venturenet.co.za
SADSAA ALL INLANDS INTERPROVINCIAL
9–14 MAY 2022
The all inlands interprovincial kicks off at Sodwana. This one’s a game fish tournament, and you know everyone’s going to be after billfish and tuna. Hosted by Mpumalanga Deep Sea in Sodwana, check out the All Inlands Game Fish Interprovincial.
Mpumalanga Deep Sea Angling Association | https://mdsaa.net/ | Sodwana Bay
SADSAA ALL COASTALS
13–16 MAY 2022
Natal, Border and EP head down to Gonubie – in Border country – for the 2022 tournament. Expect good fishing, lots of camaraderie and some more healthy competition. See what happened last year and get all the info for this year’s bottomfish all coastals.
Gonubie Marine Club | 33 Recreation Rd, Gonubie, East London | 082 821 4565
PENNINGTON GAMEFISH INTERPROVINCIAL
14—16 MAY 2022
Further down the coast in Pennington, Durban where the waters are plentiful in Shad and Kob, it’s time for the Pennington Gamefish Interprovincial! As always, the tournament is hosted by the Natal Deep Sea Angling Association (NDSAA) at Pennington Ski-Boat Club and the name of the game is billfish and gamefish.
15 Gordge Road, Umbilo, Durban |031 205 6310 | office@ndsaa.co.za | Website
(RUMBLY BAY) OWN CHOICE TUNA INTERPROVINCIAL
17–22 MAY 2022
One half of SA’s oldest and best-known competitions is in May this year. Usually held along with the Rumbly Bay event in October, the new Own Choice Tuna Invitational is hosted by Western Province Deep Sea Angling and SADSAA. Also discover Cape Boat and Ski-Boat Club’s Rumbly Bay Tuna Invitational.
Posted by Jeff Daniels on Saturday, 19 October 2019
Cape Boat and Ski-Boat Club, Miller’s Point | +27 (0)21 786 1763, WPDSAA | +27 (0)21 559 3996
EFSA EUROPEAN BOTTOMFISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
20–22 MAY 2022
5 of SA’s best bottom fish anglers are heading to Olafsvik, Iceland, to battle it out with the toughest competition in Europe for this year’s EFSA Championships.
Olafsvik, Iceland, European Federation of Sea Anglers
NOORDHOEK FISH DERBY
21–22 MAY 2022
2 Days, 15+ prizes and over 70 boats – it’s all happening at “the other” club in Port Elizabeth 21-22 May 2022. Discover what to expect, the fishing schedule, how the prizes work, which species they’ll be targeting and how friends, family and everyone can be part of the action at the biggest ever Noordhoek Fish Derby.
Noordhoek Ski-Boat Club | Marine Drive 6070, Port Elizabeth | 082 320 3945 or 082 771 2581
Note: These are all the fishing competitions currently on our radar. If you know of competitions or want your fishing competition on this list, email us at hello@nautitechsuzuki.com.
PAST EVENTS – MAY FISHING COMPS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
OFFSHORE CLASSIC 2020
25 APRIL–2 MAY 2020
50 Boats. 200 Anglers. And your share of over half a million Rand’s worth of prizes. This year, the Offshore Classic in Gordon’s Bay is aiming to be the biggest offshore event in Africa. It’s a team comp, where members can assist you in every way, except helping to fight a fish, and each team can bring in four species of fish per day. And there are usually four extremely exciting fishing days. Can you feel it? It’s time for the Gordon’s Bay 2020 Offshore Classic.
Gordon’s Bay Boat Angling Club | Harbour Island | Phone 0795169155 or email: info@gbbac.co.za
PORT ST FRANCIS TUNA CHALLENGE
27 APRIL–2 MAY 2020
R850 per angler, loads of big prizes to be one and the 3 best fishing days will decide who walks away as winners at this year’s Port St Francis Bay Ski-Boat and Yacht Club’s Tuna Challenge. Registration is at the ski-boat club in the bay from 15:00 on 27 April. Suzuki Marine will be there in force. See you there!
Port St Francis Ski-Boat and Yacht Club | 076 689 0422 | info@sfb-skiboatclub.co.za
SADSAA GAME FISH NATIONALS
27 APRIL–1 MAY 2020
It’s pure competitive fishing as the best of the best gather for the nationals at St Lucia this year. All fishing is done in accordance with IGFA and SADSAA rules, which are quite strict and precise, and only those anglers nominated by their provinces will participate. It’s SADSAA’s Game Fish Nationals.
St Lucia Ski-Boat Club | St Lucia | 035 590 1376 | chairman@slsbc.co.za
PORT EDWARD GAME FISH CLASSIC
3–4 MAY 2019
An awesome game fish competition hosted by the Marlin Ski-Boat Club. There are only 60 spots for anglers, with a max team size of 5 anglers and a skipper. Discover the Game Fish Classic.
Marlin Ski-Boat Club | North Sand Bluff, Port Edward | 039 311 2811 | marlinskiboatclub@telkomsa.net
ILTTA BILLFISH TOURNAMENT (INTERNATIONAL)
3–9 MAY 2020
Not within SA borders, but in Guatemala, the 80th ILTTA tournament is happening in May 2020. And you know that SADSAA is sending a stellar protea team to represent SA. Known for producing some exciting fishing in the bluest of blue waters, check out the ILTTA Billfish Tournament.
International Light Tackle Tournament Association | https://www.iltta.org/ | Guatemala
EFSA EUROPEAN BIG GAME CHAMPIONSHIPS: BILLFISH TOURNAMENT (INTERNATIONAL)
11–14 MAY 2020
Probably one of the most exciting-sounding comps this month, the EFSA is holding their European Big Game Championships at Mindelo in Cape Vere, a beautiful Atlantic Ocean archipelago off the West Coast of Africa. And it’s a billfish tourney. SADSAA will be sending a protea team over to represent at the EFSA Big Game Championships
European Federation of Sea Anglers (EFSA) | http://efsafishing.org/ | Cape Verde
ZINKWAZI INTERCLUB
30–31 MAY 2019
Usually a very cool experience for the whole family. The Zinkwazi Interclub invites anglers from around the country, but the registration and prize giving days normally feature live music, dancing and good food, so this is one the whole family and enjoy together. And, if you’ve never been to this part of KZN (near the Tugela mouth between DBN and Richard’s Bay), it’s a good opportunity to come to see a clubhouse built right onto the beach (literally). Check out the Zinkwazi Interclub.
Zinkwazi SKi Boat Club | Zinkwazi Beach | 072 478 6392 | zinkskiboat@gmail.com
MAPELANE COUTA DERBY
30–31 MAY 2019
The second big couta challenge of the month. We’re back at Mapelane Ski-Boat Club at the end of May for the Mapelane Couta Derby.
Mapelane, St Lucia | 082 787 6005
GUINJATA BONANZA
31 MAY–5 JUNE 2020
This annual game fish tournament lets you enter a boat and anglers, or with a jet-ski. It’s hosted by the Southern Gauteng Deep Sea Angling Association and the Guinjata Sports Fishing Club (in Germiston) in Guinjata Bay in Mozambique, about 6 hours’ drive north-east from Maputo. And you can still enter at a late fee of R1100 per angler or R1500 per jet-ski. Watch the video and discover the 2019 Guinjata Bonanza.
Guinjata Bay, Mozambique | Guinjata Sports Fishing Club | info@fishguinjata.co.za | 083 271 4192
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MORE UPCOMING FISHING COMPS
Also discover all this year’s big fishing competitions and fishing tournaments in June.
Take a look back at the 2019 SADSAA Tuna Nationals.
Also check out SA game fish captain Shane Dennis’s tips for making a couta trace.
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