The Lake Monduran Fishing Classic will soon return, giving keen fishos of all ages the chance to reel in a big one and the opportunity to share in more than $50,000 worth of prizes.
Find out what the Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association have to say about the event:
Why does the fish stocking association hold the classic each year?
Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association (MASA) is a community-based group of volunteers.
MASA has strong partnerships with Sunwater, Australian Government, Bundaberg Regional Council, Queensland Fisheries, regional businesses and many other regional not for profit groups.
Established in 1997, MASA has created, maintains and is further developing a recreational freshwater fishery that delivers millions of tourist dollars to the Wide Bay Burnett region.
Each year MASA holds the Family fishing classic to raise additional funds to the allocated Stocked Impoundment Permit grants that the group receives from the freshwater fishing permit allocation.
This additional funding from the classic is used to purchase Barramundi and Australian Bass fingerlings to continue the future sustainability of the fishery of Lake Monduran.
In addition, this event gives much needed support to local businesses and increases tourism spent dollars in the region.
Some families have been attending the classic for the past 24 years and are again joining in the activities this year.
What can participants and visitors expect on the day/weekend?
The opening at 6.30 pm the Friday night with the briefing, junior and senior random lucky draws, fund raising raffles, a How to catch Barramundi talk by one of the local fishing guides kicks off the weekend’s activities.
Saturday 6 am is when the serious fishing activities start through until 5 pm.
Then we have a junior’s casting competition at 5.30 pm with some great prizes on offer.
There will also be some great information on native fish with live fish in the display tanks being a very good educational activity for all ages.
Saturday night we have daily catch prize awards, raffles and more junior and senior random lucky draws.
Sunday the fishing resumes at 6 am and finishes at 10 am.
There is also an on-water activity for the juniors to find the coloured barra signs around the lake and there are some great prizes up for
grabs with this photo submission type activity.
Sunday 11 am has the daily and overall catch prizes awarded with $1000 for the longest live barramundi, $1000 for the heaviest live bass, $500 for the heaviest live jewfish and catfish and $250 for the heaviest bag of five catfish.
In the final activity of the weekend we draw out and give away the top five junior prizes including Kayaks and other great prizes.
Then the Senior top 10 final major draws, with around $30,000 in value.
What food and accommodation options are there for participants?
The Lake Monduran Holiday Park is the location of the classic.
There are holiday houses, cabins, powered caravan and unpowered camping sites available, which can be booked through the kiosk at the holiday park.
There are some surrounding BNB options also.
There will be a variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and evening meals so you don’t have to do any cooking and spend more time on the water fishing or just relaxing.
The catering options including a coffee van, wood fired pizzas, burgers, breakfast rolls, pies sausage rolls, sausage sizzle, hot chips, chicken nuggets and an ice cream van. We have a licenced bar area at the site also.
Who would you encourage to take part?
Everyone who enjoys the chance to get away for a weekend with family and friends.
All ages are welcomed with many entrants in previous years just coming along to read a book and attend the lucky draws and support the fund-raising raffles without even wetting a line.
Many juniors have grown up attending this event and look forward to being involved each year.
The juniors now will be the guiding future of the lake and we feel by running the event, continuing to stock the lake and provide engaging activities will ensure the lake is respected Australian wide and utilised for many years to come.
Please follow Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association on Facebook for updates and further information over the weekend.
Do people pre-register or do they register onsite? How much is it to enter?
Registration is online (until 11 October) on the MASA webpage at www.masa-fishstocking.org.au and available in person at Tackle World Bundaberg until Monday 14 October.
After this, people can register in person at the comp site from 2 pm Friday 18 October and over the classic weekend until 10 am Sunday 20 October 2024.
Senior entry is $35, Junior entry 16 years and under is $15.
What are the prizes, or some of the categories people can win?
Overall, there is over $50,000 worth of catch prizes and lucky draw giveaways.
$1000 for the longest live Barramundi, $1000 for the heaviest live Bass, $500 for the heaviest live Jewfish and catfish and $250 for the heaviest bag of five catfish.
Daily catch prizes also.
Top five junior prizes including kayaks and other great prizes.
Then the senior top 10 final major draws, with around $30000 in value including a $13,900 boat motor and trailer package sponsored by Bundaberg Marineland, Minn Kota and Watersnake Electric motors, Humminbird helix 10 fish finder/GPS, Performance Series Lithium Battery with charger, Kayak, holiday packages, house boat holiday voucher, swags, power tools, ice boxes…
Lake Monduran Fishing Classic
When: 18- 20 October
Where: Lake Monduran
More information: Here
