Skip to content

Angling Rules of The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026

General:

  1. The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026 starts on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 09:30 for boat anglers and at 10:00 for bank anglers and ends on Saturday 2 May 2026 at 15h30 for boat anglers and 16:00 for bank anglers.
  2. Teams Competition starts at the same time for participants but ends on Friday 1 May 2026 at 17h00 for all anglers.
  3. You can only participate in the Teams competition if you are a registered participant of The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  4. By entering, a participant accepts the angling rules for The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  5. Every participant must be registered individually for the competition. You can register online at https://www.justsc.co.za. Participants must ensure that their personal details are completed correctly during registration.
  6. Angling Tickets:
    • Boat:                           R350.00 per ticket
    • Bank                           R350.00 per ticket / R400 Sandveld
    • Junior (O/13):            R150.00 per ticket / R200 Sandveld
    • Teams Competition: R240.00 per team – A team consists of 1-4 participants and you decide who is the Team Captain / Team Name and who pays the Teams Competition fee.
    • Extra (2) rods            R200 per ticket        
  7. A junior is younger than 13 years of age at the start of the Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  8. A junior must register for open division to be in contention for the main prizes.
  9. Only registered participants may participate in The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  10. Open line class.
  11. Two rods per angling ticket. Participants may buy multiple angling tickets.
    • Open Competition:            Carp and Barbel
    • Ladies Competition           Carp
    • Junior Competition:          Grass Carp
    • Teams Competition:         Barbel
      1. Max 4 members per team
  12. Keep nets and life-wells will be inspected before the start of the Bonanza.
  13. It is a bank and boat angling competition with separate divisions.
  14. Target species: Barbel, Carp and Grass Carp.
  15. A handicap of 0.956 will be applicable on the carp’s length of boat anglers as calculated from the previous 5 year’s results. With other words 1mm = 0,956 points. E.g. a 476mm carp would score 476mm x 0.956 = 455.056 points for boat anglers and 476 points for bank anglers.
  16. Any participant who contravenes the angling rules can be disqualified.
  17. Participants who are found to be guilty of fraud will be prosecuted.
  18. Any objections must personally be submitted in writing before 08:00 on 3 May 2026 to the Appeals Board. The Appeal Board’s decision is final.
  19. A participant must be able to show their electronic angling ticket on their cell phone to any official at their request.
  20. Right of admission reserved. No refunds for withdrawal or disqualifications.
  21. Alcohol and drug abuse and indecent behaviour will not be tolerated. Transgressors will be prosecuted and removed by police.
  22. Dishonest anglers make themselves guilty of fraud. Not only against the organisers and sponsors, but also against other participants. Please report all transgressions against the rules. It is in your own interest.
  23. Markers only allowed from 29 April at 10:00 to prevent anglers from casting over other participants lines. Participants must remove their own markers on or before 2 May 2026.
  24. Dam rules of SAPS, resorts and Province must be adhered too.
  25. No quadbikes or pets allowed at resorts.
  26. No commercial fishers or fishing charters may participate in The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  27. Maximum of 6 rods per stand at the stands with electricity.
  28. Participants give express permission that their photos and information for their participation in The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026 may be used by the organisers and sponsors for verification and promotion purposes and that they may be contacted by such.
  29. No angling on29 April before the start of the competition at 09:30 for boats and 10:00 for bank anglers.

Bank angling:

  1. Angling banks: Northwest, Verlatenkraal, Sandveld and Sloep.
  2. Participants are allowed to hold space for other participants if they can produce angling tickets of those late coming participants to officials. Maximum 10 meters per angler.
  3. Bank anglers must fish where they are camping.
  4. Canoes, bait boats, battery trolling boats, boats with outboards (max 15hp), bait airguns and bait drones are permitted.
  5. Lifejackets must be used whenever you are on a boat.
  6. No boats allowed on the water after sunset.
  7. The organizers accept no responsibility for rising or falling water levels or any obstructions hidden under the water.
  8. No angling in the boat launching area.

Boat angling:

  1. All boats must be checked at Northwest launching site by official before it may participate in the Bonanza.
  2. No angling or launching from private banks.
  3. Only participants on boats. No passengers or spectators.
  4. No boat fishing within 250 meters from bank anglers.
  5. No fishing under or near (100 meters away from) the bridge
  6. Boat anglers are not allowed to fish from any private bank or island, nor are boat anglers allowed to beach or camp on any private bank or island. Wading in the water allowed.
  7. The organiser accepts no responsibility for rising or falling water levels or any obstructions hidden under the water.
  8. Boat anglers are allowed to fish from official banks, but fish caught from the bank will still be logged as boat catches.
  9. Boats and skippers must comply with SAMSA regulations.
  10. Lifejackets must be used when outboard is running.
  11. Boats equipped with night navigation equipment are allowed at their own risk on the dam during the night.
  12. Boats are not allowed to cruise on the water after sundown and must stay anchored.
  13. Maximum of 3 fishing rods per angler per angling ticket of which only 2 may be in use at any given time.
  14. Jetski and kayak angling permitted. All boat rules applicable
  15. Angling area: see map for demarcations in Vet River and Vaal River.

Recording a Catch:

  1. Only length, not weight, of the fish will be used during The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  2. The Team with the longest combine length of their longest four (4) barbel wins the Teams competition: Provided that the biggest (winning) barbel in The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026 will not count for the Teams competition.
  3. Only live fish in a good condition will count and must be measured while still alive. (A video-clip of measuring of the fish may be submitted to an official as proof of the condition of the fish.)
  4. A close-up photo from the mouth to the tail of the fish while being measured must be taken and submitted if requested.
  5. Participants must use their own measuring tape to measure their fish.
  6. Length is measured from the closed mouth to the tip of the tail fin.
  7. Measuring tape must be straight on a flat surface.
  8. Barbel must be placed on its stomach and carp on its right side while measuring.
  9. Send only the length of the catch on your cell phone with the FishApp link to the organisers with your angler ticket number.
  10. Send the lengths of barbel caught with the FishApp link to the organisers. The FishApp will calculate the teams four (4) longest barbel that needs to be verified when team is in the top 5.
  11. If your Team is in the top 5 Teams on the Teams Leader Board, your four longest barbels submitted on the FishApp must be verified by the official with the official measuring tape.
  12. If your individual catch is in the top 20 for bank and top 10 for boat on the Leader board, it must be verified by an official with the official measuring tape.
  13. You must keep your fish alive (or show a video of live fish on measuring tape) until the official has verified your fish.
  14. A participant confirms with his signature on the Measuring Slip/Verification Form that their personal details and official length of the fish are correct during verification by the official.
  15. All participants will receive a FishApp link that they can use on their phones to see The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026 and Teams Competition Leaderbords.
  16. Official measuring stations will be available during scheduled times (see Official Program) where participants can take their fish to be measured and verified.
  17. No verification of length, either by FishApp link or in person will be done after 17:30 on 1 May 2026 for the Teams Competition.
  18. No verification of length, either by FishApp link or in person will be done after 17h00 on 2 May 2026 for The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza 2026.
  19. No verification of fish after sunset except with the Chief Bank Official’s permission.
  20. Eco-Care Trust may test winning fish chemically and morphologically to determine whether the fish originates from Bloemhof Dam when it was caught.

Prize-giving:

  1. Prize giving Sunday 3 May 2026 at the Elegant Fuel business centre parking in front of The Courier Guy’s shop at 09:00.
  2. Participants must be present at prize giving and present their electronic registration ticket to be considered to win any prize.
  3. Winners will also be announced after the prize-giving on WhatsApp and social media.
  4. You can only win one prize with one fish. (Teams Competition 4 barbels count as one prize)
  5. One prize per participant. (Lucky draws excluded).
  6. Fish measured in millimetre.
  7. In case of a tie the winner will be the angler who first logged the catch.
  8. The organizers reserve the right not to hand out any specific prize when foul play or any irregularity is suspected.
  9. The organisers will not be liable for any prizes not awarded due to the withdrawal of a sponsor.
  10. Winners:
    • Highest points according to handicap for one carp wins open carp division. R100 000 cash sponsored by The Courier Guy
    • Longest single barbel wins barbel open division. R50 000 cash sponsored by The Courier Guy
    • Teams Competition – R50 000 cash (30 000 / 15000 / 5000) in total
    • Bank and Boat Angling Divisions – R100 000 fishing tackle
    • Ladies Competition – fishing tackle
    • Juniors Competition – fishing tackle
    • Disabled / Handicapped Division – R3500 cash
  11. “Water is Lewe” Competition – R10 000 cash & Lucky Draws.
  12. Gys Pitzer Best Dress Competition – R9 000 cash in total.
  13. Gys Pitzer Largest group of participants attending the The Courier Guy Bloemhofdam Bonanza – R1 000 cash. 
  14. PlasticSA Keep the dam clean competition – R1 000 cash. (4 x 250)

SPESIALE DIENSTE

Om die hengeltoernooi aangenaam te maak en vlot te laat verloop is vir die volgende voorsiening gemaak:

  • Hoofoewerbeampte: Piet Joubert 061 461 8842.
  • Hoofregistrasiebeampte: Niek Smith 083 649 4733
  • Die Viskas Hengelgerei (Noordwes)
  • Flippen Lekker Plekkie Kosstalletjies by Noordwes en Sandveld (& hengelgerei) – wegneem etes, hout, ys, koeldrank ens. Join Whatsapp groep 072 6177 826
  • SAPS Watervleuel en polisiëring
    • Polisiebeamptes is op gereedheidsgrondslag die naweek by Bloemhofdam om na die deelnemers se veiligheid om te sien. Baie dankie!
  • Medies
    • Paramediese personeel is by Bloemhofdam om alle noodgevalle te hanteer. Skakel 083 444 2790
  • Beheersentrum
    • Vir enige noodgevalle tydens die naweek skakel die Hoofoewerbeampte of besoek die Beheersentrum by Noordweshek.
  • Gys Pitzer Motors – Beampte voertuie.
  • Gratis
    • Goodybags is by Viskas en Flippen Lekker Plekkie kosstalletjies beskikbaar (slegs vir die eerste 500 deelnemers).

GeoScience anti-bedrog ondersoek

Alle wenvisse kan nagegaan word om vas te stel of die visse in Bloemhofdam gevang is. Chemiese toetse kan bepaal of die vis uit Bloemhofdam kom en morfologiese en annalitiese toetse kan bepaal hoelank terug die vis gevang is. Oneerlike deelnemers sal van bedrog aangekla word!

Appeal Board

An Appeal Board consisting of experts will the final adjudicators on any matter which needs to be adjudicated concerning the event.