The Justin Scott Fishing Classic was established in 2020 to honour the memory of Justin Scott, who tragically passed away in a boating accident. The loss rocked his friends, family, and the wider community, many of whom were involved in the search to bring him home. This event now serves as a way for everyone impacted by Justin’s life and passing to come together and celebrate his memory.
IN HONOUR OF JUSTIN
Justin loved to fish. Every second weekend, you’d find him out on the boat, chasing that elusive metre barra, reeling in a big red or simply catching a feed for dinner. He was just starting to explore competitive fishing, having already competed in the Barra Nationals in the Northern Territory and the Hinchinbrook Catch & Release Tournament. Justin’s competitive spirit was fierce, and he always relished the chance to out-fish his mates.
The committee chose a team-based event to reflect Justin’s growing passion for team fishing competitions and to foster camaraderie among anglers. The focus of the event is more about bringing friends and family together for a good time than it is about catching fish. That’s why we introduced the ‘lucky angler’ table—so even if anglers don’t catch anything, they can still join in at the presentation, share stories, remember Justin, and maybe even take home an awesome prize!
I HOPE YA JOKIN’ Legacy
Justin was a man of many one-liners, one of his favorites being “I HOPE YA JOKIN’!” He used this phrase in a variety of situations, as with almost everything he did, to make people laugh. To keep the memory of our forever-laughing larrikin alive, we’ve included the Hope Ya Jokin’ Award for the best, funniest or downright dumbest story of the weekend—there have certainly been some crackers to date!
Fishing location
The area we fish spans from the Burdekin River to the Bun at Cape Upstart, including all the estuaries in between—and there are several reasons for this. Justin practically grew up at Groper Creek, where his family owned a house. He lived for fishing, crabbing and running amok with family and friends during his childhood. Fast forward to the last few years of his life, after he moved back from Darwin, Justin loved to fish Groper Creek and the Burdekin River with his best mate Darren and anyone else who wanted to tag along. He also cherished the time spent at his wife Sabrina’s family hut at Wunjunga.
Groper Creek was also where Justin was taken from us. The search for him was primarily focused in Groper Creek and the bay area, and we are still seeking any signs of Justin in this location to help bring some closure. We ask our anglers to please report anything that doesn’t seem right to them.
Our Sponsors and Partnerships
What started as an informal event has evolved into the establishment of a not-for-profit entity, The Justin Scott Fishing Classic Limited, in 2021. Our most recent event featured over $30,000 worth of prizes and partnerships with 28 sponsors. As we enter our sixth year, we continue to grow bigger and better each year.
Our event would be nothing without our sponsors, whose incredible generosity allows us to keep doing what we do. We encourage everyone to support the businesses that support us!
