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Craig Warhurst

IF you are a fisherman or just keen on having a good time while trying to catch a fish, then Rainbow Beach is the place to be from Friday night as the annual Family Fishing Classic gets underway.

The Classic has become a regular July mark on the calendar for about two decades for avid fishermen as they chase the elusive fish and the prizes on offer in this annual event.

Rainbow Beach is known for its many attractions and the Fishing Classic is definitely one of them.

Promoted as a family event since its inception, the annual fishing event has stuck to this agenda over the years.

It also promotes safe boating procedures and sets limits on the number of fish that any entrant can weigh in.

Although fishing competitions are seen as a mass killing field by those who are opposed to them, the Rainbow Beach event is far from that.

Certainly, some outstanding fish specimens are weighed in each year but, for every fish weighed in, many more escape the line of anglers and, for many, just catching one fish to weigh in is a highlight.

Over the years, the Rainbow Beach Classic has attracted a large list of sponsors who keep returning to back the event year after year.

A few years ago the Classic, like many similar events, ran into hard times and looked like disappearing from the region's calendar of events. However, it was rescued by the Rainbow Beach Sports and Recreation Club and has not looked back since.

It is now well and truly established as a must on the fishing calendar for keen anglers and families alike and this year's event promises to be one not to be missed.

Over the next few days, many keen fishers will take up residence at Rainbow Beach and spend the next week fishing along best part of the Queensland coastline.