Stonka Fishing Challenge Back for Another Year of Fundraising

Stacey and Steve Cresswell. Photos supplied: Stonka Fishing Challenge.  

‍

Anglers are being encouraged to gear up their tackle boxes, with this year's prize-filled Stonka Fishing Challenge set to deliver four days of fishing and festivities between August 6^th-9^th at Cape Gloucester while raising funds for the Leukemia Foundation.  

‍

Entering its fourth year, the challenge has grown from around 600 registrations in its inaugural event to more than 1,300 this year in an effort to raise money for the Leukemia Foundation.  

‍

“Without the support from the community and our sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to get all this done,” said Steve Cresswell, Stonka Fishing Challenge Inc. Co-Founder and Committee Member, and Owner of The Bah Bait & Tackle.  

‍

Steven and his wife Stacey started this event as a way to give back. It all started in 2019, when Stacey had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, having found a football-sized tumor in her chest.  

Transferred to hospital in Townsville, she was suddenly facing an uncertain future, with a newborn baby, a three-year-old child, a mortgage and the family business in Moranbah weighing heavily on their shoulders.  

‍

Doctors warned the family that the outlook was not promising. Amid the uncertainty, the Leukemia Foundation approached Steven and offered him accommodation directly across the road from the hospital. Although hesitant at first, he soon realised just how invaluable the support would be.

‍

The family would then call the apartment home for the next five months as they navigated one of the most challenging periods of their lives.

‍

“Having that support was massive in getting us through such a rough time,” Steven said.  

“I honestly don't know how we would have managed without it."  

‍

In an effort to give back to the Leukaemia Foundation, the Stonka Fishing Challenge was born. The event has continued to grow each year, raising nearly $50,000 in 2025 alone.  

Since its inception, those fundraising efforts have helped fund a range of practical improvements for families staying at Leukaemia House, including air fryers, washing machines, and a new security system. The committee has also donated patient care hampers, delivered comfort packages in person, and even hosted a Christmas party for families undergoing treatment.  

‍

Beyond supporting Leukaemia House, the committee has also helped families facing cancer, including organising a special day on the water and a two-night stay at Cape Gloucester Resort for a young boy fighting the disease.  

‍

Four Days of Fishing, Family Fun and Big Prizes

Competitors will battle it out across a range of reef, pelagic and estuary categories, targeting species including coral trout, red emperor, barramundi and Spanish mackerel.  

‍

The competition also features spearfishing, mud crab and crayfish divisions, alongside the coveted King and Queen of the Cape titles and a $10,000 reward for anyone lucky enough to catch the event's tagged coral trout.  

‍

The weekend kicks off on Thursday 6th, with registrations, raffles and a chance for competitors to catch up before things get underway.

Friday and Saturday feature live weigh-ins, children's activities, product demonstrations, mud crab races and auctions, the Battle of the Bays tug-of-war, raffles and live entertainment, with Saturday night also featuring a fireworks display.  

‍

‍

‍

“We highly encourage you to come out, even if you’re not fishing in the challenge,” Steven said.  

‍

The challenge wraps up on Sunday with the final weigh-ins and presentations, where competitors will discover who takes home the event's impressive prize pool.

While supporting a worthy cause remains the heart of the event, competitors also have plenty to fish for, with one of the challenge's biggest prize pools yet on offer.  

‍

“This year’s prizes are off tap,” Steven said.  

‍

The lucky door prizes include a fully rigged 4.2-metre Quintrex Renegade powered by a 50hp Yamaha four-stroke for one senior entrant, while one junior competitor will take home a Quintrex 310 Dart with a Yamaha 6hp four-stroke.  

‍

Major competition winners will also take home a range of prizes, including fishing charters, coolers, spearfishing gear and boating accessories. All registered competitors will receive a participant pack containing a limited-edition 2026 Stonka shirt, the new StonkaMagazine and an entry into the lucky door draw.

‍