More than 1000 people have already registered for the 38th annual Horsham Fishing Competition.

Prizes worth $60,000 are up for grabs, including a car, holiday giveaways and cash prizes.

Horsham Fishing Competition assistant secretary Prue Beltz said about 300 people queued on Saturday morning to receive their stakes for the competition.

‘‘We were setting up at the Apex shed on Friday and there were people lining up to collect their stakes from 3pm who stayed overnight,’’ she said.

‘‘People line up for fishing and iPhones these days it seems – they probably didn’t need to queue because we cleared the line in about 18 minutes.’’

Mrs Beltz said people could register for the competition until 5pm Friday.

People can also register on Saturday between 8am and 9am at the soundshell at Sawyer Park, Horsham.

Mrs Beltz said the competition still required extra stewards.

‘‘We would gratefully take anyone who is willing to steward along the river and if anyone wants to help they can call me,’’ she said.

There was doubt about the competition’s future last year, due to a lack of volunteers.

Mrs Beltz said she was grateful for Apex Club Horsham and Wimmera Uniting Care, who helped organise the event this year.

‘‘It was never an issue of the competition being unviable or unsuccessful, it was just the number of people we had doing the work for it,’’ she said.

‘‘The two organisations have come on board and helped the committee members with the event.’’

Mrs Beltz said the person with the heaviest catch of the day would win a new Kia Rio, while the second and third heaviest catches would win holidays.

‘‘It will pay to be a fisherman for a number of people this weekend with the number of prizes we have,’’ she said.

Mrs Beltz had heard good reports from Wimmera anglers about the quality of fish in the Wimmera River.

‘‘We are expecting plenty of yellowbelly to be between one and two kilograms,’’ she said.

‘‘One of the things we have done in the past few years is we have taken some of the larger catfish that have been caught and put them back in to help restore catfish numbers.

‘‘We’ve taken some of them to areas like Lake Lascelles up near Hopetoun to help support the numbers.’’

The competition will take place along a stretch of the Wimmera River in Horsham, with registration fees of $40, $15 and $2 for different age groups.

Mrs Beltz said people could call her on 0439 826 187 to register as stewards.