The game-fish season in Northland just keeps on improving. Today I spoke to one Bay skipper, Jimmy Petherick on Addiction, who reckons it’s so good that for his most recent dozen trips, he’s close to a 100% strike on marlin. This weekend saw the running of one of the highlights of the Bay Of Islands game fish calendar: the annual small boats tournament. This competition for boats under 8m provides a great opportunity for the average fisho to have a shot at a marlin. The prize giving on Sunday evening saw a good turnout with all in high spirits. The performance of the NZ cricket team against Pakistan just might have had a little to do with the atmosphere in the Swordfish Clubrooms. The marlin prize went to Jimmy Troup with a 102.8kg stripey caught on Freedom, skippered by Rex Honeyfield of Opito Bay; a bit of a feather in the cap for Rex. A bunch of 30kg plus yellow-fin tuna were landed with 14 year old Daniel Bowen of Auckland scooping the pool with a beauty of 36.4kg. Local identity and kingfishing specialist, Steve Butler on Earl Grey won the yellowtail section with a kingfish of 7.6kg. Surprise, surprise! (Psst! The kingies are rumoured to be off rocky point, in fact, Hansen’s Reef to be precise.) And with another surprise, Homestead Fishing Club stalwarts licked the opposition in the snapper section with Richard Civil taking out first prize with an 11.2 kg noddy followed by Will Sullivan with a fish of 8.4kg. Both bigger than Steve’s kingfish, eh! Out west, the Hokianga tournament was blessed by two days with a millpond for a bar. Linda Pattinson of Dargaville cleaned up with a stripey of 137.6kg. Junior prize for heaviest fish went to Bradley Woods, also of Dargaville, with a 5.8kg Albie. Local organizer, Barbara Ward, reckons the good humour at the prize giving was due to the wonderful weekend and had nothing to do with the cricket or the liquid refreshments available at the Omapere Tourist Hotel. Up north, the Whangaroa Big Game-fish Club is taking a breather after two major tournaments. The “One Base” heaviest fish on 32kg went to Daniel Stevens on Reactor with a 126.4kg hammerhead shark. Heaviest striped marlin went to Jason Evans on River Dance with an 118kg stripey, while Blue Marlin collected the prize for the most tag and releases with 4 billfish and sharks. Some interesting results came out of the Nationals, an eight-day nation wide inter-club tournament. Section winners included a 67.6kg yellow-fin, a 341.5kg blue marlin, a 338.4kg mako and a 25.8kg yellowtail kingfish. 1055 anglers participated from 303 boats. Teams from as far a-field as Christchurch and Gisborne featured on the winner’s lists. While credit for the great game-fish season must go to natural factors such as water temperature and the balmy seas, a little bit of credit must be due to the management of the fishery. Maybe there’s something here for worried snapper fishers. Tight lines!

 

From Steven Radich

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 06 March 01

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