Photo: Nelson’s Troy Dando is not only the DB Export Competitions’ current blue cod champ and Hall of Famer, but also a world record holder with this 63.0cm/3.38kg capture.

An IGFA world all-tackle record was just one of the many great fish produced during the 2019-2020 season of the DB Export Competition, a nationwide, year-long measure-based online tournament.

Nelson’s Troy Dando, fishing in Fiordland, used an Ocean Angler Jitterbug jig to catch a 63.0cm blue cod which weighed 3.38kgs, taking out not only the competition’s length-based species honours, but the IGFA’s All Tackle world record. Troy was fishing with mates in Chalky Inlet and caught the winning fish in 80 metres of water. He took the record off another Kiwi angler and record hunter; Auckland’s Scott Tindale and he now occupies the competition’s number one spot in the blue cod Hall of Fame.

Many anglers look on snapper as the glamour species, this year the winner being well-known PWC (Personal Watercraft) aficionado Andrew Hill. The Auckland based angler travelled to Cape Reinga where he landed a 90.5cm fish to take the top spot.

Kingfish honours went to Gisborne charter skipper Craig Miller. He was targeting tarakihi aboard Tzer using a dropper rig loaded with smaller 1/0 Mutsu recurve hooks and cut baits when he latched onto the 139.0cm kingfish. Craig was fishing in 80 metres of water and it took him around 20 minutes to land.

Two of the winning fish came off the Manawatu coast. Whanganui’s Paul Laugesen landed the best tarakihi fishing out from Waverley. He was using bait in around 60 metres of water when he hooked and landed the 54.5cm winner.

Another angler to land a winning fish from a PWC  and who was also fishing the Manawatu coastline was kahawai champ Clayton Hancock. His winning fish was 62.0cm and was taken on bait.

Fishing with his two-year-old son Bo, Paraparaumu angler Kieran Rawlinson took out the gurnard honours with a 54.0cm entry.

The first day out in his new boat for Blenheim’s Michael Mitchell was a productive one. Fishing at D’Urville island, Michael’s first drop produced a kingfish, the second the winning 57.0cm john dory.

The best of the blue moki entries was Al Read’s 71.5cm fish, caught on bait off the Taranaki coast.

Another of the more impressive winning catches this year was Cromwell angler David Green’s 91.0cm rainbow trout. He was using the  ‘egg rolling’ technique in the hydro canals. It took him around 30 minutes on spin gear to beat the fish which was measured then released.

Other big winners

The biggest prize on offer for the DB Export Competition was drawn from every angler who entered a fish, regardless of the species or size. This year’s winner is Darryl Michau who will get to enjoy a day’s fishing with a mate on one of the country’s top kingfish locations – the Mokohinaus with noted operator Tony Orton.

Darryl was fishing near Gannet Rock last January and was jigging for snapper, entering a 56.5cm specimen which earned him the trip, smoker and other great prizes.

All anglers catching fish on Shimano tackle and including it in the measure image go into a separate Shimano bonus draw which this year has been won by Lynn Sheridan who receives a Shimano Talica 12 and matching Abyss rod and line valued at $1000.

For more information on this year’s event and a complete list of 2019/2020 prizes, go to www.fishingcomp.co.nz