“Win stuff and have fun” was junior fisher Kees Town’s target in the Motueka Memorial RSA Fishing Competition between 7 and 9 February.
The community showpiece has become a regular for the Brightwater 12-year-old, who waits with bated breath each time he ventures out with his whānau, who together have garnered a prize haul at previous events.
Kees says he enjoyed this year’s competition, especially with the ideal conditions, and he weighed in snapper, gurnard, kahawai and a hāpuku caught at the 200m mark off Stephens Bay using an electric reel.
The favourable weather and sea conditions were echoed by those at Sunday’s weigh-in which wound up the competition.
“Lift and wind with no slack” is 12-year-old Savanah Milne from Riwaka’s tried-and-true technique for angling in the bountiful Tākaka waters.
She’s been hooked since she was one week old and cites her father George for acting as a rudder to tip the scales in her favour at her fourth competition.
A snapper, gurnard and spotty were her yield this year, and some made their new home in the smoker.
Nelson’s Allan Rose loves “getting out there and doing it”.
For the past decade, he’s tried his casting luck at the competition on and off for “good banter” and to return to dry land with a full bin.
A pair of gurnard and snapper caught in a secret Tasman Bay spot on 8 February were his efforts this year, and he donated the haul to the competition’s fish auction which reeled in funds for the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.
He says he “couldn’t have asked for better” sea and weather conditions and opted to donate his catch due to an already replete fish freezer.
Daniel Hovenden, one of the organsiers for the event, says the conditions delivered an influx of anglers accessing Top of the South deepwater spots, and it could have also been a reason for the event’s record-breaking 270 entrants.
“A lot of groper have been entered this year, most we’ve had in a while, and mostly that has to do with weather conditions for people being able to get over the West Coast.
“I think our advertising on Facebook has done a good job… and it’s good to see especially a lot of the returning guys, and a lot of them have said that it’s one of the better competitions that they’ve entered.
“It just proves with them coming back and the sponsors coming on board, we’re getting bigger and bigger every year.”
Daniel says more than $20,000 worth of prizes were awarded across junior and adult categories.
Fundraising of $3771.50 was dished out to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter from the fish auction and fish filleting proceeds.
Adult category winners:
Kingfish: Boston Rountree 12.80kg
Blue Cod: Murray Cook 2.56kg
Gurnard: Miro Kelsall 1.08kg
Kahawai: Jake Hanbrook 2.16kg
Snapper: Keith Bonnar 9.78kg
Crayfish: Jayden Peek 4.68kg
Groper: Pete Cederman 26.08kg
Heaviest fish: Stacey Brooks 3.80kg Snapper
Junior category winners:
Snapper: Harry Young 5.62kg
Herring: Ryder Mckay 0.32kg
Spotty: Cain Foss 0.32kg
Gurnard: Kees Town 0.80kg
Kahawai: Lincoln Sixtus 1.96kg
