In perfect weather yesterday, anglers, some from as far away as Timaru, were at South Beach for the 17th year of the Eides Sports Surf Fishing contest.
Co-organiser Grant Clark said there were about 900 entries this year, a record.
"We were going to limit it to 800, but we could not turn any people away.
"They just kept coming," he said.This contest brings a lot of good people together. It's a great family day."
However, not one snapper was caught in the contest and the prizes went into a draw.