Game fish are out there...10,000 reasons to catch one

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The biggest game fishing contest in Gisborne starts tomorrow with hundreds of anglers out to catch the heaviest tuna or marlin and net the $10,000 cash prize.

A briefing will be held at Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club tonight at 7.30pm.

Then it is four days of fishing from tomorrow to Sunday in The Liquorland Marlin and Tuna Tournament.

Club president Roger Faber has been watching the weather carefully.

“It is improving steadily. It looks like a north-easterly flow for over the contest, with light winds in the morning and afternoon sea breezes, which is excellent for the game fishing as we do like a bit of ripple on the water. It gets the fish biting better than a calm sea.”

The 30-year-old contest attracts boats from Auckland to Wairarapa.

Mr Faber said they were expecting around 80 boats and upwards of 380 anglers.

The inner harbour marina is “chock-a- block” so they have run out of spaces for any more big boats, but there is still plenty of room for those with boats on a trailer, he said.

A run of yellowfin tuna in the bay resulted in the first big game fish caught about three weeks ago.

“It's great to see the yellowfin back and up the East Coast of New Zealand. We have not seen them in the numbers they are about in at the moment for about 10 or 12 years.”

Mr Faber said there had also been reports of marlin over the past few weeks. One was tagged and released.

“The fish are definitely out there.”

The major prize of $10,000 is for the heaviest marlin or tuna (weight doubled) caught.

There are also plenty of other game fish prizes and lucky angler draws.

• Prizegiving is on Sunday.

• Anyone keen on viewing the catch of the day can do so between 3pm and 6pm tomorrow, Friday and Saturday and from 2 to 4pm on Sunday at the fishing club.