Clive fisherman James McCabe holds a kahawai during the inaugural Last Cast Winter Kahawai Competition, where he placed second.
Clive fisherman James McCabe holds a kahawai during the inaugural Last Cast Winter Kahawai Competition, where he placed second.
What began as an effort to hook anglers through the quieter winter months has grown into one of Hawke’s Bay’s most anticipated community fishing events.
At its fourth edition, the Last Cast Winter Kahawai Competition is set to draw hundreds of anglers once again from across the Bay and beyondto the coastline between Pōrangahau and Māhia.
The event will run from June 1 to August 31, with prizes worth about $25,000.
Event organiser and Hastings Last Cast Bait and Tackle owner Jonathan van Vuuren, better known as Jono, said the concept was first cast in 2023, when he recognised a gap in the local fishing calendar.
“Traditionally, the colder months from June to August see a slowdown in activity, with many anglers packing away their gear and waiting for spring,” he said.
“I like it because it gets you out over the winter months and you still get to spend beautiful days on the beach with friends and family,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.
McCabe has been part of the competition since its early days, placing second in the inaugural event and picking up several weekly spot prizes along the way.
Fisherman Ahmed Abdula took out first place in last year’s competition.
He walked away with an Aeroo Pro fishing drone, a prize he now uses for leisure when on holiday.
He said the winter competition was a good excuse to stay active during the colder months.
“You don’t want to sit on the couch with the heater. You just go out and enjoy the time with friends,” Abdula said.
Event organiser Jonathan van Vuuren, better known as Jono (left), presents the first prize to fisherman Ahmed Abdula at last year’s competition.
This year, the competition is expected to grow even further, with organisers expecting more than 500 entrants, making it the largest land-based fishing competition in the region.
The winner will take home an Aeroo Pro fishing drone worth $3000, the second placegetter gets an AEE Condor A22S drone valued at $1600, and the third placegetter scores a Mojo Helium rod and reel combo worth $1000.
Alongside the main prizes, there are 13 “average fish of the week” prizes and 10 opening-day spot prizes. Each week, anglers who land a kahawai have a chance to win, with prizes valued at about $1000.
The growth has been steady. In its inaugural year, just over 100 anglers entered, competing for a prize pool of about $5000. By 2025, the event had expanded to nearly 400 participants and more than $17,000 in prizes.
Jono said the first year came with its challenges.
“Running a competition required funding that a small, winter-quiet tackle shop simply didn’t have.”
He turned to the local business community for support, and the response was “overwhelming”.
“Every business I approached said yes,” he said.
At its fourth edition, Last Cast Winter Kahawai Competition is set to draw hundreds of anglers once again from across the Bay and beyond to the coastline from Pōrangahau to Māhia.
The land-based fishing event was designed to be inclusive and accessible.
As long as hooks were set from land, the competition welcomes a wide range of fishing styles, including surfcasters, rock fishers, drone users, and kontiki operators.
“The biggest satisfaction is seeing the happiness it brings to people,” Jono said.
“This community supports me and my family, and this is a way to return that support.”
