The Whangaroa Sports Fishing Club held its annual ladies contest with a Mexican theme this year. The sea conditions were rough and testing and despite the rocking, rolling and lurching seas, the ladies braved the weather and went out and caught a variety of species.
Both days of fishing weredominated by occasional 25-30 knots of northerly wind, producing swells and waves which bounced the anglers and crews around.
Despite these conditions the ladies caught three striped marlin on the first day; Linda Bradly aboard Miss Chris, tagged and released a stripy in 200m of water off the Cavalli Islands.
The fish took a lure, and Linda brought it to the boat in 45 minutes.
Thirteen-year-old Chloe Mackay caught and landed her first striped marlin, 95.1kg, which beat the weight of her twin brother Sean's first marlin caught earlier in the season.
The other striped marlin of the day was landed by Dianna Destounis from Gisborne, member of the Gisborne-Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club.
Dianna fished from Stella, skippered by her husband Tony.
Other catches of the day included tagged and released mako and blue sharks, a bronze whaler shark, albacore and skipjack tuna, snapper, kingfish, mahimahi and yellowfin tuna.
