All fishing for a good cause

Pete Watson won the heaviest snapper prize of $500 with this 10.3kg fish at the Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club's Easter Sportsfishing Contest, held Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

Despite the windy and sometimes wet weather, the event attracted 42 seniors and 21 juniors, who contested the various prizes and sponsor's product up for grabs.

Among the other major prize winners saw the $1000 cash prize for average weight in the senior section going to local Gabe McBirney, while the $200 average weight prize for juniors was won by Griffin Makene.

All fish weighed-in went under auctioneer Mark Cramond's hammer at 4.30pm on Sunday and raised approximately $1080 for the Far North Hospice in Kaitaia.

The organisers acknowledged the public for supporting the auction.

Biggest ever? Absolutely!

Bill Julian (son of Stan) travelled from Dannemora, in Auckland, to take part in last weekend's Taipa Tavern fishing competition.

On Saturday afternoon, more than 24 hours before the weigh-in, he reckoned he could just about feel his hand closing in on prize for the biggest snapper.

He didn't take much persuading to hoist what he estimated was a 251b snapper out of an ice chest, a fish that he was not-so-quietly confident would prove unbeatable.

Unfortunately it didn't. It actually weighed 8.2kg, and came third.

He'd caught the monster "out in the bay," he said, but was more forthcoming in terms of bait (Waitemata kahawai) and tackle (a 4/0 hook with a keeper). And was it the biggest snapper he had ever landed?

"Absolutely!"