Fishing: Two snapper bagged by field of near 60

Wayne Newcombe, Keri Hokai, Milton Arnold, Mate Covich, Paul Summers, (front) Chloe Hokai and Michael Brown at the Workman Tankard fishing contest earlier this month.

A combination of factors made for an unproductive day at the Workman Tankard fishing contest earlier this month.

The 90 Mile Beach Surfcasting Club event on Sunday, February 10, attracted 53 members and six visitors who, fishing over a 3.1m tide high just after 1pm, only managed to weigh in two snapper along with 11 trevally and 44 kahawai.

Club reporter Jack Rogers noted the extremely calm sea and bright sunny day which prevailed for the Riders Sports Store Field Day were not a good combination.

"Conditions were so calm and the water too clear providing no cover for the fish," he explained.

The heaviest snapper of the day claiming first prize at 1.15kg was reeled in by Auckland-based angler Wayne Newcombe. Runner up with the day's heaviest at 4.25kg was Mate Covich who was also welcomed back into the fold after an absence of many years out, while the third place prize for heaviest kahawai went to Keri Hokai with a 2.38kg fish.

Other placegetters were, Milton Arnold 0.83kg snapper (setting a new record in the process for the smallest legal snapper ever to be weighed in to receive a prize), 4, Paul Summers 3.58kg trevally 5, Pete Watson 2.35kg kahawai 6, Dan Lloyd 3.11kg trevally 7, Jo Arthur 2.29kg kahawai 8, John Stewart 3.09kg trevally 9, Gareth McKenzie 2.01kg kahawai 10.

Special prize for the junior weighing in the heaviest fish — after no juniors made the prizelist — went to 6-year-old Khloe Hokai with her 1.65kg kahawai with mum Keri also posting a video on Facebook demonstrating the youngster's skills in pulling in the fish.

Newcombe, meanwhile, took out the haggle for a 2.10kg kahawai with a 2.10kg kahawai, Gareth McKenzie won the Workman Tankard (with the heaviest total weight of fish weighed in by a club member at 10.06kg); and Miko Rogers claimed the mystery weight prize for a 1.95kg trevally with his 1.85kg trevally.

* This Sunday sees the Hukatere Hook Trophy up for grabs for the club member weighing in the most variety of fish, excluding non-scale, on the day. Fishing will take place from 9am to 4.30pm over a 3.5m tide high at 1.37pm. For further information on the club. Contact Jack Rogers on 408-2660 during working hours.