Smooth seas bring good game at Houhora

EYEING THE RECORD: Ken Teague from the Bay of Islands gamefishing club weighed in a pending New Zealand record with this 135.2kg big eye tuna at Houhora during the 2015 NZSFC nationals last week.

The Houhora Fishing Club was in the thick of the action in the New Zealand Sports Fishing Council 2015 nationals competition, with 15 impressive specimens bought into the Far North weigh station during the eight-day event, which wrapped up on Saturday night.

The settled weather allowed many visiting boats to fish around the Three Kings area and some remarkable catches weighed over the week, noted Houhora big gamefishing commentator Debbie Bunn.

The most impressive catch was the pending New Zealand record for big eye tuna, a solid 135.2kg number weighed in by Bay of Islands club member Ken Teague from the boat Outrageous on the night of Monday, February 23. The following morning, another big eye was weighed in by Counties angler Brett Duncan fishing off Saltshaker, which dipped the scales 96.8kg. Both fish were caught around the Three Kings area, Bunn noted.

Saltshaker skippered by Scott Sutherland was back again on Saturday night with a broadbill for Brett Duncan, who had been on the fish since 4.10am Saturday morning and landing it at 4.25pm in the afternoon; a total catch time of 12 hours and fifteen minutes.

However, with Saturday being the last day of the nationals and all results having to be in at the anglers' respective clubs by 6pm, the logistics of getting Duncan's broadbill to a nearby weigh station proved overwhelming.

"It was still a personal best fish for the angler and a fight he will never forget," said Bunn. She went on to note the local Houhora anglers gave another good account of themselves this year, particularly through the efforts of Donna Pascoe on Gladiator, Dave Kahlenberg on Ahab, Graham Beaufill on Lured, and Allen Bell on Offshore.

Pascoe took out the NZ Champion Angler title for striped marlin, and was first in the T&R (tag and release) striped marlin section with nine fish all up. Gladiator also placed third in the John Hough Memorial Trophy Team Championship for striped marlin, while Pascoe also tagged a shortbill spearfish. Kahlenberg, meanwhile, picked up the NZ Champion Angler on 1kg line for a 55kg blue shark and Champion Angler in the 15kg line section with a bronze whaler weighing 122.6kg, as well as champion angler, while boat Ahab took out the NZI Shark Trophy and was the regional section top team winners for Northland. Also featuring was Beaufill with third overall in the Most T&R Shark section with seven.

As a result of these excellent efforts Houhora was awarded the Stuart Morrison Shark Trophy, the Varta Cup Northern, the Varta Cup overall and was the regional section winner for Northland. The game fishing tournament featured 14 sections, with both junior and senior categories. It was contested by 1667 anglers from New Zealand and overseas, and all competing anglers had to belong to a club affiliated to the NZSFC.

"Given the amount of game fish caught over the last week the signs are looking good for the 21st Houhora One Base only two weeks away," said Bunn. Her preview of the annual three-day big game fishing event being held this year from March 18-21 will feature shortly.