The size and the number of fish caught during the recent Collard Triples fishing contest has prompted a local angler to state that the quota and management system in regards to snapper on the Far North west coast was working.
The comments came fromKaitaia's Jack Rogers who also reported a great turnout - 30 club members and five visitors - for the 90 Mile Beach Surfcasting Club's return from the winter break to host the first fieldday of the new season.
Rogers noted conditions were good for the Collard Tavern tournament on September 23: mild seas and a nippy south-easterly where, with little to no swell, most of the 18 snapper, eight trevally and 15 kahawai eventually weighed in were caught on the dropping to low tide.
"Fish numbers and size for this time of the year indicates that quota and management appeared to be working in catching snapper quantity and quality for this time of the season. It is not very often that a 2.60kg snapper does not get on to the club prize board in September," said Rogers to back up his statement.
The heaviest snapper of the day went to Milton Arnold with a 5.30kg beauty, Dave Moses caught the heaviest trevally at 4.50kg, while the heaviest kahawai at 1.90kg was reeled in by Aleesha Rogers; these three fish taking out the top prizes in the event.
Other placegetters were, Ken Tyler 4.90kg snapper 4 (i.e. 4th), Dave Harrison 2.65kg trevally 5, Dave Hallett 1.90kg kahawai 6, Ronald Pi 3.35kg snapper 7, Wayne Newcombe 1.75kg trevally 8, Jo Arthur 1.40kg kahawai 9, and Fred Cassidy 3.05kg snapper 10.
The event haggle being the fish closest to a 1.60kg kahawai saw two 1.40kg fish being weighed in, thus the prize was shared between Jo Arthur and Puawai Hallett; while the Collard Triples title was won by Arnold, Newcombe and Tyler with a combined weight of 26.8kg.
The club's next fieldday is this Sunday (October 7) for the Bluey Worthy Trophy. The contest will be fished from 7am-12 noon followed by prizegiving and barbecue at the club caravan site near Waipapakauri Ramp.
