Intense battle to reel in big kingfish over Easter weekend

Te Arepa Whareaitu with his 17kg kingfish Photo / Supplied

It was a great Easter weekend break for local fisherman Te Arepa Whareaitu, who hauled in a big kingfish at North Mole pier.

The fish was caught around 8.30am on Good Friday, weighing in at 17 kilograms and was 1.1 metres long.

On his first cast of the morning Whareaitu caught a kahawai and after recasting, it took about 15 minutes before the kingfish hooked on.

"I thought I had caught the fish once it came closer, then it just took off again, I think that's when the other fishermen knew I was on to something good," Whareaitu said.

Speculation as to what was on the end of the line began to grow among the seven other fishermen there, as Whareaitu fought to bring it in.

"I could hear some people assuming what type of fish it could be," Whareaitu said.

"My arms were on fire but after hearing that, I just wanted to get it in quickly and hope my line didn't break."

In all it took half an hour to reel the kingfish to land.

"It dragged me from the point of the Mole to the car park, I had to go over other people's rods just to keep it on the line.

"I was only using was a 10 kilogram line and rod, and to have something on the other end that was well over 10 kilograms… I was just speechless when I saw it."

Although the kingfish might not make it into the record books, it was a memorable catch for those who fish off the North Mole pier.

"One fisherman said it was probably one of the biggest kingfish caught at the Mole, there was another guy who caught one a few years ago that was slightly smaller, they were saying."

Whareaitu said he's a keen fisherman and the kingfish is the biggest fish he's ever caught.

"It was such a rush landing it, I felt like I had won Lotto."

Whareaitu shared some of the fish with those who helped him haul it in, and still had plenty for his family to feast on over the long weekend.