We know its winter when
Club AGM’s are happening around the country. Committees come and go, but the same volunteers are working towards the final end of year prize giving. Prize giving’s that reflect on another fabulous season, full of big fish, bigger egos and raving out aloud mine is bigger than yours. The trophies and annual awards have the last laugh though, once the ink dries on the certificates it’s all over. Except for thanking those who stand for committee for the first time, those who have stood down for the last time, often after years of service, THANK YOU.
The start of a new season means there are those awards for the first of each species caught or tagged and released. Contenders so far are few (I wonder why?). First Broadbill report has come from Doubtless Bay when Dave Swan fishing out on the Garden Patch caught one weighing in at 132.0kg on 02/07/2016. First Kahawai reported comes from Counties when Ken McPike fishing in the Manukau weighed in his fish at 2.71kg. First reported Snapper come from Counties again with Bernard Caie fishing out around Great Barrier Island that weighed 10.29kg. The first Yellowtail Kingfish was reported from Whangaroa for angler Anna Smith fishing around the Cavalli Islands and weighed 11.22kg. Now for the heaviest fish, if it has changed from the first one weighed. Richard Kimber fishing at Tapotupotu for the Ahipara club has weighed a 11.6kg snapper on 21/07/2016, and David Hull from the Counties club fishing somewhere in the Coromadel caught a 17.50kg Kingfish. There are still some 21 different species still waiting for the first one to be caught for the 2016 – 2017 season.
Now for the 2015 / 2016 NZSFC trophy winners; First Marlin of the Season Tagged – Kyle Ridling, Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club 01/07/2015;First Marlin of the Season Weighed – Des Meinhold, Manukau Sport Fishing Club 26/12/2015;Rob Dinsdale Trophy – First Marlin – overall (whether weighed or tagged) – Kyle Ridling, Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club 01/07/2015; Saul Trophy – Most Tagged Game Fish – Donna Pascoe Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club 25 Tagged; (14 Striped Marlin, 5 Yellowfin Tuna, 4 Mako Sharks, 1 Black Marlin and 1 Broadbill);Lord Norrie Gold Cup – Heaviest Striped Marlin of the Season – 211.6 kg Mikhail Cowan Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club 27/03/2016 Fisherman of the Year – Heaviest Game Fish of the Season – 362.8 kg Black Marlin, Craig Johnson, Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club 06/02/2016The Peter & Noeline Short Memorial Trophy – Most Tagged Billfish – Donna Pascoe Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club 16 Tagged (14 Striped Marlin, 1 Black Marlin and 1 Broadbill)The Old Man & the Sea Cup – Most Meritorious – Craig Johnson Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club, with his Black MarlinThe Top Junior Angler – Most Meritorious – Hunter Scott, Bay of Islands Swordfish Club with his Striped Marlin
NZSFC member’s benefits; with our slow time for using our boats, be they big or small, please look into our Club Marine proposal whereby club members who insure with Club Marine can raise funds for their individual club they belong to. Also Go Fuel usage will be down a few litres until the first spring warming of the waters, when we start to go out fishing once more.
Help wanted – We’re on a mission, to compile, create and circulate a comprehensive Game Fish in NZ identification guide to help our clubs volunteer weighmasters and club anglers in their processes in weighing and identifying or our game fish. So, if you have any relevant, useful, fish identification guides that may help us out, please email Dave at
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