CD Rods – Okuma & Whangaroa Big Gamefish Club’s Small Boats Competition 2006

This two day competition is aimed specifically at giving the smaller boats a chance to participate in a competition, on an equal footing with boats of around the same size, so that all have a good chance of winning a prize. This year there were 31 boats and 85 anglers competing, a good turn out especially as the weather forecast was not too good especially if you were in a small boat. The weather was blowy and the sea was easing down to a 1m swell, and it rained with patchy drizzle. One angler said that the sea outside the harbour entrance was all confused and it felt like being in a washing-machine. Nonetheless, there were 21 catches that first day to the anglers who braved the weather. It consisted of mainly snapper, with the heaviest being 5.4kg caught by Pete Gardiner on Wild Blue, and a few kahawai. This left the competition wide open for the next day, with prizes to be given out for marlin, sharks, kingfish, tuna and snapper.

On the second day the weather was slightly better, with the winds and the swell easing further, it actually became quite pleasant. The weather must have helped, there were more catches on this day, including some of the bigger gamefish. A 6ft Okuma Predator rod and 2-speed reel for the 1 heaviest billfish went to Graeme Bell on Ultimate Mongrel with a striped marlin weighing 104.7kg, and this fish also won him the prize for the most IGFA points. Hard luck prizes were also given for the only other two stripeys to be caught in the competition, but which didn't qualify because they were underweight.

These went to Steve Horton on Knot Home and Mike Hendy on U Wanna Go who both deserve their prizes for landing marlin from a small boat, it was also Mike's first marlin well done. No qualifying sharks, tuna or kingfish were caught but the rod and reel prizes were put up for a lucky draw and the winning anglers were happy with their catch. The heaviest snapper was caught by Jason Cochrane on Pride en Joy, with a weight of 5.9kg on 8kg line, he was happy with a prize of a CD Rods Albagraph rod at 8-10kg. The 2nd heaviest snapper at 5.78kg was caught by John Sharp, also on Pride en Joy, and 3 heaviest was Pete Gardiners 1st day fish. They both won fleece jackets generously donated by Mark Emerson of Cookes Hose Coupling. The heaviest other gamefish section was won by Scott Young, the club light tackle specialist, with a kahawai of 1.76kg caught on 1kg line from the boat Kahlua II. The club also gave away many lucky draw prizes, which included hats, compasses, leaders, sunglasses, and several reel servicing vouchers generously given by Far North Reel Rods, very handy prizes. A high-light point in the prize-giving was the anglers eagerly awaiting the lucky draw prize for a $1500 travel voucher from the Holiday Shoppe in Kerikeri. The winner was Ross Bellingham who was so delighted to win this prize that he did a hand-spring across the floor; pity we didn't catch him on film! Frank Durrand entertained us into the night, at the conclusion of another fun competition at Whangaroa.

Whangaroa Club's Small Boats Competition 2006