Rods at the ready for $80k Bay Bonanza

Big boy blue . . . Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club is hoping for catches like this one at its 40th anniversary Bay Bonanza competition at the end of the month. Wellington man Grant Kreyl reeled in this 263.2-kilogram blue marlin off the Dave Roddick-owned boat Dangle in the 2013 edition. Gisborne Herald file picture

Bonanza expected to pull record boat numbers

Record prize funding and impressive recent catches are expected to reel in record entry numbers for the 40th annual Enterprise Motor Group and Autosure NZ Bay Bonanza competition at the end of the month.

To celebrate the milestone, Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber said it was decided to bump up the Lucky Angler draw prize from $30,000 to $40,000 this year out of an overall prize funding pool of $80,000.

“The Lucky Angler draw involves a draw every day and then an elimination draw at the final day prizegiving. The last person standing takes away the  $40k.

“We started entries before Christmas and had an early bird draw on December 16 and had about 250 entered at that stage, which is excellent because usually we don’t start selling entries until after New Year,” Mr Faber said.

“The way the weather is and the way the fishing is at the moment we expect to have record numbers participating and a good number of inquiries coming from out-of-town boats.”

Fishing in recent days had been “exceptional” including four marlin being hauled in before lunch one day last week.

More than half a dozen big-eye tuna, weighing more than 100kg had been caught in the past few weeks.

The Bay Bonanza runs from January 26 to January 28.

Entries can be made throughout the competition but boats and anglers must register the day before going out on the water.