Kalan Wedd age 12 with his 101.2kg striped marlin catch, alongside father James Wedd from the boat <i>Stampede</i>. Photo / Ian Cooper
Kalan Wedd age 12 with his 101.2kg striped marlin catch, alongside father James Wedd from the boat <i>Stampede</i>. Photo / Ian Cooper
Covid, wet weather, wind and swells were not enough to stop a record-breaking MegaFish event.
Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club president Neil Price said the event went well, considering all the obstacles.
"As for the fishing, we had 450 anglers and 130 boats. We had five or six boats from Gisborne, a boat from Taranaki and a boat from Matamata come down."
A 235 kg blue marlin caught on the first day of competition by Leon Lewis from the 65-foot launch Good Newz from Gisborne took out the overall top prize of $20,000.
He said Hawke's Bay participants weren't too upset by the away team victory.
"We've been doing that to them for the past few years.
"In two weeks' time, Gisborne have their tournament and I think out of the last four or five years we've probably won it three times."
He said the club had never had a blue marlin over their scales until three years ago, now two had been caught within the last week to make it three total weighed at the club.
He said up until this year, the club's best year had been seven marlin caught in one year, but 11 had already been caught in January.
"Over the competition there were 14 marlin caught. Nine were brought in, two were tagged and three didn't get registered. There were records broken everywhere."
He said all of New Zealand was seeing "phenomenal" numbers of caught marlin.
"What brings the marlin are the warmer waters, the tides, the currents and the bait fish. It normally starts about now and goes through a little bit later, but it started in January this year which is not normal. Some clubs are recording hundreds of marlin being caught".
Kalan with the prizes from his wins, a Talica 50 rod, a Talica 30 rod, two Speedmaster rods and the Blair Pascoe memorial trophy. Photo / Supplied
Kalan Wedd, 12, has attended the event for four years now, according to his father James Wedd, skipper of Stampede.
Kalan took out placings or wins in several competition categories, including heaviest junior fish with a 101.2kg striped marlin and most meritorious catch, netting him four new rods and the Blair Pascoe memorial trophy.
Kalan said he thought he might win some prizes, but not as many as he got.
He said there would be another opportunity soon for him to top this tournament's catch.
"We've got the nationals coming up, so hopefully I'll catch a bigger one then."
