Locals dominate day two

Daniel Job from Ngataki, north of Kaitaia, landed the biggest fish of day two of the 2015 Snapper Bonanza. His 4.97kg catch earned him $2000. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A 24-year-old from Ngataki, north of Kaitaia, was the big winner of day two of the 2015 Snapper Bonanza.

Daniel Job took home $2000 for a 4.97kg snapper, the heaviest of the 128 fish weighed in on Wednesday.

Milton Arnold, of Kaitaia, also had a rewarding day on Ninety Mile Beach, landing the third-heaviest snapper of the day (4.565kg) as well as the snapper closest to the average weight (1.865kg). That netted him a total of $1500.

Organisers dubbed Wednesday "locals' day" because every prize but the one for the winning team and fifth-heaviest fish went to Far North residents. When he won a $3000 travel voucher, Kaitaia's Rob Parker asked: "Why would I want to leave?"

The number and size of fish hooked on day two was well down on day one. Organisers put that down to a "big sweeping swell" that had come up overnight, making surfcasting difficult.

Yesterday was Reel Rods Day when contestants could fish off any beach from Tokerau Beach on the east coast around to Shipwreck Bay/Te Kohanga on the west. Fish caught on Thursday are eligible for the $30,000 top prize.

As of last night Mike Dowden of Whakatane was still in front with an 8.245kg snapper that was the second fish landed in the five-day contest. The contest ends on Saturday.