The Ngāi Takoto 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza is the biggest surfcasting contest in New Zealand, if not the world. Photo / File
The Ngāi Takoto 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza is the biggest surfcasting contest in New Zealand, if not the world. Photo / File
A sellout 1000-strong crowd and forecast fine weather for the Snapper Bonanza kicking off on Ninety Mile Beach today promise the 2021 event could be the best in years.
While the 2020 contest also sold out, level 2 Covid restrictions meant some aspects of the contest — such as the daily prizegivings — had to be changed.
With all of Aotearoa currently at level 1 it's back to business as usual, or better, for New Zealand's biggest surfcasting contest.
The Ngāi Takoto 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza starts at 7am today and runs until 4.30pm on Saturday, with daily prizegiving ceremonies at 5pm at contest headquarters in Waipapakauri.
The fisher who lands the heaviest snapper overall by the end of the week will take home a whopping $30,000.
Other cash prizes include $10,000 for average weight snapper and $2000 for ladies' average. The heaviest snapper landed every day will earn $2000, with $1000 for the daily average weight.
Even contestants who don't catch a fish could win big, with daily draw prizes and a $30,000 Mitsubishi ute to be given away at the end of the week.
Snapper Bonanza organisers John Stewart and Dave Collard at the prizegiving for a warm-up contest organised by Awanui Sports Complex, with average weight snapper winner Colin House and event organiser Jordan Jujnovich. Photo / Supplied
The event organisers, publican and district councillor Dave Collard and printer John Stewart, are stoked by the interest in this year's contest, which sold out before Christmas. Just a few years ago they were struggling to hit the 700-ticket mark.
Long-time event supporter Jack Rogers said the bonanza was the biggest surfcasting contest in New Zealand and probably the world.
The sellout was a reflection of how well the contest was run and the size of the prize pool, with entrants getting 10 chances a day to win back the value of their ticket even if they didn't cast a single line.
As of yesterday, fish were ''rampant'' on the beach, he said.
''It's so vibrant right now, but fishing being fishing it's on or it's off — and if it's off it's off by a mile. But that's fishing.''
Rogers said the forecast was highly favourable overall with a big tide early in the week steadily dropping as the contest progressed.
A big swell was expected on Wednesday afternoon to Thursday, dropping away to a mild sea by the final day.
Thursday was a lay day but the swell could make night fishing for Riders Sports Day, which runs from 7pm Wednesday to 10.30am on Thursday, uncomfortable or even unsafe on Ninety Mile Beach.
On Thursday fishers would be encouraged to head into Kaitaia and open up their wallets at local businesses during the Bonanza Poker Run, while on Saturday morning a charity fish auction would be held at the Kaitaia Market in support of Kaitaia Fire Brigade.
As a prelude to the bonanza, more than 200 anglers took part in an Awanui Sports Complex fundraiser giving them a chance to test their skills and fishing possies.
The average weight winner was Colin House (2.00152kg), with the heaviest snapper prize won by David Norman (5.77kg) and Maurice Cooper second (4.835kg).
The heaviest trevally were landed by Mal Newman (4.83kg) and Timara Leef (4.245kg) and heaviest kahawai by Steven Beckett (2.435kg) and Mu Matiu (2.415kg).
The winner of the 2020 Snapper Bonanza was Grant Thompson, who netted $32,000 cash for the heaviest fish overall (8.285kg) and the day four winner's prize.
