The Whangaroa Sports Fishing Club held its annual ladies contest with a Mexican theme this year. The sea conditions were rough and testing and despite the rocking, rolling and lurching seas, the ladies braved the weather and went out and caught a variety of species.
Both days of fishing were dominated by occasional 25-30 knots of northerly wind, producing swells and waves which bounced the anglers and crews around.
Despite these conditions the ladies caught three striped marlin on the first day; Linda Bradly aboard Miss Chris, tagged and released a stripy in 200m of water off the Cavalli Islands.
The fish took a lure, and Linda brought it to the boat in 45 minutes.
Thirteen-year-old Chloe Mackay caught and landed her first striped marlin, 95.1kg, which beat the weight of her twin brother Sean's first marlin caught earlier in the season.
