Anglers share spoils at ITM National Torpedo Tournament

Kevin Griffiths, Dave Smith and Jack Burke.

Local knowledge paid off for a quartet of local anglers who produced the heaviest snapper overall at the Far North ITM National Torpedo Tournament 2018.

The 8.975kg snapper was caught on the first day of the tournament last Thursday by the Ahipara-based Team 90 Milers featuring Kevin Griffiths, Emma Howard-Smith, Jack Burke and David Smith.

Team 90 Milers eventually finished third overall in a field of 65 teams with a total of 43.8kg of fish — snapper, gurnard and kahawai — caught over the three-day national championships.

Emma Howard-Smith from Team 90 Milers holding the heaviest snapper of 8.975kg caught during the torpedo nationals last week.

Griffiths noted Team 90 Milers had been attending the competition in its various incarnations over the greater part of the past decade, and had already booked their spot for next year's event.

"It's a lot of fun, a fantastic, well organised tournament, [organisers] Anita and Mark put on a great show," he said, noting there was another impressive array of prizes including four torpedoes as the major lucky draw prizes, a host of other spot draw prizes along with chilly bins, tackle boxes, fishing gear and outdoor furniture.

Fishing was confined to 90 Mile Beach, Puheke East and Tokerau and four categories, being snapper, gurnard, kahawai and other. The nationals began last Thursday and continued until Saturday afternoon before the final prizegiving was held at The Park 90 Mile Beach Holiday Camp.

The winning team overall was Rivals (Team No41) from Auckland featuring Hayden Grant and Charlie Pou with a total of 53.465kg of fish), while runners-up were Pool Tools with 48.255kg of fish.

Spokeswoman Anita Dancaster said interest in the event had continued to grow exponentially — entries for this year's nationals only took 90 minutes to sell out and included 11 teams from Whanganui alone (up from the eight who were participating in 2017).

"We are getting more people from down bottom of the North Island," she said, before emphasising, "The event is for the locals more than anything."

With interest already going through the roof for the 2019 nationals, Dancaster said organisers were wondering if they should even promote future events as each year they were reluctantly having to turn away ever increasing numbers of prospective punters.
This year's nationals also raised $2075 for the Far North Hospice.