Fish and prizes galore at Doubtless Bay

Fish and prizes galore at Doubtless Bay

About 335 anglers tried to hook some of the $35,000 worth of prizes up for grabs during the two-day Doubtless Bay Fishing Contest and Auction at the weekend. With the Far North ITM this year taking over the reins as the organiser to give the Mangonui Volunteer Fire Brigade a breather, the annual contest drew a big crowd to Mangonui. The fish auction raised more than $13,000 which will be used to help build a helicopter pad for the fire brigade and assist St John Ambulance and Lions Club projects. Danielle Collings from the Northland Age was there with her camera.

KING OF THE CRAYS: Marcus Leslie won a prize for the heaviest crayfish entered in the competition on Saturday.

RESULTS Closest to average weight: Snapper, 2.775kg, Dwayne Kitchen, $5000; Kingfish, 13.15kg, Phil Profner, $1500; Crayfish, 1.3kg, Dwayne Kitchen, $1000.

Ugliest fish: Saturday, Alan Nelson, sea snake; Sunday, Kerry Long. deformed trevally.

Trevally: Heaviest Saturday, Raku Hori, 6.620kg; Sunday, Nick Fulton, 4.470kg.

Kingfish: Heaviest Saturday, Barry Harrison, 22.850kg; Sunday, Kerry Hartley, 24.4kg. Kingfish closest to average weight: Saturday Leighton Matthews, 12.500kg; Sunday, Barry Harrison, 14.85kg.

Snapper: Heaviest Saturday, Corey Petera, 9.64kg; Sunday, John Gaffer, 11.715kg. Snapper closest to average weight: Saturday Leon Johanson, 2.450kg; Sunday, Quinton Nathan, 2.970kg. Heaviest snapper caught from land, Saturday Toni Oliver, 3.635kg; Sunday, Arnold Milton, 6.945kg.

Ladies heaviest snapper: Saturday, Vivienne Harris, 5.210kg; Sunday, Emma Epere, 8.495kg.

Crayfish: Heaviest Saturday, Marcus Leslie, 3.145kg; Sunday, Joesph Leslie, 3.160kg.Closest to average weight: Saturday, Marcus Leslie, 1.560kg; Sunday, Luke MacDonald, 1.140kg

Kahawai: Heaviest Saturday, Tera-lee Williams, 2.670kg; Sunday, Lester Perry, 2.710kg.

JUNIORS

Snapper: Heaviest Saturday, Taylor Thompson Harris, 0.670kg; Sunday, Bradley Foster, 8.370kg.

Trevally: Heaviest Saturday, Brody Barnes, 0.425kg: Sunday, Matty McPherson,3.585kg.

Kahawai: Heaviest Saturday, Josh Patterson 2.565kg; Sunday, Tai Smith, 1.805.

Sprat: Heaviest Saturday, Alex and Jenna Barclay, 1st=, 0.020kg: Sunday, Finn Gordon, 0.100kg.

Kohero: Heaviest Saturday, Jenna Barclay, 0.235kg; Sunday, Katie Barnes, 0.555kg

BEHIND THE SCENES: Peter Sainsbury organising the fish for auctioning.

DOUBLE DELIGHT: Dwayne Kitchen receiving one of his two cash prizes. He collected $5000 for having the fish nearest to the average weight of snapper caught. His fish was 2.775kg and the average was 2.778kg. He also won $1000 for his 1.3kg crayfish being nearest to the average weight of crays caught.

THIRST QUENCHER: Ron Baker, Cody Baker and Leah Claus take advantage of the free watermelon handed out during the fishing contest.

MINDERS: Two youngsters keep an eye on crayfish waiting for their turn on the scales.

CHECK IT OUT: Alistair Petch looking pleased with his catch on Saturday.

DOING THE HONOURS: Mangonui Fire Brigade volunteer Alan Moros hands over some auctioned fish with the help of one of the many ASB volunteers.

CONSOLATION: Alan Nelson and his sand snake that won the 'ugliest fish' prize.

KEEN CROWD: The turnout for the Sunday prizegiving was good at the Doubtless Bay Fishing Contest and Auction.

Pictured Dwayne Kitchen recieving one of his two, cash prizes. This one was a $5,000 prize for the 'Nearest to the average weight' in the snapper catagory which was 2.778kg, his weighing in at 2.775kg.