Fishing: Record return at Doubtless Bay ITM auction

ITM lads getting ready for the fish auction in Taipa last weekend, from left, Tom Pickard, Kelemete Natoealofa and Mark Newman.

Local and visiting anglers made the most of the fine weather over the long weekend by turning out in droves for the annual Far North ITM Doubtless Bay Fishing Contest & Auction on Saturday and Sunday.

Event spokeswoman Danielle Moa said this was the second consecutive year the contest and auction was based at the Eastern United Rugby Club in the five years the event has been run in its current format (the previous three years were held at the Mangonui Fire Station) and the facility was a popular one with the punters in regards to ease of parking, etc.

"It went really well," she said of the overall operation, but noting while there were some solid specimens weighed in, the general consensus was the fishing overall was of the slim pickings variety.

The field was slightly down on the previous year (361 entries registered compared with 430 in 2018) but a record amount in excess of $21,000 was raised at the fish auction which attracted large crowds on both days.

The funds from this year's event will go towards supporting the following groups and projects Taipa Squash Club, St Johns, Lions Mangonui, Sea Rescue, Eastern United Rugby Club and BPW.

Moa concluded by giving a big shout-out to all the 13 Far North ITM staff that donated their time over the weekend to help run the contest and auction: "Without them this event would not be possible."

Results

SATURDAY. Juniors, snapper 4.655 (kg) Mate Mcpherson, trevally: 1.775 Blake Stoney, kahawai: 2.520 A Addison, kingfish: 5.40 Patricia Turner, land based snapper: 7.500 Nathan Renata.

Ladies, heaviest snapper: 7.850 Bev Leckner. Crayfish, spiny: 2.820 Markus Leslie, packhorse: 3.460 Paul Saxton, closest to average weight spiny (set at 1.378) 1.230 Markus Leslie, CTAW packhorse (2.120): 2.120 Tony Flay.

Kahawai: 2.600 Gary Collier, 2.590 Tony Flay 2, 2.580 Jade Watson. Trevally: 6.515 Raewyn Flay, 5.705 Tony Flay, 4.810 R Flay.

Kingfish: 16.075 Callum Lidmilia, 14.950 Mabel Murray, 10.950 Teghan Errington, CTAW (8.092kg) 8.100 Jarred Meehan. Snapper: 9.035 Gregory Cameron, 8.570 Richard Bruce, 8.515 Jimmy Neho, CTAW (3.028) 3.050 Zane Lidgard. Ugliest fish: granddaddy hapuka Aaron McCloud.

SUNDAY. Juniors, snapper: 5.995 Kowhai Inch, trevally: 2.170 Max Jordan, kahawai: 2.790 Memphis Waldron, kingfish: 7.60 Mate McPherson, sprat: 0.165 Ashlyn Thomas, kohero: 0.300 Le Avlii Neho, land-based snapper: 7.060 Dillion Paterson.

Ladies, snapper: 9.050 Laura Attwood. Crayfish, spiny: 2.775 M Leslie, packhorse: 2.980 Dwayne Kitchen, CTAW spiny (1.59): 1.580 T Flay, CTAW packhorse (2.162): 2.160 Joseph Leslie.

Kahawai: 2.895 Dale Hoult, 2.650 Robert Swann, 2.635 Luke Matthews. Trevally: 5.730 Mike Smith, 5.235 Callum Lidmilia, 5.175 Mike Smith. Kingfish: 19.650 Hunter Masters, 19.400 Mario Baker, 14.090 Craig Darison, CTAW (10.082): 10.075 Tristan Shaw.

Snapper: 10.445 Crogan Sanders, 10.015 Mathesa Northin, 9.820 Barry Dole, CTAW (3.42): 3.140 Mali Rihari. Ugliest Fish, barracuda J Meehan.

OVERALL. Main CTAW (closest to average weight) prizes: snapper (3.082): 3.080 Chris Ritchie, kingfish (9.874) 10.000 Brett Christial, crayfish spiny (1.513): 1.540 Tony Flay. It was noted the Flay and Leslie families did very well over the weekend in terms of prizes taken away.