Whakatāne Sportfishing Club

It was a perfect day for the Seven Species Challenge

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful for fishing as 22 teams headed over the bar at 6am for the Whakatāne Sportfishing Club’s Seven Species Tournament. The challenge was to land all seven species and claim the Clarry Collier Memorial Trophy – along with bragging rights.

Most of the species played ball, but the John Dory proved elusive, with none making it to the scales.

Taking out the win was Wotz Work, with James Ennis, Sarah Wilde-Ennis, and Shane and Sophie Sutton. The team was the only one to land six of the seven target species, weighing in snapper, kahawai, trevally, tarakihi, red gurnard and maomao to secure their place on the trophy. Shane also took home the prize for average trevally.

Second place went to Jamie and Chloee Munn aboard About Time, while Oliver Good, Corey Munn and Fletcher Davies aboard Mini Passport claimed third. Both teams landed five of the seven species.

Congratulations to all our placegetters, and thanks to everyone who took part. A special thank you to weighmasters Les, Roddy and Aaron for their work on the day.

Another successful tournament for the club, with plenty of good fishing and friendly competition to kick off the season.

What’s coming up on the water?

There’s plenty to look forward to, with our next event the Christmas Hams Tournament, on November 21. Anglers will be targeting snapper, trevally, tarakihi and red gurnard, with red crayfish returning for the second year. Entries open on November 1, so keep an eye on the club’s Facebook page and website for details.

Following the Hams, the ever-popular Yellowfun-tastic Tuna Tournament returns for 22 days of chasing yellowfin tuna, running from November 28 to December 19. Entries for this tournament will also open soon.

October is also Trout Month, with anglers competing for the longest trout, average trout and mystery length trout titles. Remember, all entries must be submitted using an official Whakatāne Sportfishing Club measure board, available over the bar for $25. These month-long tournaments are free for members, making them a great way to get involved and enjoy a bit of friendly competition. Rules are available on the website and Facebook page, or by emailing [email protected].

Remember, a maximum of two photos per angler per week applies. Tight lines.