Welcome to the April Newsletter, as I write this we're half way through the last weekend of the Hunting & Fishing (Waikato) Big Four and what a weekend it's been, the weather has finally played ball and the fishing hasn't been too shabby either.

As of Friday night, we had a Junior with all four species leading the overall Big Four, with a Lady following close behind with her four species. Meanwhile the Adult Boys have failed to land a Kingfish at that point! So this year's prize giving on Wednesday May 13th @ 7Pm is going to be extremely interesting! The scoreboard is still showing but not updating as it stops updating as of Friday night to keep you all in suspense!

Congrats to Rory Bennett and Rion Watere for entering some fish in the Junior Nats, these young men are the first members of our club to enter fish in the NZSFC Junior Nationals. Lets hope a few more enter next year and lets see some Light Line Skills! This years Junior Nats was dominated by some amazing captures on 1 and 2 kg line including a 12.48kg snapper on 2kg line, and a few fish between 6 and 8 kg on 1kg line! See the report and scoreboard later in this edition.

For those of you who have been weighing and tagging fish this year, don't forget to get your catchcards sent into our records officer (Catchcards@waikatosportfishing.co.nz) within 3 months of them being caught and also by July 31st other wise they won't count for end of year trophies.

We also have the AGM coming at a date to be announced but most likely August or September. We really need you to start thinking about volunteering for the committee. The workload is now very manageable with the systems we have in place now. You've been blessed with a number of people who have given over 10 years of their lives to getting the club this far, and now we need people to take it further. Don't be shy, give me a call at 021 750 562 to find out what it entails. Its enjoyable work and nothing too arduous at all unless you've been doing it as long as some of us have.

That's it from me this month, I'm looking forward to see what transpires from the last couple of days of Hunting & Fishing (Waikato) Big Four Fishing and looking forward to seeing you all at the prize giving.

Cheers

Bob

Hunting & Fishing Big Four Measuring Competition

3rd-27th April 2026

~PRIZE POOL $15,000~

Prize Categories:
Big Four Bag – Longest bag of all four species, only your longest fish of each species included.


Four Big Four Bag divisions:
o Men Prize Value $500
o Women Prize Value $500
o Junior Prize Value $300
o Overall $1,000 cash

Prizes for 1st to 3rd longest fish in each division and each species.

NB One major prize per Angler for their largest fish per species.
In the event of a tie the first fish caught with be awarded the prize, and the second fish caught will be the next prize down.

Cash Prizes for Snapper - closest to average length per division.
Any anglers entered snapper will be averaged so they have one overall entry in the average length and mystery length prizes.
All drawn prizes (fish not caught) including, 5 X $200 mystery length draws, spot prizes and not won fish prizes will be redrawn if the angler drawn is not present at the prize giving at WSFC clubrooms 7.00pm Wednesday 13th May.

Big Four 2026 Tournament Rules

SIMRAD Summer Champs

Results

Aaaaaand that's the prize giving for our 2025/2026 SIMRAD Summer Champs, and what a night it was. Great to see the strong performances from a number of anglers.

Awesome to see the achievements in the points section, an incredible battle and surge in activity over the last week of February saw lots of moving and sha

king in the ranks.

A massive thanks to the teams at Simrad Yachting and Burnsco for all our prizes.

Congrats to all anglers on your achievements and thanks to all of you for being part of this fantastic inaugural event.

Congrats to Geoff Preston for taking out the Overall points and the NSX7 unit, what an effort over 90s days of fishing.

Congrats to Vance Fulton for winning the SIMRAD NSX7 unit in the last Angler standing draw.

NZSFC Youth Nationals 2026

Final Results and Champions

Celebrating the anglers, clubs, and light line performances that defined this year’s event

This was a Youth Nationals worth celebrating.

The 2026 NZSFC Youth Nationals wrapped up with outstanding fishing right around the country, and what stands out is not just who won, but how these titles were earned. Light line fishing shaped this event from start to finish. Time and again, young anglers landed fish that weighed well above the line class they were fishing, turning skill, patience, and good decisions into points that mattered.

From New Plymouth to Kawhia, from Tairua, Pauanui to Tauranga, Whakatane, Hawkes Bay, Mercury Bay, Counties and beyond, clubs backed their young anglers brilliantly. The final standings show depth, composure, and real quality. They also show that the future of our sport is in very good hands.

Tournament by the Numbers

Entries, divisions, weighed fish, and tagged fish

Entries
Total anglers entered: 306

Secondary School
Female anglers: 22
Male anglers: 70

Primary School
Female anglers: 71
Male anglers: 143

Fish Weighed
ALBACORE — 3
BLUE COD — 8
BRONZE WHALER — 4
GURNARD — 44
KAHAWAI — 140
MAHI MAHI — 2
SILVER TREVALLY — 93
SKIPJACK TUNA — 22
SNAPPER — 209
YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH — 28

TOTAL — 553

Fish Tagged
BRONZE WHALER — 4
YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH — 11

TOTAL — 15

View full final results

Safety First

Top 10 Tips for boat maintenance

Are you conducting a regular maintenance and servicing schedule on your boat to ensure you, your friends and family's safety at sea?

Poorly maintained vessels result in problems on the water which can be disastrous. Breakdowns, battery and fuel problems on boats account for over 50% of the calls for assistance that Coastguard receives every year.

Things to check every time you head out

Checking over everything below is a good habit to get into, especially if the boat has been laid up over winter.

1. Wash your boat regularly with fresh water. This removes salt water buildup that can be corrosive to your boat and equipment. DeSalt is a great product for removing existing buildup, and for flushing the motor.

2. Service your engine at least once a year. Don’t wait until everybody wants to get their boats serviced before summer to book yours in! Spark plugs should be changed with your engine service, and you should carry a spare set including a sparkplug spanner on your boat. Keep an ear out for new or different noises or vibrations, they can be the first sign that something isn’t quite right.

3. Check the water pump from your motor regularly to ensure a strong discharge. Every time you start your motor, make sure that water is being discharged from the motor. A blocked cooling system can quickly overheat and damage a motor.

4. Check your battery each season. Batteries cause the most headaches for boat users - about one quarter of all incidents attended by Coastguard volunteers relate to flat batteries. Check your battery is charged, that it continues to hold charge, and is kept topped up with distilled water. Make sure that the connections are not corroded or loose.

5. Check fuel lines at least 4 times a year. Make sure that there are no cracks in your fuel line and that any connections are not corroded.

6. Check your oil 3-4 times a year. Check the oil level regularly, and keep an eye on the oil colour. Like in a car, if it's starting to turn dark make sure you change it. If it turns milky or magically starts appearing, i.e. the level is moving up the dipstick, you may have a serious issue and need to consult an expert before it lets you down or serious damage occurs.

7. Check your prop for damage or rubbish. Make sure that there is no fishing line wound around your prop and make sure it is not damaged. A damaged prop can be very fuel inefficient.

8. Check the hull for any visible signs of damage. Look for any unexpected scratches and dents and look inside the boat for water leaks. Make sure the bung plugs still fit securely and check that the navigation lights and bilge pumps are working correctly.

9. Check the trailer frequently as well as the boat. Have a quick scan of the trailer immediately after launching your boat. Check that the rollers are in good condition, the winch cable is secure, the lights are working and that corrosion is minimal. Check out our other tips for checking over your trailer here.

10. Finally, be sure to check all electrical joints and connections to keep them secure. You should do a boat walk through (inside and out) about 3-4 times a year to look for normal wear and tear and to keep a general eye out for problems. Also check all ropes for wear and tear or damage.

Don't forget to get your entries in for the Great Gurnard Hunt

Open to all 25/26 Financial WSFC Members freely, just catch a gurnard, take a photo of it on a standard brag mat along with a piece of paper with you current WSFC membership number on it and submit your entry via the Sporty App. You must be a fully paid-up member of WSFC at the time of the catch.

Prizes include $250.00 awarded for the longest gurnard of the season and $150.00 to a randomly drawn gurnard length prize at the 2026 AGM). All gurnard entries are eligible for the draw; however, the angler whose name is drawn must be present at the AGM to claim the prize, otherwise a redraw will occur.