Snapper catch hooks big prize

Phil Sandford made the top catch at the Waitotara Hotel Fishing Contest on Saturday - a 6.2kg snapper.

The contest has been going for about four years, organiser and hotel co-owner Mary Martin says. For the past two years it was held in January and the weather prevented any fishing, so prizes were drawn rather than won.

This year there were more entrants - 95 adults and children in all, either surfcasting for kahawai and snapper or fishing from boats for snapper and blue cod.

Not many fish were caught, but all the prizes were taken nevertheless. The biggest spot prize was a large barbecue.

"There were only about 15 people who went away without winning anything," Mrs Martin said.