If you’re an avid angler, surely you know the name Zane Grey. The renowned novelist wrote Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado, New Zealand in the 1920s after flyfishing its rivers and pursuing swordfish off its coast. Next February, the NZ Superyacht Fishing Competition gives you the chance to experience first-hand what Grey touted all those years ago.
Taking place in the Bay of Islands, the event precedes the Millennium Cup, serving as a sister event. The New Zealand Marine Export Group, a trade association, organizes each. The NZ Superyacht Fishing Competition, from February 11 to 13, will welcome yachts of about 78 feet (24 meters) and larger. Up to five anglers can be onboard each. Additionally, entry provides you temporary membership to the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club. This is the oldest game-fishing club in the country, and second-oldest in the world. The club’s guides will provide best practices and gear as needed, too.
Considering you can land a record catch, take whatever you can get. The waters off the 144 islands of the Bay have seen record-breaking fish. These include marlin (striped, blue, and black), swordfish, yellowfin tuna, and kingfish. Furthermore, the Northland Coast, which includes the Bay, holds every word record for striped marlin, yellowtail kingfish, and snapper. Since-broken word records for striped marlin were set there, too. Additionally, you can land mahi mahi.
While of course the NZ Superyacht Fishing Competition provides plenty of time to relax and meet fellow anglers, you’ll get a chance to speak with ideal sponsors. One is ENL, which provides WASSP multi-beam sonar technology for a few manufacturers. It profiles the seabed reportedly 100 times faster than single-beam echo sounders. Therefore, resolution and accuracy are quite high. Moreover, you get a wide-angle, 120-degree, side-to-side view of the seafloor and water above it. It’s ideal for picking out wrecks, sorting fish from foreign objects, and more.
NZ Superyacht Fishing Competition superyachtfishingcomp.com
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