Information courtesy of the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club.
The Makaira Boats Trailer Boat Tournament brings together keen anglers to the stunning waters of Whangaroa Harbour (Northland.) Open to all trailer boats, this event highlights the thrill of smaller boat offshore fishing. You don’t need a large game boat to chase big fish and big prizes!
This years event saw 58 boats and over 140 anglers set off on a two-day (29th and 30th March) fishing adventure, competing for a share of the impressive $45,000 prize pool. Despite an earlier postponement, this year’s tournament turned out to be the biggest in its history, a highlight of the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club’s calendar.
Action kicked off on Saturday morning with the much-anticipated shotgun start. Boats lined up just outside the harbour, ready to charge out to sea in search of fish. Campbell Druce, who is a regular frequenter, on Kaos II was first off the mark, locating the flag buoy and securing himself a Trailmaxx winch sponsored by TrailParts. But that was just the beginning. Later in the day, he went on to tag and release a striped marlin, setting the bar high for the competition.
Snapper were in good numbers, with the heaviest fish of the day—a solid 8.55kg—caught by Jayden Froome on Siobhan Tulloch. Bryce Hills wasn’t far behind, pulling in a 7.35kg snapper on 8kg line aboard Playmate. Kingfish also made an appearance, with Cheryl Silich on Shifty II landing the heaviest at 11.05kg. A standout ‘other’ gamefish was a 9.8kg mahimahi, proving that the tournament wasn’t just about the usual suspects.
Day two brought slightly tougher conditions, but the anglers pushed on. Luke Judge on Reel Deal landed a striped marlin weighing 97.6kg, a serious effort. Glen Beh had his own marathon battle, hauling in a 53.1kg yellowfin tuna after nearly two hours on 24kg line in 91 metres of water off the back of Stevies. Denise Larmer on Liberator pulled in an 8kg snapper on 6kg line, and Saber Farzami on charter boat Albacora landed the heaviest kingfish of the day at 12.3kg.
Prize-giving wrapped up the event, with some well-earned victories. Tony Newman kicked things off by winning a $500 spot prize, while Jayden Froome took out the snapper section. Saber Farzami claimed top kingfish honours, Glen Beh won the tuna division, and Campbell Druce topped the tagged billfish section. Luke Judge took the biggest billfish category with his 97.6kg striped marlin, also securing the most IGFA points. Ian Rouse on Dun Blockin and Lisa Grayling on Sassenach both walked away with early bird cash prizes, with Lisa scoring a Garmin 12” Echomap.
Local fishing events of this calibre are only possible with the support and sponsorship of the local companies, and New Zealand marine industry: Makaira Boats, Garmin, Showcase Jewellers of Kerikeri, Fusion, and more
The Makaira Boats Trailer Boat Tournament continues to prove that you don’t need a 50-foot game boat to experience world-class sport fishing. Events like these highlight the capability of trailerable fishing boats to handle offshore conditions and target serious game fish.
With another year done and dusted, it’s clear this tournament is only getting bigger. For those keen to be part of the 2026 event, be sure to follow the Makaira Boats Trailer Boat Tournament on Facebook for updates.
