A junior angler’s world record broadbill highlights the strength of New Zealand’s next generation of game fishers.
A world record always turns heads, but when it comes from a junior angler, it sends a cheer through the whole game fishing community. That is exactly what happened off the Bay of Plenty when Lockey Hawtree landed a 108.80 kg broadbill swordfish, now certified by the IGFA as the Junior Male 60 kg world record. Caught on 24 May 2025 off Whakatane, the fish has already become part of local legend.
The moment first surfaced on the Whakatane Sport Fishing Club’s weigh board:
Broadbill – 108.8 kg – 60 kg line – Angler: Lockey Hawtree – Boat: Jody’s Decision.
A simple note for an extraordinary effort. Broadbill are deep-dwelling, solitary hunters, rising in darkness to take squid and baitfish. Their long, flat bill is built for power, and their endurance is immense. Fighting one demands strength, patience, and nerve, and for a junior angler to prevail on heavy tackle speaks volumes.
This part of the East Coast produces fish with that kind of presence. Deep water sits close to shore, giving trailer boats access to canyons, shoals, and offshore edges without long passages. Whakatane sits at one end of this blue highway. Further east lies Waihau Bay, one of the country’s most loved big-game ports and a fixture in Kiwi fishing culture.
Waihau Bay is a small settlement surrounded by steep hills and a coastline that feels untouched. It is famous for its summer marlin season, its glassy winter mornings, and the clear water that drops away to depth almost immediately. Many know it from Taika Waititi’s Boy; anglers know it as a place where anything can happen.
At its heart sits the Waihau Bay Sports Fishing Club, founded in 1966 and now home to around 450 members. The club champions water safety, responsible fishing, and the shared excitement of a strike out wide. Its location on State Highway 35 puts anglers straight onto prime ground, and its community keeps the region’s fishing culture strong.
Lockey Hawtree’s record is more than a line in a ledger. It is a reminder of what these waters hold and of the next generation stepping forward with confidence. For the East Coast, it is a moment to celebrate and a sign of more big stories to come.
