b'CJ, Kelly, and I still managed to catch several nice fat fish and a couple of good legal kingfish with one I kept for fresh sashimi that night, but we didnt get onto the big snapper today.Back in and Dom was crowned the winner of the Pottz trophy for the first time and was chuffed, confessing he isnt much of an angler but comes for the boys yearly catch-up.Rangiputa didnt disappoint as our old mate Iain must have been watching over us and sorted the weather window out and we had top fishing again on the first day.With most commentating that they experienced some of the best snapper fishing ever and many breaking their PBs.We are looking at our options for this years destination with the Reef Lodge closure, wherever it turns out to be 2022 winner Scott Bibby (on left) handsit will be an enjoyable time catching over the trophy to Dom Sutton, a first- up with the boys, fishing and time winner and proved it is better toremembering Iain.be lucky when fishing than good!We had found the fish, andmidday while CJ and I fished till theWinnersafternoon, trying to land a fish over it was non-stop action over75cm but to no avail.Back in at theIain Pottz McCahon the next couple of hours aslodge in the evening and everyone was telling tales of the epic fishingMemorial Winners:we hooked and releasedthey all experienced, with Sunday 2017ScottBibby dozens of snapper and theanother day to yet to enjoy. Cooks Beach (boat)odd kingfish. LAST DAY 2018 Mathew Hewetson Sunday morning was a quite a bitMangawhai (boat)slower to get everyone out of their2019 Sam Bloore I knew the longest snapper wouldunits early after celebrating theMangawhai (rocks)need to be over 70cm to win theprevious days success.The trophy trophy and Dom Sutton fishing onwas still to be decided and it would2020 Mathew Hewetson Woo-hah scored a large snappertake a 20lb+ fish to beat Doms fishKaipara (surfcasting)that was a bit longer than theirwhich was entirely possible where we2021Nofishing75cm measure. were fishing. (Covid lockdown)It was photographed and released,Strangely, back out at the same while the other boats all caught plentyarea we fished the day before and2022ScottBibbyof big snapper from 50-70cm and weeveryone struggled to get ontoRangiputa (boat)all had a ball.The fish were on thethe fish.Boats moved often and2023DomSuttonchew hard after the recent storm andtried different depths, but it was aRangiputa (boat)were gathering in big schools in mid- noticeably quiet fishing morning, spring for spawning soon. with flat calm conditions but the fish A couple of boats headed back in atwerent biting. /FISHINGINGODZONE37'