New Zealand Sport Fishing Council Inc

30/09/2026

Thanks for joining us for our 70th AGM and Prize giving NZ Fishing News

  The future of recreational fishing – and the people, fish, and communities that underpin it – was firmly in focus when delegates from around New Zealand gathered in Whitianga for the milestone 70th New Zealand Sport Fishing Council Annual General Meeting and prizegiving on

27/09/2026

The trophies were only part of the evening.

Good food, good company and a room full of people with a shared love of fishing.

Our 70th AGM dinner and prize-giving in Whitianga was a chance to catch up with old friends, meet people from other clubs and celebrate the year together.

From the crayfish to the conversations around the tables, these are the moments that turn a national organisation into a community.

A little extra style came from our best-dressed winners: Devan Vitali of the New Zealand Online Fishing Club and Penny Murray.

A huge thank you to Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club, its team and everyone who helped prepare the food, serve dinner, set up and make our guests feel welcome. There is a lot of work behind a night like this, and we appreciate it.

To everyone who joined us: thank you for being part of our 70th.

Photography: Seth Media.

26/09/2026

The AGM is where clubs come together to ask questions, share experience and help shape what comes next.

Across the weekend in Whitianga, delegates heard from presenters on a wide range of issues and brought their own perspectives to the room through discussion from the floor.

From fisheries management and marine ecosystems to club development, collaboration and the future of our sport, these sessions are a reminder that the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is strongest when clubs engage, challenge ideas and contribute.

Thank you to our presenters, to every delegate who asked a question or shared a view, and to Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club for hosting a weekend full of productive conversation.

Photography: Seth Media.

26/09/2026

From Youth Nationals to the Nationals and interclub competition, there was plenty to celebrate at our 70th AGM prize-giving.

Nationals Varta Cup: Whakatāne Sport Fishing Club - 2,556.67 points.

CD Rods Top Team: AQUARIUS, Whakatāne Sport Fishing Club - 2,595 points from six fish.

Pelagic Top Team Billfish: Mack Peach, Team Diesel, Counties Sportfishing Club.

Youth Nationals Club: New Plymouth Sportfishing and Underwater Club.

Youth Nationals Primary: Taj Chapple, Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club - 687.46 points from five scoring fish.

Youth Nationals Secondary: Ryan Steele, New Plymouth Sportfishing and Underwater Club - 1,684.67 points from nine scoring fish.

Waihau Bay Sports Fishing Club received the Webb Family Trophy and Interclub Team Champions honours for short-billed spearfish.

Hawkes Bay Sportfishing Club received the Pursuit Team Trevally and Dave White Interclub Trevally awards. Counties Sportfishing Club received the Dennis Davy Trophy for Team Mahi Mahi.

Top Junior of the Year was shared by Lockey Hawtree of Waihau Bay, Ryan Steele of New Plymouth, Olliver Pask of Whakatāne and Koby Maxwell of Mercury Bay.

Congratulations to every angler, team and club recognised. Thank you to the families, skippers, crews, volunteers and recorders who help make these achievements possible.

25/09/2026

Standout catches. Special trophies. Achievements worth celebrating.

Our 70th AGM prize-giving recognised a season of memorable fishing, from tagging milestones and first marlin to photography and Grand Slam achievement.

Jason van Esch, Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club: Old Man & the Sea Cup and Fisherman of the Year - Heaviest Game Fish, with a 384.9 kg black marlin.

Nicola Candy, Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club: Saul Trophy and Peter & Noeline Short Memorial Trophy, after tagging 16 striped marlin and one broadbill.

Ian Rae, Tauranga Sport Fishing Club: Lord Norrie Cup, with a 149.8 kg striped marlin caught on 7 December 2025.

Helen Horrocks, Ahipara Gamefish Club and Bay of Islands Swordfish Club: Angler of the Year.

Geordie Wilson, Tairua Pauanui Sport Fishing Club: First Marlin of the Season - Weighed and the Rob Dinsdale Memorial Trophy, for a striped marlin on 29 November 2025.

Charlie Rowe, Bay of Islands: First Marlin of the Season - Tagged, for a striped marlin on 29 November 2025.

Cody Fisher, Counties Sport Fishing Club: Hart Trophy for best live marine photograph - swordfish.

Scott Adamson: Inshore Grand Slam recognition.

Congratulations to all of our recipients, and to the skippers, crews, clubs and supporters who shared those moments.

25/09/2026

The strength of our sport sits with its clubs and its people.

At the NZSFC 70th AGM prize-giving in Whitianga, Whangārei Deep Sea Anglers Club was named Club of the Year, and Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club's Steve Borland received Volunteer of the Year.

Congratulations to both, and to our service-award recipients:

2 years: Jolene Gravatt, Brett Rigby, Kevin Robinson and Tim Evans.
5 years: Nick Blase, Heyden Johnston and Cie Robinson Bates.
10 years: Graham Ellis, David O'Brien, Darin Burns, Ken Barry and Pete Saul.
15 years: Milton Reynolds and Warren Maher.
25 years: Wayne Bicknell.
35 years: Hilton Webb.
40 years: Tony Hill.

Annette Hall of Far North Radio and Sea Rescue was also recognised for 20 years of volunteer service.

We thanked Scott Macindoe and recognised our incoming leadership: President Heyden Johnston and Vice Presidents Andrew Johnson and Cie Robinson Bates.

To Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club and everyone who helped host the weekend: thank you for the welcome and the work behind the scenes. The NZSFC licence plate has been handed over, and the 71st AGM heads to Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club in 2027.

Different clubs, different contributions. One fishing community.

Archive photograph of Annette Hall: RNZ / Peter de Graaf.

25/09/2026

Fishing belongs to all of us.

Two trophies. Two outstanding catches. More opportunities to take part.

Connie Randrup, representing Waihau Bay Sport Fishing Club won the inaugural FishABLE Nationals trophy after landing a tuna aboard Son de la Mer. With the rod secured in a holder mounted to her chair, Connie took over the fight and had the fish alongside in 12 minutes. Her trophy was presented at Tauranga Sport Fishing Club on 4 September, ahead of the AGM.

Bryce Dinneen, a member of the New Zealand Online Fishing Club NZOFC, won the inaugural FishABLE trophy for Most Meritorious Catch for his 14.60kg, 90.5cm snapper. Caught off Whangaroa aboard Nautilus on 16 January, it was an outstanding fish by any measure.

At our 70th AGM in Whitianga, Bryce also shared the next step for Wish4Fish: taking its purpose-built accessible vessel on a Northern Tour through Coromandel/Waikato, Auckland and Northland.

The plan: six ports, 65-plus charter trips and 2,000 beneficiaries over four and a half months, bringing fishing, harbour trips and time on the water to communities where accessible opportunities are limited.

This is about choice, independence, achievement and connection. FishABLE recognises anglers' achievements; Wish4Fish helps make more of those experiences possible.

Our clubs can help by spreading the word, nominating people who could benefit, volunteering, fundraising or sponsoring an individual or group. The tour is also seeking fuel, tackle, fishing and safety equipment support.

Congratulations, Connie and Bryce, and thank you to everyone creating more opportunities to fish.

To support the Northern Tour, contact [email protected].

24/09/2026

Life membership recognises a contribution that lasts far beyond one season.

At the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council's 70th AGM and prize-giving in Whitianga, we had the privilege of celebrating two new Life Members: Tony Hill of Whakatane Sports Fishing Club and Hawkes Bay Sports Fishing Club as well as Ed Beetham of Wairarapa Sports Fishing Club

Tony was also recognised for 40 years of service to the Council - a remarkable milestone in its own right.

Organisations like ours are built by people who keep contributing, year after year. The knowledge they share, the time they give and the example they set become part of the sport's story.

It was a special moment to acknowledge Tony and Ed in front of the clubs, colleagues and friends who make up our fishing community.

Congratulations to you both, and thank you for your contribution to New Zealand sport fishing.

24/09/2026

Seventy years of New Zealand sport fishing.

Delegates from clubs around the country gathered in Whitianga for the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council's 70th AGM - two days of discussion, reflection and connection.

From fisheries management and boating safety to youth, inclusion and club development, the weekend covered a huge amount. But ultimately, the AGM is about people - the volunteers, delegates and clubs who have built this organisation and continue to drive it forward.

A massive thank you to Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club for hosting us, and to all of our affiliated clubs whose delegates travelled from around New Zealand to be part of the weekend.

70 years down. Plenty more to come.

23/09/2026

An extraordinary contribution to New Zealand sport fishing.

At the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council’s 70th AGM in Whitianga, we had the privilege of presenting our new President’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Donna Pascoe.

The award recognises those whose achievements and contribution have helped shape New Zealand sport fishing.

Donna’s fishing achievements speak for themselves.

In 2014, she landed a 411.6kg Pacific bluefin tuna after more than four hours on the rod. The tuna is the World All Tackle Record, Donna is the only women to hold a World All Tackle Record for any gamefish species. In addition it was recognised by the IGFA as the Best World Record of the Year, where she was presented the trophy at the IGFA in Florida.

In 2017, during the Nationals, she weighed a 420.4kg blue marlin at Houhora, making Donna the only person in New Zealand to weigh two fish over 400kg.

The very next day, she was back out there, landing a 76.8kg yellowfin tuna and breaking the New Zealand women’s record.

That year she was NZ Champion Angler Tuna, First in Blue/Black Marlin, First Tagged and Released Striped Marlin and NZ Champion Billfish Angler Striped Marlin.

To finish the year off, she was awarded the NZSFC first Billfish Tagging Slam.

Add five world and numerous New Zealand records, multiple Nationals titles and the Council’s first Billfish Tagging Slam, and you begin to understand the calibre of this angler.

Results like that take thousands of decisions, countless hours of preparation and a team willing to put in the miles on the water. Donna, Ken and the Gladiator crew have done exactly that.

Ask those who have crewed on Gladiator, and the stories also turn to opportunity: first chances aboard a game fishing boat, encouragement to earn skipper’s tickets, and Donna and Ken’s support of clubs and charter operators.

Those contributions stay with people. They help our sport grow.

Donna, congratulations on becoming the inaugural recipient of the NZSFC President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

A remarkable angler, and a very deserving first recipient.

📷 Award photographs: Seth Media. Historical photographs supplied for Donna’s award presentation.