Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza back on renowned Far North beach

One of the biggest snapper surf casting competitions in the world is underway of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē/ Ninety Mile Beach this week with 1000 fishers angling for the top prizes, including $30,000 for the heaviest fish.

The Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza is famous across New Zealand and the wider Pacific, bringing 1000 keen fishers every year to the Far North, bringing in several million dollars of economic benefit to the area. They all hit the famous Northland beach looking to catch the big one and reel in some serious prize money.

The single species fishing competition runs for five days until Saturday and the cash pool is more than $72,000. The biggest cash offering goes to the largest snapper of the week, a whopping $30,000. Around 3000 people are expected to attend the prizegiving. And on Saturday fish caught at the bonanza will be auctioned off at Kaitāia Markets from 8.30am to raise funds for the Kaitāia Volunteer Fire Brigade.

And if the first day’s fishing is anything to go by, this year is set to be a bumper event, organiser John Stewart said.

‘’It’s gone really great,’’ Stewart said at Tuesday’s evening weigh in.

‘’We’ve had some big fish weighed in , with the biggest 8.225kg and the top five all over 7kg. The fish are bigger and better than any other first day. While the numbers are not up, the weights are much heavier. And that’s what we want, big fish.’’

And it seems local knowledge on where to catch them was the special ingredient on the first day, with the three heaviest fish caught by people from Kaitāia, including the 8.225kg whopper caught by Zane Kaaka.

Stewart said the generosity of the fishers was always amazing, and on Tuesday dozens of fish were donated to be auctioned off on Saturday to raise money for the Kaitāia Volunteer Fire Brigade.

‘’There’s always a good bunch of fishers coming here. For many it’s there annual holiday and they come up here for the week with their whanau and they love it. Many come back year after year from all around the country.’’

One of those is Ohope man Marty Madsen, who has been fishing at the competition for 22 years. He caught a decent 4.038kg snapper, but as it was nowhere near big enough for a prize, he donated it to Saturday’s auction.

‘’I love it here, and it’s such an amazing competition. The organisers have done an incredible job. We need more positive events like this in New Zealand.’’

Madsen said the biggest snapper he’s caught yet was a 7.3kg fish a few years ago. But that was only enough for third place on the day and he’s hoping for – and needs – a much bigger fish to take out this year’s top prize.

Kaitāia businessmen John Stewart and Dave Collard run this unique Far North event that has become a must-do competition on the fishing calendar.

“We are proud to deliver an iconic event that over the years has put Northland surf casting on the map,” Collard said.

“The Snapper Bonanza has developed into a strong brand and we hope that it’s an event that is here to stay. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors.

“We have a deep passion for surf casting and people who pick up a rod to be safe. That’s why we’ve asked ACC to come along to spread the word about water safety.”

Darin Maxwell holds the record for the heaviest snapper recorded in the competition’s history. In 2012, the Te Puke fisherman reeled in a whopper of a snapper that weighed in at 12.03kg.

The Snapper Bonanza has a storied history.

In 1982 the Brijevich family started the competition then called the Snapper Classic. they were the owners of The Park – a campground just down the road from the current prize giving site.

The competition evolved over the next 27 years into a community project that benefited the many local businesses supplying services, supplies and equipment.

In 2011, the Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza was born, with Stewart and Collard taking the reins.

For the first time in 2024, ACC will be attending the Snapper Bonanza to help improve safety on our beaches and reduce our drowning toll.

Water Safety New Zealand data shows there were 90 preventable drownings across New Zealand in 2023, including four in Northland.

In 2022, ACC accepted 1205 water related injuries in the Northland region, which came at a cost of $3.5 million to help people recover.

In 2022, ACC accepted more than 700 fishing injuries – fishing from a boat (447) and fishing from the rocks (272) – and these injuries came at a cost of $2.3 million to help people recover.

ACC injury prevention lead James Whitaker encouraged all participants to take a moment before they get stuck in.

“The Snapper Bonanza is an awesome event, and we can’t wait to be part of this year’s activity on Ninety-mile beach,” Whitaker said.

“It’s important to assess the conditions before you get into casting. Take a look at the swell, the break and any rips. Get familiar with the environment around you so you can prevent injury. We want all New Zealanders to avoid getting hurt so they can keep on doing what they love.”

The ACC team will be giving away ‘Have a Hmmm’ hint tog bags that feature a QR code that links through to tips on preventing injury.

The ACC team will also be interviewing people alongside Surf life Saving NZ staff to identify appropriate and relevant coastal locations for personal rescue equipment.