The annual Snapper Cup is a highlight of the Dawnbreakers Fishing Club calendar. As has been the case for most of the summer, the sea conditions didn’t match the forecast on the Saturday. This didn’t stop us heading to one of our favourite spots, albeit one closer in to the Boulder Bank.
After setting up a whole pilchard on the stray line, and a slow jig off the back of the boat, we settled in to fish. We caught some good sized gurnard, a kahawai and a mackerel, but no sign of any snapper. We were discussing moving to another spot, when the stray line started whining. Andy grabbed it first, and just as well, as something big was taking line. The rest of us pulled up our lines, while Andy battled to gain ground. After a few minutes, the fight went out of the fish and it surfaced. To our delight it was the biggest snapper we had ever seen! Jasper manned the net, and we got it safely on board.
Andy’s previous PB snapper had come in at 19lb, just short of the elusive 20lb mark. This snapper weighed a hefty 22lb, and measured 83.5cm. A new personal best for Andy, who went on to take the second place for biggest snapper in the Snapper Cup. What a memorable day out!
