Dawnbreakers will be hosting a one-day Kayak Fishing Competition on November 25, with the support of Nelson Harbourmaster, Maritime New Zealand, OK Fish, Railblaza, Kayak HQ, Hunting and Fishing Nelson/ Richmond and others!
There has been rapid growth in the uptake of kayak fishing as a sport in Nelson and New Zealand due to an increasing awareness of environmental concerns and growing pressure upon household incomes. It’s relatively cheap to get started and there is a great network of kayak fishers in our region offering support and guidance to newcomers.
The region offers excellent opportunities to target many species year-round, but the summer months bring in those trophy fish without needing to get miles into the bay to target them. Each season, multiple kayak fisherfolk are joining that elusive 20lb snapper club with good size kingfish, trevally, john dory and kahawai also becoming a regular occurrence. Of course, on a slow day, there are always a few gurnard or blue cod to be found for the dinner plate.
Safety is of utmost importance when on the water and unfortunately, the rapid rise in the number of kayakers out there has also come with a downside – a greater number of kayak related incidents reported by coastguard and boaties. Many of these incidents involve newcomers to the sport, who simply don’t know where to find the right support or advice. The Dawnbreakers’ Fishing Club, and the Top of the South Kayak Fishing Facebook group are very active and full of passionate members willing to support those looking to participate.
The Dawnbreakers’ Fishing Club hosts a season long competition, open to all members across multiple divisions but it’s the kayak section, which continues to impress. Dawnbreakers’ kayak section members boast an expanding list of achievements in the club’s competition, with kayakers regularly featuring atop the monthly leaderboard, taking out top three placings at the end of the year and featuring in many species category prizes as well. We had two kayakers feature in major prize categories at the 2023 Snapper Cup competition.
This success attests to the awesome fishing available to kayak fishers in Tasman Bay. Whether you’re competitive or not, there is ample opportunity to get out on a kayak, enjoy the environment, keep fit, clear the mind, and bring home some kai for the table – what’s not to love!
This year, the kayak section has already doubled in size! The growth of our sport, and the success of some kayak fishing ambassadors in the region has caught the eye of a few sponsors, who have partnered with the club to support the kayak fishing community. In addition to monthly prizes donated by Kaveman Tackle.
There’s never been a better time to get involved. Visit dawnbreakers.co.nz and the Facebook pages mentioned above for more information. See you out there!
