After this year’s Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in May, one deserving person is going to be the recipient of a new Kingfisher 390 Powercat currently being campaigned by fishing blogger Ryan ‘Muddy Feet’ Hampton.

The fishing catamaran and Ryan featured in the December issue, kicking off the campaign to find a deserving permanent owner.

A major driving force behind the project is John Donald of Catch! Fishing Tackle who has teamed up with Ryan to create and campaign this special craft.

John says the dream was to build the ultimate Kiwi trailer boat, the vision becoming a reality thanks to the generosity of brands such as Catch! Fishing Tackle, Kingfisher Boats, Yamaha, GFAB, Narva, Lowrance (Navico) and many more.

“We have commenced the journey, travelling around the country building the boat piece by piece. At each destination, we’ll be taking time to go fishing with local legends. There will be laughs, banter and very Kiwiana experiences as we showcase the best fishing New Zealand has to offer,” John says.

“The journey will conclude in May 2024 at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, and we need your help to find a Kiwi who deserves to WIN the boat.

“The ability to get on the water and catch a feed of fish can be a life-changing experience for many New Zealanders. If you have a friend, neighbour, colleague, or acquaintance that you believe would be a worthy recipient of this vessel, nominate them and tell us why.”

A selection of the nominees will appear in NZ Fishing News and its and the sponsors’ social media leading up to the show.

It is simple to enter – go to https://trailerboatgiveaway. catchfishing.pro/ and on the landing page you can:

• Submit the nominator’s name, mail address and phone number, along with the nominee’s name, contact number and email.

• In 100 words or so explain why your nominee deserves to win and provide any supporting images of the nominee, perhaps with a fish they have caught or with an existing craft that needs an upgrade to the Powercat 390.

• See the conditions of entry. John says over 100 worthy entries have been submitted so far, so go ahead and throw your nominee’s name into contention!

Grant Dixon has spent a little time in the boat with Ryan in the Mangawhai harbour and was impressed with its features. He has reviewed a number of the Kingfisher Powercats in recent years and has found them to his liking.

“Stepping into a catamaran configuration after a monohull takes a little bit of adjustment, especially when underway and cornering. The cats have a very flat ride and unlike a monohull which angles into a turn, the cats stay very flat, almost like they are on rails,” Grant says.

The Yamaha 40hp four-stroke tiller steer with electric trim and tilt is ideal for inshore waters. The rig is designed for fishing, and due to its great stability, is a perfect platform for targeting both salt and freshwater species with lures.

The forward casting platform with its step-up access is ideal for sight fishing for trout and kingfish on the flats with a flyrod in hand. Most of the flat surfaces have had the U-Dek treatment, providing not only comfort underfoot but also good grip, even when wet.

Ryan plans to target a billfish from Donna (the boat is named after his late mother whom he says was his biggest fan) when conditions allow. Livebaiting will be his go-to method, so the boat features a Hitech Plastics livebait system, essential to his game plan. It will also come into play when targeting kingfish.

The Powercat 390 features Narva lighting throughout. Under the bow, there are two light bars facing forward to illuminate the way forward. Ryan enjoys his flounder fishing and believes he will be able to spear his quarry by standing on the casting platform when drifting over the mudflats – prime flatfish territory. There are two underwater bait lights on the transom.

Although it wasn’t fitted when the vessel was reviewed, the Lowrance sounder is now on board and being put to good use.

Under the rig is a custom-built GFab alloy trailer. The whole rig can comfortably be towed by a four-cylinder family car – in Ryan’s case, this is an older model Toyota Rav4.

There is much more to this package, which awaits a deserving new home in May. Start thinking about who you might like to nominate as the winner – and there is no reason why you cannot nominate yourself!

Readers can keep up with the play via this magazine as well as Catch!, NZ Fishing News and Ryan’s ‘Muddy Feet’ social media and website channels.