Apersonal best snapper of 77cm saw Brendan Graves take out the individual longest snapper honours at the recent 11th annual Bayleys Fishing Classic, run as a fundraiser for recreational fishing representatives LegaSea in mid-November.

Brendan’s fish, 30cm better than his previous PB, saw him take out the Bayleys Fishing Classic trophy as well as a $5,000 cash prize ($1,000 of which he donated back to LegaSea). His efforts helped his Marauder crewmates secure the top team spot with a 118cm bestthree-fish total.

There was just 1.5cm between the top three teams. Wilma (177.5cm) and 2XS (176.5cm) were close behind and, along with Marauder, took home Barkers x LegaSea packs.

Building on the successful new snapper format introduced in 2022, many anglers returned from last year’s event to register for the 2023 tournament, making the briefing painless. Skipper packs were picked up from midday Thursday with around 40 teams back at Bayleys’ HQ by 5pm Friday. With great prizes and important bragging rights on the line, tensions were high.

All anglers went home happy with the Kai Ika team filleting their catch, ensuring full utilisation with fish heads, frames and offal redistributed to families and community groups throughout Auckland. To round out the evening, Bayleys Executive Director Lloyd Budd presented the LegaSea team with a cheque for $22,000!

A keen angler, Lloyd is connected to the Hauraki Gulf and wants to deliver meaningful outcomes throughout New Zealand.

“Bayleys is very much part of local communities throughout New Zealand. Our family values are more than just giving back to a community – it’s about contributing to long-term social change, and we proudly take that responsibility. LegaSea share similar values, with projects like Kai Ika, and they’re really worthy of support,” says Lloyd.

On receiving the generous donation, LegaSea Lead Sam Woolford said the non-profit organisation was reliant on the commitment and financial support offered by its partners. “Partners like Bayleys are our lifeblood. We couldn’t raise awareness of the issues facing the Hauraki Gulf and further afield without their incredible generosity.”