The Godfather team took the top cash prize of $462,350 for the highest number of points at the fifth Kubota Billfish Classic, the largest fishing competition in the world. Mid Life Crisis won $350,000 for the heaviest billfish weighing in at 256.5kg.

Hosted by the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club, 420 boats took to the waters of Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula across the three-day event. Teams competed for more than $1 million in prizes in total – the largest sum in the competition’s history.

Participating teams travelled across the world from locations including South Africa, Guatemala, the United States, the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Australia.

With registrations opened for an additional 150 spots this year, plus a waitlist for those who missed out, event organiser Tom Maxwell said the competition was a huge success in boosting tourism in the local community.

“This year marked our fifth year running the competition which was bigger and better than we could have imagined. The community really supports the event, and it was incredible to see everyone watching from the shoreline for the shotgun start.

“It’s incredible to see the competition receiving international recognition and it’s been great to put Whitianga on the map as a world-class fishing destination.”

In another event first, a Kubota Billfish Classic Pink Ribbon Ladies Lunch was hosted on Friday 15 March, raising funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

The Kubota Billfish Classic promotes ethical fishing practices, with strict rules that must be followed by participants.

“We are predominantly a tagand-release competition. The data captured by participants is shared to scientists in the region to assist with their studies around migration habits. The competition has a release rate in the high 90 percent which provides some great insights into the movements of billfish.”

The competition rules were carefully crafted under the International Game Fish Association guidelines to ensure fish are released. More points are awarded for tagged fish, encouraging teams to follow the catch-and-release system.

The winners for each category were announced at an awards ceremony on Saturday evening on the waterfront.

“We were overwhelmed by the support and numbers that we had to turn our awards ceremony into a festival along the water, with local community groups setting up food stalls to support fundraising efforts.

“The Kubota Billfish Classic event is more than just a fishing competition. We are always looking at new ways to support the local community and raise important funds for New Zealand charities.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support of our sponsors who have been incredibly generous in donating a range of prizes including a

Kubota U48G Excavator valued at $113,000 and multiple allexpenses paid fishing trips.”