LADIES FISHING COMPETITION 27 February, 2024 | Proudly locally owned and operated Issue 1094 Circulation 9000
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World’s largest billfish tournament right here
The start of the 2023 Kubota Billfish Classic tournament.
I
n 2023 it was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, but now it is the largest in the world. This is the Kubota Classic Billfish Tournament. There are 420 boats with a waiting list. Each boat has four or five people on it. “That’s 2,000 people before they get off the water,” says Manager of Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club, John East. The prize money for this amazing tournament comes to around $1.8million in prizes. The heaviest billfish prize is $350,000 in cash. The lucky gate prize is a 5
tonne digger from Kubota valued at $115,000. The Champion team prize is as yet undetermined as that is self-determined from the jackpots but all rational calculations seem to make it as high as $600,000$700,000. Then there are four overseas trips and a variety of other product and machinery prizes that would dazzle any angler. The one man behind the success of this tournament is Tom Maxwell. “He has enabled its success to the level that it is,” says Manager,
John East. “He is the Director of the Billfish Tournament and it is clearly his vision and drive that has led the team to making it such a success. The Mercury Bay Game Fishing club is Tom’s home and we fully support this and provide the infrastructure for the tournament and of course, our upmost support for Tom’s work. “March 14-16, 2024 is in every members calendar and there are 3,000 members in our Game Fishing Club here and most of them are active fishing members. “When the event is on, Tom will
spend each day at the event, giving updates and bulletins. Every boat is listening and it adds to the excitement.” When asked about his strategy, Tom says, “It is a million small things. My involvement began with getting Kubota as the naming sponsor and that is when I started to work with the Game Fishing Club to help organise the tournament. Sponsors want to be part of something that is a success and this has been a great success.” There’s a lot of aspects to be thankful for. There’s the teams – each boat is a team. There is no
tournament without them and their goodwill. Then there’s the sponsors – their generosity makes the tournament exciting and very attractive to enter. The prize money and prizes to be won speak for themselves. The huge team of awesome volunteers – setting up, packing down, weighing, serving, cooking and cleaning. We could never calculate the immense value they bring to this tournament. Many of them are members of the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club. Continued on page 3
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The Coromandel Informer – 27 February 2024 | 1