Thanks to his fishing prowess, Whakatāne real estate agent Aaron Standen is standing first in line for a $50,000 prize.

Competing in the Whakatāne Sport Fishing club’s Winter Tuna Tournament this week, Standen managed to land a 97.4kg yellowfin tuna on opening day.

With the final weigh-in at 11am today, Standen is hopeful of remaining in first place for this first phase of the tournament.

“It’s a contender but not unbeatable,” he said when The Beacon spoke to him yesterday. “I’m certainly not thinking I’ve won anything at this stage”.

Fishing off Cape Runaway on the boat The Optimist, Standen hooked the beast at a depth of 500 metres, which resulted in an hour and a half fight. Despite the catch, Standen was straight back out on the water, looking to continue his hunt for his next big fish.

“There has been some incredible fish caught this year by others, so another one bigger could easily be caught,” he said.

Hot on his heals is Glenn Burkett from Auckland with his 79.8kg blue fin, caught off the boat Cobalt.

This year’s tournament, sponsored by Hubbard Contracting, is split into two fishing windows – July 9 and 10 and then July 18 to 20, making a potential five days of fishing depending on conditions.

Club president Heyden Johnston is happy with the current conditions.

With approximately 150 teams competing, he said safety was paramount.

“So far, it’s a stunning weather window but conditions are highly changeable. We are extremely mindful of the safety of our anglers”.

A total prize pool of $150,000 is up for grabs, including $50,000 for the heaviest tuna.