Whakatāne Sport Fishing Club has wrapped up its latest competition, the Hubbard Contracting Ltd Winter Tuna Tournament, which launched on July 4.

The tournament featured an extended 22-day format focused on the elusive southern bluefin tuna, giving anglers greater flexibility around weather, work commitments and crew availability, while also increasing their chances of landing a tournament-winning fish.

Logan Gedson, fishing off Electric Banana, was the overall winner with his 135.2 kilogram tuna, taking home $10.000 for his efforts.

The overall average prize went to Jye Mexted, fishing off Vixen.

The team on Aquarius, captained by Josh Yorke, took out the top team prize for 2026, weighing in seven southern bluefin tuna.

The largest caught on the boat, a 66.4kg fish, was reeled in by Chris Firkin.

For Yorke, the month-long format has been ideal, allowing anglers to make the most of favourable weather.

“We’ve been fortunate with the weather, especially over the past week. It’s been absolutely magic out there, so we’ve been making the most of it,” he said.

“The tuna fishery is looking really good at the moment, but it still deserves respect. You have to take care when handling tuna, especially those being released, by keeping water flowing over their gills.

“They’re not a particularly hardy fish, so handling them correctly on the boat is important. For the fish we do keep, we carry around half a tonne of ice on board to ensure they remain in top condition.”

Over the course of the tournament, the number of tuna released almost matched the number weighed in. Whakatāne Sportfishing Club recorded 82 southern bluefin tuna weighed and 75 released, highlighting both the healthy fishery and the club’s emphasis on sustainable fishing practices.

The tournament attracted 150 anglers across 30 boats.

Firkin, was surprised by the abundance of tuna found close to Whakaari/White Island, eliminating the need for many crews to travel to Waihau Bay.

“The overall catch rate has been as good as last year, but we haven’t seen tuna in these numbers off White Island for a long time. We released more fish than we kept, which shows just how good the fishing is at the moment,” said Firkin.

Whakatāne Sport Fishing Club secretary Rochelle Fleming said the longer format was introduced primarily with safety in mind.

“The new extended tournament format came about because of safety concerns.

“The boat trip from Whakatāne to Waihau Bay can be hazardous during winter.

“Initially, the rules were changed to allow anglers to tow their boats to Waihau Bay and launch from there, as it was the closest point where southern bluefin tuna were consistently being caught,” said Fleming.

The club had originally considered moving its popular One Base Tournament to a winter format but ultimately decided it wasn’t practical.

“Instead, we decided to introduce a winter competition spread over a longer period, allowing skippers to choose the best weather window and fish in safer conditions. We always subscribe to the philosophy that ‘every catch deserves a safe return’,” said Fleming.

Following overwhelmingly positive feedback from competitors, Whakatāne Sport Fishing Club is expected to retain the extended tournament format, giving anglers with boats of all sizes greater flexibility to fish safely while enjoying one of New Zealand’s premier southern bluefin tuna fisheries.

With yellowfin tuna making an appearance back in eastern bay waters last year after years of absence, there is hope for the summer One Base tournament 2027.