NZ Fishing World

33lb of Northland beauty

Stirling Sports Whangarei fishing manager Shiloh Rumble nailed a 33lb snapper off the rocks earlier this month but had to jump in the water to land it. 

The keen angler had just set his first bait of the morning - a whole pilchard on an unweighted strayline - when his Shimano 6500 baitrunner let rip.

A 15-minute battle ensued in which the mammoth snapper managed to twist the line round a nearby reef and was eventually brought to the edge of the rocks backwards.

However the drama didn't end there for 25-year-old Shiloh as the leader snapped just as he was about to lift the fish. Shiloh wasn't going to let this trophy monster get away though and immediately jumped in to grab the fish before it made its escape.

Shiloh was understandably coy when asked the exact location of his catch but he did reveal to NZ Fishing World that it was around Mimiwhangata/Helena Bay. The fish was landed at around 6.30am.

Shiloh had the fish mounted and it now takes pride of place in the Stirling Sports Whangarei store, 5 Rathbone Street, Whangarei. 

Amazingly, that 33lb beast wasn't the only double-figured fish landed that day. Shiloh's mate also bagged a 10lb and 14lb snapper in the same morning. 

So what's the secret to the Northland boys' success?

''It's no secret really,'' says Shiloh. ''It's just about using lots and lots of berley. We actually find that some of our best snapper fishing in that area is in winter when we have tons of berley going.''

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT SHILOH'S CATCH? IF SO, EMAIL john.durrant@tangiblemedia.co.nz AND WE'LL BE IN TOUCH

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