New Zealand’s largest gathering of Sea-Doo fishing skis has taken place on a stunning day in east Auckland.
It was organised by adventure fishing enthusiast Andrew Hill who says more than 120 people got together to head out to sea from Eastern Beach.
They were on board more than 90 Sea-Doo PWCs (personal watercraft fishing) for what he says is the largest assembly of Sea-Doo fishing skis in this country.
Prior to the event, Hill told the Times east Auckland is home to the world’s biggest jetski fishing community.
And his goal with the event was to have the world’s biggest gathering of Sea-Doo fishing skies in one place.
“It’s a family-friendly activity which includes kids and partners.
“The meet-up allows likeminded people to meet other owners where they share an interest for this growing sport.
“We have 135 people attending. It will be a good sight seeing that many fishing skis in one place.
“This is an exclusive event for Sea-Doo owners and in the spirit of our fishing community every ski will be fully rigged for fishing.”
Hill says the plan was to meet at the beach to take photos and video before heading out for a short family-friendly group social ride on the water.
Later that morning they were to head back in and make their way to an east Auckland park for a group brunch.
“Food truck on-site while meeting with other Sea-Doo owners and admire everyone’s fishing setups and gear in one place,” Hill says.
“With this many Sea-Doos, people will see some amazing setups. Plenty of the anglers now target marlin off their jetskis.
“This is much like a tailgate party, where everyone can meet and enjoy good food in a friendly atmosphere with like-minded people.
“New Zealand is the global leader for this sport, and we’re showing the rest of the world what it’s all about.”
Hill says PWC fishing offers advantages such as cost efficiency, manoeuvrability and access to shallow or hard-to-reach fishing spots.
Modern PWCs come equipped with features that are tailored for fishing such as rod holders, GPS fish finders, and coolers for bait and catch storage.
