About 500 fishers set their lures a trailing in the Bay of Plenty waters early Wednesday morning as the four-day Tauranga Game Fishing Club's One-Base competition began.
A rule change allows teams from the 150 boats entered to begin fishing at 7.30am, which meant there was no massed start as there has been in previous years.

A Marlin.

Club manager Grant Holley says about half the boats put to sea on Tuesday night, following the briefing.
'A lot of the trailer boats headed for Waihau Bay,” says Grant.
'Those trailer boats can be trailing lures within five to 10 minutes of launching. It is a little bit different here.
'You have to get a fair way out before you get to the deeper water. It's great for trailer boats.”
Fishing can now be continuous until the competition closes at 3pm on Saturday.
The chances of marlin strikes are good, says Grant. Sea temperatures in the Bay of Plenty still in the low to mid 22 degrees, warm enough for marlin.
As well as marlin, fishers are targeting tuna, kingfish sharks and snapper. There's a 5kg minimum on the snapper so they don't have to weigh too many, says Grant.
Fish have to be presented for weighing at the game fishing club by 6.30pm on the day after they are caught, except for Saturday when the deadline is 3pm.