Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show- Plenty of fishing stars and bargains

by Mike Rose on 7 Mar 2013
The 2013 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, at ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, Auckland on May 16-19 will be a fun day out for the whole family.

In addition to all of the latest new boats, engines, electronics and accessories, the show will also feature lots of free helpful advice, some stunning bargains and hours’ worth of entertainment for kids of all ages.

Those interested in fishing will again be in for a major treat with the stars of the popular TV show, PlaceMakers Big Angry Fish on hand to offer advice, answer questions and talk about their experiences. Milan Radonich and Nathan O’Hearn will give regular presentations on the stage in the Club Marine Discover Boating Centre throughout the four-day show.

Topics will include Big Bait Big Fish, Shallow Water Fishing and how they came to create their high energy TV show. When not on stage, the pair will be based on their stand in the Hauraki Fishing Hall, answering visitors’ questions, giving rigging tips and offering practical advice to those keen on improving their fishing.

Milan and Nathan will also be offering those who visit their stand the chance to spend a day out fishing with them, a very special, money-can’t buy prize for one lucky show visitor and a partner or mate.

Top Catch’s always-popular Ask the Experts free seminars will again be held hourly in the Hauraki Fishing Hall. These feature some of New Zealand’s top fishing gurus and cover everything from the latest products and techniques to jigging, soft baiting and using bait and berley.

Top Catch will also again be offering some truly incredible show-only savings. This year there are three specials, all at a whopping $250 less than their normal retail prices! Penn’s just released Fathom 12 star drag reel, matched with a special custom Penn rod, will be on sale, only at the show, for just $299.99. Normally $550, this combination is ideal for both light action jigging, conventional bottom fishing and casting and is expected to sell out at the show.

The versatile Shimano Tyrnos 8 and 10 single speed overhead lever drag sets were a real sensation at the last year’s show. Perfect for stray lining, bottom fishing a flasher rig, slow jigging with Lucanus, Bottomship or Jitterbug style lures, live baiting or trolling for tuna, these rigs can do it all. This year, Top Catch has special show-only deals for the Tyrnos 8 single speed and the Tyrnos 10 two-speed reels, both matched with either a light or heavier action Shimano Tyrnos Sportsfisher rod: the Tyrnos 8 set will be available for $299.99 while the Tyrnos 10 (a two speed reel able to drop into a lower gear when fighting a big fish) will be at the show for just $349.99.

Joining the PlaceMakers Big Angry Fish guys in the Club Marine Discover Boating Centre will be MC Bruce Duncan, the Hauraki Gulf fishing guru. Bruce will show how to keep catching fish throughout the winter (often without going very far) and how to properly fillet the catch once its on board.

This year he will be joined on the stage by seafood cooking expert Derek the Chef. Each day, Derek will demonstrate how to prepare and cook a number of delicious seafood dishes, sharing his special techniques, offering helpful tips and even inviting audience members to come up and enjoy a hands-on experience.

There will be plenty on offer for the younger members of the family, too with a fun Berth Your Boat competition (using remote control powerboats), the always-popular Kids Fishing Contest and the colouring in competition.

There will also be stand-up paddleboard, kayaking and diving demonstrations and celebrity survivor Ron Hewitt will show how to choose the right lifejackets for the whole family.

The Youthtown AquaFun Zone will again also be packed with fun activities for the whole family including the Great Drain Game, windsurfing and sailing simulators, spinnaker packing and the chance to learn kayaking and swimming techniques in the heated pools.

Those interested in sailing will again be well catered for in the expanded Sailing Central area. A huge success last year, Sailing Central in 2013 will feature even more classes of sailing dinghies and a number of new interactive displays. These will include a Laser hiking machine and a catamaran on which kids can have a go at trapezing and try their hands at hoisting and dropping a spinnaker.

A large number of the Auckland region’s yacht clubs will also be represented this year and keen to talk about their various learn to sail programmes.

Visitors to the 2013 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show will also be able to win more than $150,000 in prizes.

These include the $100,000 Stabicraft/Yamaha Prize Boat, a just released 6.4-metre Stabicraft 2100 Supercab hardtop, powered by Yamaha’s latest F200 4-cylinder 4-stroke outboard and fitted with a host of extras; eight $2000 Viking Kayak packages (two per day) and a very special trip for two to the world’s only dive rig in Sipidan, Malaysia.

The 2013 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, at the ASB Showgrounds, in Greenlane Auckland on May 16-19, will be open from 10am until 6pm daily, with a single late night, on Friday May 17, when the show will be open until 9pm. Admission is just $20 for adults and there is no charge for children 16 and under.