King's Birthday weekend in 2026 has gained a fresh attraction for fishing enthusiasts across the country.
Launching on 30–31 May 2026, NZ Bait Masters arrives at a significant moment. Its parent event, NZ Lure Masters, is marking its tenth anniversary this year, and the milestone provided a natural occasion to extend the concept into new territory. The roots of NZ Lure Masters reach back to 2016, when a small gathering of anglers at a Stanmore Bay club night set something in motion that would become a decade-long demonstration of a different kind of competitive fishing. No kill, no weigh-in queues, just a measure mat, an app, and fish returned to the water. The approach caught on. Nearly a thousand competitors now enter annually, and a tenth anniversary felt like the right moment to push the format into a new discipline.
That discipline is bait and livebait fishing. NZ Bait Masters carries across the same no-kill, app-based philosophy, governed by one clear rule: bait and livebait only, with lures and soft plastics excluded. What reads as a restriction on paper actually opens things up considerably. A wider range of species become relevant, a far greater stretch of New Zealand coastline comes into contention, and the format welcomes competitors whether they are fishing from a boat, the shore, or a ski. Anglers from the Far North to the South Island all enter on equal footing, a breadth of participation that is genuinely uncommon in competitive fishing.
The prize pool exceeds $30,000, made up of over $15,000 worth of Daiwa product, more than $10,000 in Garmin gear, and a BBQ package valued at upwards of $5,000. Species categories cover snapper, kahawai, kingfish, gurnard, and trevally, with top honours available in both the snapper and kahawai divisions.
Submissions are handled entirely through the Snap Catch app. The process is simple: catch a fish, place it on a measure mat, photograph it, upload the result, and release it. There is no weigh station to visit and no travel required. The first 200 registrations will receive a free Snap Catch measure mat; those who sign up after that point will need to purchase one before they can submit catches. Entering early is the straightforward practical advantage.
More at
NZ Lure Masters
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