Charlie, I am only guessing but it's possible the top prize in that competition could have been the closest to the average weight. If this is the case it would encourage competitors to return large fish as they would not be in the hunt.

With surfcasting I am not confident the idea would be popular but it's another idea that is constructive.

The surfcasting scene I grew up with was based on the heaviest bag, not the heaviest fish in certain categories. I also accept that would not work here, the snapper mindset is too ingrained. However, I do believe the heaviest overall fish deserves far more recognition.

Most would say it will mean the prize will be taken by a shark or ray. I don't have an issue with that, especially as playing a large fish for a considerable time to beach it, is of far more merit that landing a small fish in the large prize section ... gurnard or Kahawhai. These specie usually carry a substantial reward, far better than the non-scale.