A lot of families in the Bay of Plenty are having fish for dinner tonight - the same fish.
A local hauled in a massive 82-kilogram bass and quickly set about distributing it around friends and family.
Fisherman Aaron Standen tells Newshub how he reeled the monster in.
A gorgeous day in the bay has been made better by a big bass. Aaron Standen hauled in a huge fish this week weighing a whopping 82.2kg.
"Yeah nah, it was incredibly heavy," he says.
The monstrous sea creature almost dwarfs the real estate agent and keen fisherman.
It took him about 20 minutes to reel it in.
"The first five or 10 minutes of the fight was trying to get the first 10 metres of line back on the reel and the fish away from the reef," he says.
Bass and hapuku, or groper, are deep-sea fish that lay low. You need exactly the right bait and especially strong gear to catch them.
Standen says while he was doing it for recreation, he's respected his colossal catch.
"Not one bit goes to waste. That's the real way to honour a fish like this, is to make sure that it is utilised, enjoyed and savoured."
There's still plenty more to go around on Saturday - he trucked 40kg worth of fillets to family and friends in Tauranga.
"More fish on the menu tonight, maybe with a salad this time," he says.
Best fried with a knob of butter.
