NZ Fisher - Issue 65 by Espire Media

ISSUE 65

December 2016

Get your game face

ON!

Trailer and towing rules explained

“Since I’ve changed to a Honda outboard I’ve experienced considerable fuel savings across the rev range. I can’t believe how quiet the engine is and the performance is outstanding. I have to say I love my Honda.” Graeme Sinclair Tradezone’s Gone Fishin’

“The choice of Honda engines was simple. Our experience with Honda reliability and support has been outstanding. The power is incredible, because the engines are hardly working, the economy is amazingly good.” Captain Phil Barchet Blue Water Adventures

“With a heavier hull on the new boat and a large array of pumps and electronics the big powerful 3.6 litre V6 with a 90amp alternator was the logical choice” Tony Orton Offshore Adventures

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL HONDA DEALER TODAY

www.hondamarine.co.nz/find-a-dealer

CONTENTS 4... Editorial

ABOUT / Short and sharp, NZFisher is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forwardthinking fisher people.

EDITOR / Derrick Paull GROUP EDITOR / Colin Kennedy

6... Get your Game Face on

ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson CONTENT ENQUIRIES /

10... Got it Hitched Right?

Phone Derrick on 021 629 327 or email derrickp@NZFisher.co.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /

18... Legasea Update 20... Young Fisho’s Keen to be the Best

Phone Derrick on 021 629 327 or email derrickp@NZFisher.co.nz ADDRESS / NZFisher, PO Box 47794, Ponsonby 11144 WEBSITE / www.NZFisher.co.nz

24... Honda Marine NZ Creating Outstanding Sealegs Variants 26... The Best Fish Dish 28... Reader Pics

This is a GREEN MAG, created and distributed without the use of paper so it's environmentally friendly. Please think before you print. Thank you!

Cover Image: Dan De Jong with a new ‘Club member’ - Softbait fishing at its best

www.nzfisher.co.nz 3

EDITORIAL AS 2016 CLOSES OUT, there’s so much to reflect on. Being an ardent recreational fishing supporter, I guess I’m generally pleased with the state of our fisheries and the direction we’re heading in, but (and yes, there’s always a but…) there’s still so much to do. The recent release of the ‘Sea Change - Tai Timu Tai pari’ report (and recommendations) demonstrates a desire beyond just the fishing industries to change the way we interact with the ocean environment. Regional councils

healthy and prosperous communities. If the plan is adopted by councils, from a recreational fishing perspective there are definitely going to be changes to where we can fish and how we do it in some areas. The plan looks at how extractive fishing interacts with the environment and in some cases, specifically with the benthic (sea floor) environment. In layman’s terms, there’s going to be no-go areas, some of which are going

around the Hauraki Gulf, Tangata Whenua,

to mess with people, a lot. The Kawau

Rec fishers, Maori Commercial and the

Bay and Tiritiri Matangi proposals are

commercial sector, were all involved in

likely to garner a significant amount of

the plan whose drawing up spanned four

opposition due to the popularity of these

long years. From the Sea Change website:

inshore hot-spots, but the actual extent

The Gulf is now under significant pressure,

of protected areas is still fairly minor.

and its communities have seen a marked

What’s also very interesting is the

decline in its mauri, environmental quality

removal of bottom trawling and Danish

and abundance of resources.

seining by 2020 - something that will

Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari is your

certainly bring joy to many who treasure

Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan, a

the Gulf environments. This move alone

collaborative effort between mana

will improve the seafloor condition and

whenua, local and central government

subsequently provide better outcomes

agencies, and local communities and

for benthic species and provide better

interest groups.

locations for juvenile fish to live, grow

It includes some important principles, proposals and innovative measures to manage and protect the Gulf and help deliver on our shared vision. A vision of

and rebuild the Gulf. I have high hopes, let’s get behind the councils and make sure the best outcomes are found for the Gulf and our future fisheries.

the return of Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana

As we welcome summer, there’s growing

as a place that is vibrant with life, has a

interest in the game season, for obvious

strong mauri, is productive and supports

reasons, and the increased temperatures

4 www.nzfisher.co.nz

this month have excitement very high.

out the new website. Early Bird tickets are

There are signs of very warm water

available until 31 December for a much

dropping from the central Pacific and

reduced cost, so don’t be shy & get your

with it likely many marlin and tuna.

tickets before Christmas!

There’s plenty to get excited about, and

Lastly, and my heart sinks to write about it,

Neil Wagener has put some fascinating thoughts to paper on the best ways to increase your chances chasing game fish. This month we also welcome Tim Fairhurst of 2KeenFisho’s Facebook page as he and his mate Devon Clarke look to build a profile as keen young fishos.

we have just witnessed a terrible tragedy with the sinking of the Francie taking eight keen fishers from our community in one horrid, avoidable accident. Firstly, please, please don’t let yourself become another victim of the ocean. Always wear a lifejacket and don’t push the boundaries,

On the 17th and 18th February next year

your life is not worth a few fish.

NZFisher will be joining about 2000 other

NZFisher fully supports the givealittle

keen as fisho’s in vying to be a champion

pages set up and the efforts by Legasea,

of the Beach & Boat competition. This

NZ Fishing Community and others to

year we’re stoked to be doing so while

help support the families of all eight

supporting the new owners Nicky

victims. You can contribute here.

and Candice. NZFisher were proud to have Nicky on our cover in September presenting a nice Bluenose. The Beach & Boat has a long history as a well run, very fun and rewarding tournament, held at the super practical Marsden Cove Marina.

NZFisher wishes to honour the victims, each and every one. We grieve your loss and mourn for your families. • Auerua Ngametuaangai Aria • Alipate ‘Pate’ Afeaki Manumua • Fred ‘Freddy’ Marsters

We had a few gripes about the running of

• Tevita ‘David’ Natisolo Tangi

the event last year, so we’re very pleased

• Fonua ‘Nua’ Amanu Taufa

that Nicky and Candice have come on

• Sunia Ungounga

board, tightened things up and are ready

• Taulagi ‘Lagi’ Afamasaga

to make this the best B&B yet. The prizes

• Bill McNatty

on offer are brilliant (one of our gripes was the weird and mixed up prizes last year), their venue locked in and the fishing well, that’s for you to make the most of. To get some intel on the Beach & Boat, check

Rest in peace. May your rods always be bent and lines remain tight.

Derrick www.nzfisher.co.nz 5

SPORTFISHING

Get your

Game Face on Find the fish, then hook them. Simple BY Neil Wagener

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AS SUMMER CRAWLS OUT from

For me, the first port of call is the SST

under spring each year, hundreds or

charts. I’ve subscribed to a few in the

thousands of kiwi fisho’s dream of

past, but the basic (read: free) ones

trolling lures across crystal clear, azure

from fishtrack.com are fine. There’s no

blue seas with the expectation that

doubt, the more accurate you can get

sometime that summer a marlin (or

the better, but free is free!

yellowfin) will take a liking to their plastic offerings and sacrifice itself for their enjoyment. In some cases fisher’s hook up and land fish within minutes of dropping lures in the water, in others they might troll for a week

What you’re looking for is not just warm (19deg +) water you’re looking for but breaks between that warm water and even better, breaks near some structure.

without so much as a knock down

A great example of this is the ‘hook’

(when a lure’s hit and pops out of the

offshore from Whitianga in Mercury

rigger clip, but doesn’t hook up).

Bay. The Hook (because the contour lines on the chart look like a hook) is a

So what can you do to maximise your chances?

seafloor ridge which forces the current up and creates a water temp break and offers some structure for bait fish to

First up, learn where the fish are. It

congregate about. The hook is widely

may seem simple (fish are everywhere,

known, and every day there’s action

man!), but the better your intel, the

there, even if not always gamefish, due

higher your chance of success.

to the upwelling of the current.

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SPORTFISHING

We’ve hooked striped marlin in 17deg water that has been green and average looking, but there’s always been warm, tropical water nearby. Marlin will go where the food (bait) is, but do not like to get too cold in doing so. They typically congregate along thermoclines (places where water temperature changes and meets), places which are also attractive to bait fish.

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If you find a good temperature break, say from 19 to 21 degrees, try trolling along its length while zigzagging into both the cooler water and back into the warmth. Marlin aren’t the only fish that’ll seek these thermoclines - Mahimahi are also likely to hang out here as there’s often more flotsam for them to congregate under too.

Beyond just water temp, there is also chlorophyll indexing which can help decipher water clarity. Clear, tropical blue water is free of algae which gives water more of a green tinge. Generally gamefish prefer the clearest, algae free water but will venture into algae filled water for a feed, so knowing where the ‘blue’ water is can give a game fisher an advantage. If you solely focus on water, you might be fishing dead zones. By working the thermoclines and chlorophyll breaks, you’re already significantly increasing your chances and narrows the areas you need to run lures, or pull livies. It’s always worthwhile heading to the local game fish clubs too. Most clubs are welcoming to keen visitors, you can’t be brash, but asking the right questions, not being a dick and offering any knowledge you may have on what’s going on in the area too.

CMY

Obviously, the web resources today are almost boundless. Sites like Facebook offer so much information you can spend a week just finding the best patterns to run. I’d suggest a few pages that might help with finding the hot spots, like the NZ Big Game Fishing where motivated, community minded fisho’s share their successes, the issues, tips and hot spots. To a lesser extent the NZ Fishing Community page also has many gamefishers who contribute, but as the page has grown by about 10k users since last season, I imagine it’ll be a much better resource this year. Whatever your boat, the area you fish or the species you target, there’s always something more to learn, and you’ll learn the most out there doing it! 

TRAILERMAINTENANCE

Got it

Hitched Right?

The truth behind Trailer rules and regulations BY Neil Wagener

WHAT’S THERE TO KNOW about

The New Zealand Transport Agency has

towing your boat to the fishing ramp?

some good information to help. Find

Just hook the trailer onto your tow bar,

out more here, but we’ll look into a few

drive to the ramp and drop the boat in

more avenues too.

the water right? There’s a lot more to it

There’s no doubt that these rules are

than that to make sure you stay safe.

hard to follow and worse, hard to prove,

Sadly, about seven people die each

especially after the fact. If we were

year from crashes involving vehicles

to make a recommendation, it would

towing trailers, so it’s important

be to have your trailer braked, even if

that if you’re towing, you’re aware

you think you’re legally compliant or if

of your responsibilities, so you don’t

you’re not sure. You can buy the parts

become another statistic. We spoke to

to do this yourself for less than $1000,

a few sources; both the New Zealand

but then you’ll need to be pretty handy

Transport Agency, New Zealand Police

to ensure you’re achieving the right

and industry leaders, Hosking Trailers

result. We decided that the best option

in Auckland to get our heads around

was to look to the experts, so we asked

what’s required and how you can

a few questions and pretty quickly

mitigate trouble with the police and

found there are as many charlatans as

your insurer.

decent trailer builders in Auckland.

10 www.nzfisher.co.nz

It seems there are no restrictions

ease with his knowledge of the laws

on who can build a trailer, but the

and what is required to achieve a cost

result does need to be compliant. We

effective, safe outcome that will last as

heard from fellow fishers that there’s

long as the trailer.

a real case to be made for paying the extra and getting a full Stainless steel system. It will cost more upfront, but

The full install cost a little over $2000, including a complete new axle, (as

significantly less in the long term

an add-on cost when new, it’ll be less

(especially with the removable cast-iron

of course) so there’s no doubt it’s a

hubs and rotors). And since we’re doing

decision you don’t make lightly, but

this to protect our investment and

the knowledge we’re not risking our

potentially lives; no question we’ll go

lives or our $70,000 investment – that’s

for the best we can.

priceless. Mark’s a straight-shooter, and

We settled on Hosking Trailers; a

his team don’t mess around; you get

family run Albany-based business

what you ask for on time and within

specialising in trailers for the marine

your budget, and it’s a tidy job. That’s

environment. Mark quickly put me at

something I’m happy to pay for.

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TRAILERMAINTENANCE

Also below are a few tips we picked up

consider the rating of your tow bar, tow

along the way:

ball, and drawbar. Have a look at ratings stamped onto these components.

How do I know my tow set- up

Only the required stopping distance of

is compliant?

your vehicle when towing is explicitly

The first thing that you are likely to want to know is the maximum weight that your vehicle can safely tow. There are multiple aspects that you need to

identified as being recognised by the law. You’ll need the ability to stop within seven metres at a speed of 30 km/hour. That’s not exactly easy

consider. Probably the best guide is

to measure, so the recommendation

the manufacturer’s vehicle tow ratings,

is that any unbraked trailer weight

which refers to the recommended safe

should not exceed three-quarters of the

towing limit, and usually, covers both

vehicle’s weight.

braked and unbraked trailers (more on

So back to the original question

that later).

of compliance. NZFisher spoke to

While these are a guide, they are likely

Warrick Andrews, a Vehicle Safety

to be taken into account by police and

Officer with the New Zealand Police.

your insurance company in the event of

He recommends considering each of

a crash, so it’s wise to follow them.

these recommendations/ requirements

Check out your vehicle’s manual for its

before hooking up your boat trailer. At

tow rating, or have a look here for a list

the end of the day, if your tow is not

of common New Zealand vehicles and

safe, this could put you and others at

their manufacturer’s recommendations.

risk and would be looked at as part of

As well as the vehicle tow rating, also

any crash investigation.

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What about brakes?

What else do I need to know?

Your trailer may require a braking

It’s not possible to cover everything,

system, depending on the total weight

but here are a couple of other

of the trailer you are towing. If the

things you may want to consider

gross laden weight of your trailer is

when hooking up your trailer. Mr

between 2000 and 2500 kg, then the

Andrews suggests that when things

minimum requirement is indirect

go wrong with trailers, they can

brakes (often referred to as override

often be attributed to inadequate

brakes). This type of braking system

braking systems (covered above),

is activated when braking of the tow

trailer loading, speed, worn coupling

vehicle causes the trailer to push

components and safety chains.

against the vehicle.

First, have a look at your tow ball and

If the gross laden weight of your trailer

make sure it matches the coupling.

is between 2500 and 3500 kg, then

There are two common sizes, 1 7/8

your trailer needs direct brakes, which

inch and 50mm. While you are there,

are activated by the driver. A trailer of

check for wear and the general fit of

this size will also require a handbrake

the tow ball in the coupling, which

and breakaway brakes which stop your

should not be excessively loose.

trailer should it detach from the tow

You should also have a safety chain on

coupling while you are on the move.

your trailer, so make sure it’s connected

While there is no requirement for

before you drive off. Also please check

trailer brakes if the gross laden weight

that your trailer lights are working and

of your trailer is less than 2000kg,

that your tyres have adequate tread and

Mr Andrews suggests that your

pressure. When packing for your fishing

trailer meets all of the requirements

trip, have a think about how much extra

outlined in the previous section. Also,

weight you are adding. The combined

consider the unbraked manufacturer’s

weight of fuel, bait and ice, fishing and

recommendation for your vehicle. It

dive gear can add a substantial weight

is unlikely to be above 750 kg, so in

to your load. This could potentially

many cases, the threshold weight for

mean that your loaded trailer exceeds

needing a trailer braking system is

recommendations/requirements for

going to be much less than the 2000

your vehicle, your tow bar or the trailer’s

kg that is specified.

braking system (or lack thereof).

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TRAILERMAINTENANCE

Also, think about how you pack your

certain warning devices. Most relevant

load. Try to put weight over the

to boats, if your load extends more than

trailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s axle(s), avoiding excessive

one metre behind the trailer, then you

loading at the front or back of the

need a flag that is at least 400mm long

trailer. As a general rule, your trailer

and 300mm wide (white or fluorescent

should have downward force at the

red, orange or green).

coupling of about 10% of the overall

At night you need to display a red rear

weight of the loaded trailer. If there

facing light. If you have twin engines,

is upward pressure or excessive

then you are likely to need a flag/light

downward weight at the coupling,

on each engine.

the trailer may handle poorly and be unsafe. Also, consider how your load is secured (lashings/ ratchet tie downs, etcâ&#x20AC;Ś).

A final rough rule of thumb Finally, if you are driving a sedan or station wagon, your unbraked tow

This goes for the boat too and any items

rating is likely to be relatively low,

inside it. If your load extends beyond

probably around 500kg. The largest

certain dimensions (either in width

aluminium boat you can tow is likely

or at the rear of your trailer or front

to be 4 to 4.5m. Even if you have

of your car), then you must display

a vehicle with the highest possible

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TRAILERMAINTENANCE

braked tow rating, its unbraked rating

recreational vehicles have a maximum

will probably be much less, around

tow rating of 3500kg).

750 - 1000kg. As a result, the largest aluminium boat you can tow unbraked is about five metres. Any boat bigger than this will at least require over-ride brakes, and direct brakes would probably be needed for an aluminium boat of between 7 to 7.5m

If you are unsure about the weight of your boat and trailer, it’s probably easiest to give your nearest tip/ transfer station a call and arrange to weigh your trailer on a day when they are likely to be quiet.

(>2500 kg). Very large trailer boats (i.e.,

Again, before you take to the water,

>3500kg or > 6000kg combined vehicle

we recommend you think about all of

and trailer weight) exceed light vehicle

the aspects of your trailer and vehicle -

towing requirements.

and of course, pack your lifejackets and

An 8.5m aluminium boat would likely

other safety gear. It’s in your interest

exceed these limits, and as a result, you

to tow and drive safely as you’re not

will need a different class of driver’s

going to catch any fish if your trailer

licence and a non-standard vehicle such

can’t get your boat to the ramp

as a commercial truck (even the largest

without landing you in hot water.

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