f sher
ISSUE 21 February 2013
Summer Snapper Bonanza What softbait, when? Five Days of Northern Land-based Heaven
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10
editorial
CONTENTS Pg 6
12
LANDBASED FISHING 6
5 Days Hardcore in the Far North
10
Roctoberfish Revisited
12
Reader Pics & Competitions
BOATFISHING 16
Summer snapper slam
18
Faking It Right
JETSKIFISHING 20
Our best soft bait fishing yet…
22
Gear Reviews
24
National Body Report
25
Video of the month
26
Fishing Video of the Month
Pg 18
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editorial
//From the
EDITOR ABOUT /
Short and sharp, NZ Fisher is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forward-thinking fisher people. EDITOR / Derrick Paull ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson CONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Derrick on 021 629 327 or email derrickp@NZ Fisher.co.nz
AFTER TROLLING THE internet for
On the bright side, weather has
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /
many may hours looking for good
been largely friendly recently and
Phone Richard on 09 522 7257
stories & images to share, you get a
there have been some great catches
or email richardl@espiremedia.com
bit blasé about the stories & images
reported. Out own sub-editor Forsyth
ADDRESS / NZ Fisher,
you see and read about. But every
is in Rarotonga this week facing
C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162,
now and again a story catches the eye.
Cyclone Gary and searching for GT’s
Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZ
This one is simply too long to publish
while we’re mostly getting back into
WEBSITE / www.NZ Fisher.co.nz
in NZFisher, so here’s the link and a
the swing of the five day working
few pics to accompany it are here.
week.
While New Zealand does have some
Team NZFisher have been out wide,
incredible fishing and some great
but marlin have remained elusive. Our
fisheries right on our collective door
inshore fishing has been fantastic with
steps, we do no longer have a yellow-
a number of guest fisher’s landing
fin tuna fishery, so let this be my 2013
personal bests on consecutive trips.
homage to YFT.
It’s pleasing to hear fishers talking
It does not look good for the future of either YFT or marlin in our waters now the Chinese offshore fleet has increased so dramatically and headed to our once forgotten corner of the Pacific. Sadly, time is probably passed for us to secure these fisheries for
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!
about the improvement in both snapper and kingfish numbers in recent years – fingers crossed we don’t see the gains sold away to commercial interests! Keep fishing while the weathers good – and enjoy issue 21!
the future as the future is now and
Tight lines,
they’re being scooped up en masse.
Derrick
Cover Image: Derrick Paul with the winning kingfish at the 2013 Chesters New Lynn ‘Fsnatical Fishes’ competition Credit: Simon Bell
www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
landbasedFISHING
5 Days Hardcore in the Far North By Brendon Deacon
BOZ, GROVO, JIMMY and myself had
Managed to get 3 kahawai for livies all
kahawai around, I managed to site fish
been planning our now almost bi-annual
set up along the ledge and we threw a
a couple of snapper out of the burley.
trip up to Waitiki landing for quite some
few poppers around, had a quick chat
time, with dates finally booked and
to a guy out the end who sounded like
the weather not really sure what it was
he had fished there for a few days and
doing, with a bit of encouragement
all he had caught was tope.
from Chads trip report we said stuff it
That was it on the snapper front. Highlight was Grovos livey getting picked up by a decent king (after telling me he would get one shot
He had a good hit and run while
on the trip that morning) sending
we were there only for what he/we
him scampering around the rocks,
believed to be a kingfish spit the
unfortunately it dived into the reef and
A reasonably early get away and
hook. Jimmys turn to get hit, bit of
it was all over pretty quickly.
making it to Waitiki before 1 am as
excitement then….. a stinkin Tope, half
per usual was a great start to the trip
an hour later and my balloon was doing
and we were amping to get started.
a dance and….. half a kahawai back.
we are going with fingers crossed the weather would play ball.
Main aim for the trip was to get Boz his 20lber off the rocks! What followed was some of the hardest 5 days of fishing up north we have experienced.
After getting a bit demoralised about the lack of, well anything, we decided to jimmy up some boat sets from our gear
That was us for day one we left the guy
(mainly bait-runners and popper or Land
at the end to it, would be interesting
Based Game rods, would have looked
to see if he finally got one, we know he
rather amusing!) and went and fished
was still there for the next two days.
the reef at spirits. Finally we managed to get into quite a few snapper almost
Day one: Quick trip to Taputaputa to find the swell too big to launch, down to Houhora and up the coast, swell too big to land where we wanted, hopped off at a spot only to be greeted by a 30knt wind coming round the corner so ½ an hour here and we had had
Day two: We chose to put the boat in the creek at spirits and carry the trailer down to the beach to launch, first time we have done this and with 4 of us it was actually quite easy, definitely beat trying to launch in swell!
straight away, Grovo with the biggest of 15lb before the tope turned up. Back to camp to re-gather ourselves to be greeted by about 10 boats from Oakley? Fishing club….. great usually have the run of the place and enjoy the peace and quiet! Being the friendly folk we are (well ok Jimmy can
enough, back for a short but rather
Down the coast we went, once again
talk the backside off a cow) we found
wet trip back in the inflatable. Last
the wind and waves followed us but
out that they were all launching out of
option for the day was out to spirits to
we eventually found somewhere
taputs creek so would be interesting
catch the outgoing.
to land. Berley pumping, very few
to see what they turned up with.
6 www.nzfisher.co.nz
landbasedFISHING
So a bit more demoralised we went into day 3:
Day 4:
Launching with the other boats out
and show those boaties up! So off we
of taputs, quite possibly the most
went on a drive…
exciting part of the trip, we were greeted on the beach by two rather attractive tourists in bikins going for/ just coming out from an early morning swim! Glasses were donned and we
Right time to do something different
Places will remain nameless for this one, if you know where we are keep it quiet. As you might have guessed this is the day we finally got a decent fish!
definitely had to wait a little longer for
Off in the inflatable to a place we had
a “flat spell” in the waves.
wanted to hit, landing on a really nice
Unfortunately that was as good as it got for us, once again the swell and wind were making it difficult to fish, we couldn’t get to some spots we wanted to, once again the berley pumped and the odd kahawai flittered through and were put out for livies. The boat with its new reinforcing: So we once again packed up and headed about 50m off the rocks (after a rather wet trip and quick turn around trying to get back to spirits reef after the wind decided to pick
deep ledge it just screamed kingfish! Berley in and a snapper was sighted, think I got busted off under the ledge on that one but Boz finally got into the action with a nice snapper, kahawai were caught and deployed, mine behaving itself in a deep hole just near the end of the ledge while Jimmys decided it eventually liked the deep water well clear of the ledge, I was quietly hopeful that one of them was going to get hit and must admit to thinking that mine was in as good a position as you could get….
up 10knts half way there!) where we
A few hours went past, all was quiet
finally caught a few snapper not quite
and we were deciding whether to
so big this time but at least it was
make a move or set another berley
some action.
up, the call was made to give it a
Back at camp the boat fishers had
few more hours, so I finally decided
had a good day, snapper to 9.95kg
to do something useful and change
and two horse kingfish of 36 and 37kg
the berley over, throwing quite a
from the same boat (unfortunately
few chunks out of what was left in
both killed just to weigh them and
the bucket out, half way through this
were given away to the locals, I guess
Jimmy said “I think your balloon is
at least they weren’t wasted) later
getting dunked, oh maybe not” so
learned they were jigging one with
I had a quick look and sure enough
a Tica and the other a Saltist so who
after watching it for the last couple
says you can’t catch big fish on cheap
of hours it was definitely doing
gear! They did take over an hour on
something different! A quick run over,
each fish though!
reel clip released and the balloon was
www.nzfisher.co.nz 7
landbasedFISHING
starting to go under as I clicked it out of the light gear setting line peeled out, very much different to a tope, causing a small over run, as soon as this was cleared, up to strike and the weight came on! The fish was still unsighted but I could feel the weight in it as I was dragged along the rocks for 20 or so metres with a close call trying to go round one rock.
Scales were brought out and bottomed out easily…..Just the week before I had decided to buy some 100kg scales “in case” someone caught a horse of a fish, luckily we threw these in the boat for the trip so off over the hill to get them. First weight with two people having to hold it up was 24kgs which left us all a bit dumfounded (and me disappointed)
By now everyone was running around,
as we thought it was similar to the
finding gaffs and gimbles and giving
boat fish that had been caught.
advice (good advice ha-ha), the fish
Luckily Bozs brain hadn’t been fried
made a couple of good runs but not
and noticed that the scales weren’t
storming, I managed to turn it and stop
collaborated properly! Phew, next
it travelling down the rock and a stale
lift…. Ooh that looks more like it
mate was reached the fish came up
32.5kgs!
just out of sight then peeled off, finally after maybe 5mins we had colour and “kingie” was yelled out, now hoping all of the gear and knots were going to hold together (I had a sample chinese made game swivel on!).
I think everyone was stoked with that. Definitely a fish of a lifetime, we have spent many days and money on charters in top locations to try and get a big kingfish like that and then to go and do it off the rocks with your
I am not sure how much longer it took,
best fishing mates is just awesome, it
but the gimbal was finally on and
took a day or so to actually sink in and
Grovo did a good job stopping me
enjoy what a catch it was.
from being dragged in. Finally it came up I would say disappointingly quickly but I would be lying and Boz put in a great gaff shot…. Tried to lift it up and
We eventually packed up and fished another spot for snapper but with once again no joy….
stopped dead, Jimmy quickly gave him
The rums were on me on the way back
a hand and hoots and hollers followed
and it was quite satisfying to show off
along with high fives and a few words
our landbased catch to the boaties
that can’t be repeated were yelled.
who were all stoked and amazed for
The fish was still a bit lively with Grovo
us. (Their biggest snap that day was a
trying to ride it to calm it down. Finally
little over 10kg). Boz did a good effort
after it had clamed down it was photo
filleting the fish for the smoker and
time, I could barely lift it!
the frame and head went to the locals.
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
landbasedFISHING
Day 5: We really wanted to get Boz his snapper so stopped off at Whangaroa to fish for the day out there for something different, this spot definitely had a bit more action about it with Boz and myself getting a couple of double figure fish and all of us missing some good runs of possibly bigger fish, Grovos livie also got harassed by a kingi but fishing came to a finish all too quickly. The wind decided to follow us everywhere we went, the fishing was VERY slow, but I will forever have great memories not only of the kingfish but of the good times we always have on these trips, unfortunately we couldn’t get bozs 20lber but I guess it gives us an excuse to start planning another trip! Cheers to my mates for making it another memorable trip, especially to Boz for doing the driving of the truck and boat, taking most the photos and doing the gaffing, we will be back for your special fish soon!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 9
Laying into one
Sweet success
landbasedFISHING
Roctoberfish Revisited
By Forbes Taylor
Too many whiskys; No excuse!
It measured up; a new PB THIS WAS MY second year of
and reel set up. I’ve never fished
attempts to net it, watch it swim
ROctober fish. Last year got me a PB,
an overhead before, so Brenton
away, flop about on the surface
so the anticipation and excitement of
gave me a few pointers. With his
and finally end up on the rocks.
great fishing was building for some
last words of “take it easy on your
When we did get it safely ashore,
time before the comp. I managed to
first few cast until you get used
it measured 65cms. Another PB
render myself almost incapable the
to it” ringing in my ears, I chose
for Forbes! Delighted! I wish I
night before after being cajoled in to
to completely disregard all of his
could say the rest of the weekend
drinking whisky until the wee small
advice and gave it some oomph.
continued in the same vein, but
hours. It lead to me leaving behind a
Massive birds nest. After spending
unfortunately the fishing was tough
number of key pieces of kit, including
15 minutes untangling it, the first
for me for the rest of the comp.
one of my reels and anything to drink.
couple of casts saw the bait picked
The second day I landed a few nice
Not my smartest moment.
off by the prolific midgets. My third
pannies, but not the monsters we
(I take absolutely no responsibility; but those drinks didn’t pour themselves! Ed)
cast had only been soaking for a few
were here to catch.
seconds when it took off with some
The social side of this ROctoberFish
After launching out of Maitai Bay,
serious pace. A few steaming runs
has been brilliant both years and the
Brenton and I were dropped off on
later, up popped a good sized fish.
fishing for the most part has been
a ledge on one of the islands off to
Cue lots of shouting to Brenton to
outstanding. I have already put this in
the north of Cape Karikari. It didn’t
get the net. I watched in horror as
my diary for next year. See you there!
take me long to get my only rod
he had a nightmare taking multiple
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO The Boating Safety
CODE Before you go boating on our seas, lakes and rivers, get familiar with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code, no matter what kind of boat you use.
1
Life jackets
5 4
Take them – Wear them.
3
Skipper responsibility
to help you stay safe:
Marine weather New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect both weather and sea state changes.
Boats, especially ones under 6m in length, can sink very quickly. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time in the water.
2
simple rules
5
Avoid alcohol
The skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for the safe operation of the boat. Stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.
Safe boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. You need to stay alert and aware.
Communications
The Water Safety
Take two separate waterproof ways of communicating so we can help you if you get into difficulties.
Also available:
CODE
The Outdoor Safety
CODE
For more information about safe boating education and how to prepare for your boating activity, visit www.adventuresmart.org.nz
READERpics
WINNER! Michelle MacKinven showing dsome great ‘ikiing’ skills!
Arial & his first King of 2013
David Wills with a stocky 19lber last July
Erina Brown with a Koura from Kai-iwi Lakes they caught early one evening Daryl Lock with his PB (no surprise!) King.
12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Forbes Taylor proving theres more to him than just big landbased snapper
READERpics
Ian Biddick at an NZFisher super sectret spot. The fishing was sublime, but this is the closest we’d let him get to it!
Daryl Lock with his PB (no surprise!) Kingi
www.nzfisher.co.nz 13
Simon Bell with a tasty summer king from the mokes
READERpics
Rob Johnson with a prime Hauraki Gulf spring schoolie.
Alan Mck’s ‘Englishman’ mate with a PB king on plastics.
Ian Smith & his first Porae, tasty bycatch on a snapper mission to the mokes.
This month’s winner is Alan McKinven (making a habit of winning too!). Alan wins a Reel Adventures, ReelWear Tee-Shirt for his Pic of Michelle MacKinven with her “iki’d” snapper. Alan drop us a line to arrange your size & delivery details. Keep sending in your pics for the great OKUMA and Reel Wear prizes up for grabs every month. And Daryl Lock wins the OKUMA hoody for his giant Kingfish caught on EPIC adventures (and it was his first king EVER!
Win this Reel Wear tee shirt next month by sending in your fishy pics to Facebook 14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
COMPETITION
Win a Rod & Reel with OKUMA & NZFisher! Every subscriber who posts a pic is in the draw!
JUST POST A pic of you with a fish
ReelWear T-shirt between now and
to our Facebook page and you’re
June 2013. Every image you enter
in the draw to win an Okuma Salina
has a chance to win each month and
II Rod and Reel combo plus tackle
also the big prize. The more and
worth $750.00.
sooner you enter, the better your
Not only that but every month we’ll
chances so get fishing and posting
give away an Okuma Hoody and
those images to Facebook!
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boatFISHING
Summer Snapper Slam Spring bites
By Derrick Paul
ONCE A YEAR myself and a couple
together nicely this year – except that
of friends head north to grab a few
my dream of a World Record on SWF
eating size snapper for the table to
was ruined when I mixed up the current
sustain us over the Christmas break
record weights & released what would
when family take precedence over
have been the new record (but was
fishing (and to be fair, the fishing is
still a personal best for me)!
usually sub-par).
fully tooled up and rearing to go! The fishing was tough because of the weather, but once we were in the right places the fish bit like there was no tomorrow. The problem (if it could be seen as one) was that the fish we were
This was the first real trip utilising the
targeting were being beaten to the
As with most years we were once
new Lowrance HDS-7 Gen 2 Touch
baits every drop. Normally 6lb after
again confronted with nasty weather,
7-inch touch screen and we were all
6lb snapper would be glorious, but
this time North Easterlies of 15-25
impressed. I’d had fears of a tacky
were after 20lb plus fish – every drop
knots for all four days.
screen and poor interface but they
if possible!
We were equipped well on the New NZFisher Frewza (a boat I can now confirm is a dream in sloppy, lumpy windy North-Easterlies!) and the new, Honda 60hp. The new set up was a saving grace, as most other 5 metre
were unfounded. The ultra smooth glass touch surface doesn’t naturally hold water & there was no salt build
clearly the depth that the bigger fish
messy I simply rinsed it with fresh
were holding in so we were constantly
water & it was like new again.
raising or dropping our soft-baits to
We’ve since coated the glass surface
nightmare in these conditions.
with Diamond Fusion and it’s like
as bad as the fishing was good. While we didn’t drag up any monsters their numbers were beyond belief.
through helping to identify quickly &
up. When I felt it was getting a bit
boats I’ve been on would have been a
As with other years the weather was
The new Lowrance helped the cause
touching silk with zero residue. The 7 inch gives so much more than a standard sounder, especially if you
the right depth. It took a few hours to work it all out but the results were excellent with both Ian & I landing 70cm fish that were sighted above the 10m mark in 20 meters of water.
run a structure scan transducer too
The bigger fish didn’t necessarily take
(Aprox. $500 additional cost, the
bigger baits, but the bigger soft-
I’ve been trying for some time to get
software and additional electronics are
baits did account for a larger fish on
snapper on salt water fly & it came
now built into the head unit). We’re
average (if you can follow that logic!)
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
boatFISHING
What we ended up with was over 300 snapper and 30 kings between three anglers in three days (of which 30 came home). The arms hurt after that mauling but the knowledge gained is in-valuable. Having four days on the water, rather than just a Saturday out wide, we were able to try things you just don’t normally bother with, including new and different techniques. The Assassin Softbaits form Australia worked particularly well in the shallower depths –opaque and white being lethal even in smaller sizes. The Z-man 4inch Paddle-Z lasted for hours and accounted for about half Ian’s fish. We only had one packet but could have probably fished the whole weekend with them if we’d had more. To emphasise the absurdity of the fishes thirst for plastic, Daz tore the top off a blue branded softbait packet and threaded his hook through it on the last drop of the weekend. This torn, anaemic piece of plastic accounted for a spirited 2.5kg snapper that went straight back in the drink but it shows just how daft these fish can be and perhaps how much soft baits are designed the way they are to catch our eye as much as the fishes!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 17
boatFISHING
It’s not hard to see why Softbaits have been such a commercial success over the last five years. Fact is they work and often far better than bait, other times not so well. The current kiwi favourite is still Berkley Gulp with its secret attractant or scent, the biodegradable base & bold, contrasting colours. The market has flooded recently with imitators, complimenters and brands unheard of in NZ but legendary in their country of origin. I was in Go Fish recently on the north Shore & started to have a closer look at some of the offerings of the world of soft baits (SB’s). We were preparing for our annual Far North snapper session and I’ve often thought the “Big-bait = Big-fish” adage might be able to be replicated in the realm of softbait fishing. While the results of that mission are detailed elsewhere in this issue, the idea that the plethora of SB’s on the market might actually be more useful than just eye candy for those with TAS (Tackle Accumulation Syndrome). Early in the days of SB fishing I was convinced that the most natural SB imitations were the most effective in shallower, clearer water and high contrast, bright colours were the best for deeper, dirtier water. While I was able to consistently prove myself right I wasn’t approaching the other colour options available & using them outside of the patterns I’d already created. I’ve tempered my views over recent seasons but the question of what is the BEST SB still gets asked & I’m often answering it with far too many words rather than a simple “Nuke-chook mate”.
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Faking It Right
Getting the best from imitation baits
By Derrick Paull
boatFISHING
re fer a mo JD’s pre
looking natural
SB
Horse for courses
My answers are a bit more considered
naturally and not just presenting
and tend to be more action, season
them with what I the angler
and size related. I don’t think there is
thought looked tasty.
a ‘Best’ Softbait, but there are some suitable for pretty much every season. Berkley’s ubiquitous Nuclear-Chicken is the most imitated colour and largely it’s in the 5 inch ‘Jerk-Shad’ form. There’s a reason for their success – they work. Often. But there are other options that catch a lot of fish, some depend on season and it’s a case
I’ve found the same goes with Inchiku jigs – at certain times its a big jig that’s required but as the water heats & smaller anchovy type baitfish fill the inner waters a lighter, more natural jig (fished much slower) does the trick.
of matching the hatch (to steal that
There’s no doubt that on some
freshwater gem of a line)’
days bait will out-fish artificial
As the spring season turns to summer & snapper disperse for their dense spawning aggregations their food sources also change, leading to a change in approach from switched on soft baiters.
Paddler Z
lures I am convinced and often surprised that soft baits are a reliable & effective method all year round, but you can’t rest on your laurels! tch Mix n ma
Last season I discovered Z-man paddle tails, but they were too large for my summer fishing which, back when I was bait-fishing I used yellow eyed mullet, so I looked for smaller paddle tail options – Z-man also provided the solution there with the 4inch Paddler-Z baits. It was a matter of matching what the fish were eating
Mauled & Munted
www.nzfisher.co.nz 19
jetskiFISHING
Kirsty & a wee pannie due to swim again
Kirsty ge ts a new PB too
Our best soft bait fishing yet… I HAVE JUST arrived back from an
generous sized pannies.
trophy fish on the soft baits... After
amazing few days break in the Far
We persisted fishing for Kristy, in
some consideration about releasing
North with the family.
hope to catch her, this better size
it, we decided to take it home
Over the duration of the trip we all
fish she had been dreaming about. It
with us as I had always hoped for a
landed a number of Personal Bests
was then while I was casually fishing
decent Snapper to be mounted and
on the soft baits, enjoying some
when I instead was fortunate enough
on display at the Jetskifishing Store
exceptional fishing and all within
to “hooking the big one”!
to show the success we have fishing
5km from the beach.
The action was caught on video,
off jet-skis.
Even with the first day’s weather not
it was not long after me casting
After that fish, we called it quits for
turning out to be terribly flash, I still
the Gulp, 7” Lime Tiger, that the
the day and headed back to the beach
made the most of the average sea
bait was smashed as it was sinking
for a few photos and had its weight
conditions and managed to catch a
through the water column. The fish
verified by Kieron at Reel Rods.
few small Kings and a nice Snapper
had so much power that the initial
The third day was a trip out with
on the Jigs.
hook up had the peeling braid cut
my 10 year old son Cooper at first
The next day, was a morning on the
through the handle bar grips as I
light. He was eager to get some big
water with my partner Kristy, whose
was railed by the fish’s first run! After
Snapper action and I assured him
goal was to land a good fish on
what seemed like a brief tussle, my
the reward come after a early start
the soft baits off her jet-ski. There
new ‘Personal Best’ emerged to the
on the water. The morning started
were plenty of Snapper at the 20
surface to our surprise, so much so it
slowly but finally he was catching
metre mark, but after a morning of
was a mammoth task for my net!
and releasing a steady stream of fish
trying all she seemed to land were
What a thrill this was landing such a
between 450 to 500mm in length.
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
jetskiFISHING
s in on the Cooper get ction too. kingfish a
A true northern monster!
Bigger again. Andrew makes it look easy!
Jayden w ith a
nice ‘rat’ ki ng
Doubtless Bay Pannie
He was really after a 10 pounder so
smoker. Cooper continued to fish
all her hard work so I suggested one
we kept going with a focus he could
and what he thought was going to
last drift. The pressure was on and
hook a big one at any time.
be a great Snapper, soon realised
then she finally managed to hook the
Most times I take out a passenger on
with the screaming braid that he was
fish she was after... I knew I would
the ski fishing, I normally pass time
to going to land his first Kingfish.
be in the dog box if she lost the
by having a soft bait at the same
He did great and after a 15 minute
fish, so I was carefully choosing my
time myself. As I did the day before,
battle, had a legal Kingfish for a
words. The story ended great, she
a cast of twenty metres ahead of the
photo, which was swiftly released.
ski, this time using a Gulp, 6” New
landed her fish and our mission was
Cooper had enough after a
Penny Grub. With me manipulating
strenuous Kingfish battle and called
the bait on the drop, it was smashed
it quits for his days fishing...
at 10 metres depth, this was another
After phoning Kristy with the early
solid fish! I couldn’t believe the quality
wake up to let her know that the
of fishing and to our amazement 10
fishing was hot, the opportunity was
minutes later a bigger fish than the
offered at one last attempt for a
day before was landed!
big Snapper? She was undoubtedly
I had to get Cooper to help with this
keen, so with a quick ride back to
one, as we intended on releasing it!
the beach to swap passengers,
Check out the video link, truly special
we set back off out to the fishing
much as we do.
the excitement kids get with fishing.
grounds and were soon on to the
With this manic month ahead we
We eventually removed the jig head
Snapper again. Her goal fish was
will also be getting prepared for our
that was awkwardly wedged in the
a struggle and after a good dozen
biggest Jetskifishing over-nighter to
fish’s mouth. Unfortunately after
fish released, she finally thought she
the Bay of Islands, 30 skis for 4 days
three challenging attempts the
had the big one, to only find a foul
of fun!
fish was unable to swim away, so
hooked Snapper had consumed her
Cheers, Andrew Hill
needless to say is destined for the
energies! Kristy was devastated after
www.jetskifishing.co.nz
accomplished. Sure was awesome fishing in the Far North and plenty of family fun with memories to look back on. All back to work now and after selling a couple more new skis, I will be setting these up so these happy new customers can get started with Jetskifishing and enjoy the sport as
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
GearREVIEWS
Tackle Tests
rd Starboa
As tested by NZFisher
Finnor Marquesa in action on 20kg king
The Okuma Nano 6-10kg and Fin-Nor Marquessa From NZ Fisher: Okuma Nanotex 6-10kg Softbait rod I had the pleasure of trying the new Nano 6kg spin rod on a recent trip out to the back of Tiritiri in search of snapper. The very first thing you notice is the incredible ‘lack’ of weight. The blank & fittings are so light it’s hard to believe it’s got the good to deliver on a decent fish. In trying conditions I managed a number of solid snapper
of this new rod. I’m a fan of stiffer, fast action rods and while this is slightly more parabolic it responses very quickly on the strike allowing for a fast, efficient setting of the hook. The tip has give, but when required there’s plenty of grunt down low. As summer progresses I move to barbless hooks and it’s important to stay in touch with your quarry. The Nano provides all that’s required to make this happen.
From NZ Fisher: Marquesa MA12 I’ve used the Marquesa MA12 as a bait & live-bait reel previously (and reviewed it for another magazine) but I recently had the opportunity to take it jigging off shore on a real teat in company of some brutish kings. There’s been a mass of reels come into the market that offer mixed functionality, claiming both jigging,
up to 4kg and was left astounded by
Tested paired with the Okuma Raw II
live-baiting & traditional fishing
the strength, responsiveness & ‘feel;’
40 reel & 10lb Tuf-line Tuff XP braid.
practicality. The Marquesa is one of
22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
boatFISHING
few that I think will work in all cases (the Okuma Makaira and Shimano Trinidad would be two others I that come to mind). My best fish was around the 20kg mark & the reel was very capable; paired with the new Fin-Nor Troppo PE-5 / 350g rod I felt I could have handled much larger fish. The only
Built-in StructureScan® HD sonar imaging, plus award-winning Broadband Sounder® with DownScan Overlay™ and TrackBack™ feature. The ultimate fish-and structure-finding display. www.lowrance.com/find
down side was the anti-reverse during the jigging action, but to date I haven’t found a multi-purpose reel out there that manages everything and gets the anti-reverse right. It
Personalised or optional Navionics® charts. View both at once in 3D perspective view, plus StructureMap™ and Broadband Radar™ capability. www.lowrance.com/navigate
feels a bit heavier than dedicated jig reels but it certainly isn’t one of those old school reels that have your arms quaking after 5 drops. The 6.1:1 retrieve is great – again others tall me it’s too fast, but I like it fast! It’s
New super-bright widescreen displays in 7, 9 and 12-inch sizes with touchscreen control. Dominate your time on the water with greater command and control that’s now easier to learn and customize. www.lowrance.com/dominate
only after I’d finished and put the rod back in the rack at the end of the day that it was pointed out here no dual speed (unlike the Makaira) – as
PREVIEW THE NEW HDS GEN2 TOUCH AT LO W R A N C E . C O M
I hadn’t noticed, I can only say it wasn’t a problem! At $469 on sale the Marquesa MA12 is a very viable low cost option and we give it a 4 out of 5 – a high pass mark. Tested paired with the Fin-Nor Troppo 350g 5’6” jig rod
www.enl.co.nz
www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
REPORT
National Body Report
Closer ties between NZ’s two major rec’ fishing organisations By Paul Batten
OVER RECENT YEARS there has been a cementing of relationships between the NZACA and the NZSFC with the agreed joint administration of NZ
It was also agreed that there be a working towards the ability for members from each organisation to
Fishing Records.
be able to compete in each others
This closer relationship went a step
Nationals and it was hoped that this
further when, last year, the NZSFC
may see NZSFC members competing
provided the uniforms for an NZACA
at the NZACA Nationals at Gisborne
NZ Team competing across the ditch
nextMarch. The ability for NZSFC
at the Australian Anglers Association
Members to be part of the NZ Team
bi-Annual Championships.
to compete at the Australian Nationals
The 14th of October saw an official joint meeting between the two organisations with senior officials from both bodies meeting at Hamilton. This is the first formal meeting as such since 1995.
in August 2013 was also agreed to. The NZACA has extended the invitation to NZSFC Members to be eligible to apply for its Masters Award – a challenging test of a fishers skill. NZSFC Membership benefits will hopefully be able to
There was an agreement that in the
be extended to include NZACA
interests of NZ recreational fishing
members wherever possible.
there needs to be a coming together in those areas which were common to both and a unified approach wherever possible in matters furthering the interests of NZ fishers.
24 www.nzfisher.co.nz
weight where it matters most.
It is hoped that this move to greater unity will not only be beneficial to members of both organisations and rec’ fishing in general but also assist in removing confusion that sometimes
These would include greater on-going
exists by the general public about
consultation on submissions affecting
the role of these two well established
the fisheries with the realisation that
fishing bodies. Further joint meetings
joint submissions would carry more
are planned.
VIDEO
Fishing Video of the Month
IT’S DEFINITELY GAME season & this is one to get the ticker pumping – How many damned cameras do they have. Andrew Hill from Jetski fishing.co.nz has been up to all-sorts of mischief in the far North – check these two.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 25
NEXTmonth regionalREVIEWS
f sher
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www.nzfisher.co.nz 26