NZ Fisher issue 83 by NZ Fishing Media

ISSUE 83

January 2019

www.nzfisher.co.nz

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CONTENTS 10.

CATCH LIVIES!

BECOME AN LBG ADDICT!

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

EDITOR / Derrick Paull

12.

FINDING & FISHING THE WORK-UPS

NEW ZEALANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FINEST DELICACY

CREAMED PAUA

14.

30.

or email derrickp@NZFisher.co.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES / or email derrickp@NZFisher.co.nz

A GUIDE TO TOP WATER LURES

LEGASEA UPDATE

CONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Derrick on 021 629 327

Phone Derrick on 021 629 327

26. 18 .

ART DIRECTOR / Liz Brookes

READERS PICS

ADDRESS / NZ Fisher PO BOX 11640, Ellerslie WEBSITE / www.NZFisher.co.nz

media

Cover image is by: Grant Bittle

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!

www.nzfisher.co.nz 3

EDITORIAL

justify the often enough now to em th d pe op dr s nd ha r scallops! The sun is here, the wi time, but thank god fo p m ju to ng yi pa y all tu and the fish are vir the last apper fishing has, like name is sn d’s e go Th in at wh e lin on your ter me on strong as the wa r? co te s, wa ar e ye th w on fe ng tti ge stopping you e . While this means som en ris ve ha ps m te e like me, it’s th inshore Well, if you’re anything now moving form the e ar h fis nd ou ar e os no this gating day job. But even with es mean they ’re congre do it s, ef re e tiv ding crea ry. Right the neck I’ve been fin awn and they ’re hung sp to em ho e th nd catch ways to wet a line arou st about anything will ju w, no y m d an a at em base. In both the Wait per, but as they spawn ap sn ry ng hu a , au uk hty Man own backyard, the mig ore cunning d move on it’ll take m r an fo r de un flo d an s en get there’s both scallop to first entice them th ns ea m ng hi fis a nd yo e those willing to look be k in - you’ll need mor uc st ok ho e th ys da g azin get them rod. We’ve had some am a warehouse special to an th ng lli ke or sn s, op all ugh recently on the sc u want a lure that ’s to Yo k. s uc op st dr e fiv st ju in and getting our limit action. Grant Blair has t ea gr s ha d an h. fis er a lin before heading out fo crack and it n Catch Livies a good ve gi e uch fish for th ote for The flounder are so m they might be the antid s em se t or with a spear looking for. family, be it in the ne tough days we’ve been r ca die of Os had at night. Check this ol er has drawn near I’ve m . m su ww As /w s:/ tp ht au and I on the Manuk ter, but the HSNE o few hours on the wa 63 to 00 6S =c ?v ch at /w m youtube.co get the e I’ve had more time to sid up ! go a it ve gi back in 2013, on. ady for the game seas re za ew Fr snorkelling for otted Another past love was en video of fish both sp se g vin Ha ve been living a stone’s crays, but unless you’ ught this weekend just ca d an ks oc st ow the cray under a rock you’ll kn downtown, I’m amped m fro w ro th e scientists are ed and the up here are what som get her wet, lures dipp to . ’ ct tin ex nally ’s! referring to as ‘functio le primed! Tails up fisho po g ta te the upda As LegaSea address in enjoy we’re ep safe out there and h, Ke fis ay cr of e at st e th later in your summer break. ere’s little facing a real crisis as th yond excessive science to explain, be nt , sustained extraction, their curre em to find demise. Sadly I can’t se

Derrick

4 www.nzfisher.co.nz

// LAND-BASED FISHING

BECOME AN LBG ADDICT! BY GENE BRYANT

Upon arrival, check out the swells for several minutes first, and store your gear on an elevated position.

According to the Coromandelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gene Bryant, land-based fishing is not only highly addictive, it often produces fantastic fish. So how does someone get started? For those who have never land-based fished before, the thought of venturing out to find a ledge or kayaking to an isolated rock at sea can be intimidating. I have grown up with a highly experienced land-based fisherman as a father, so the knowledge has come easily to me. I am a firm believer that you do not need a boat to encounter great fish, so when I hear people saying that boat fishing is the only way to go, I usually insist they come along with me for a much-needed experience on the bricks!

However, when you feel ready to venture into the unknown, there a few things that you should know. www.nzfisher.co.nz 5

// LAND-BASED FISHING Berley

Pick a location

If there is one thing I cannot stress enough, it is

You will not know then potential until you give it

the importance of berley. Use plenty of it and be

a go. We are lucky when it comes to land-based

patient. The aim is to entice fish into your area

fishing in New Zealand: we are surrounded by

and get them feeding. Snapper like to hang out

hundreds upon hundreds of rocky ledges and

with baitfish, so the more you can see the better!

islands, so the spots are endless.

Snapper go wild for kina, so if you have access to

Keep an eye out for kelp beds, kina and mussels,

any, crush them up and throw them in.

because snapper tend not to stray far from a

There are a few ways to distribute your berley.

reliable food source, and these are among their

Tasmin Tackle supplies a bag of top quality that will

favourites.

not rip on the rocks, unlike the well-known onion

When selecting your fishing location, the more

sack. Or, if you have an old bucket lying around,

isolated your spot is, the better â&#x20AC;&#x201C; accessible

drill a few holes in it, including two in the lid and

locations tend to be overfished. People who have

the top of the bucket so the lid can be tied down.

not land-based fished before may underestimate

Regardless of how you go about it, make sure you

shallow waters and focus solely on locating deep

have secured your rope well - the last thing you

drop-offs. There is nothing wrong with this, but be

want to see is your $20 fish magnet floating out

aware that a lot of trophy fish have been landed

to sea!

from the shallows.

Once the basics are mastered, snapper like this are a regular catch 6 www.nzfisher.co.nz

IF YOU BERLEY, THEY WILL COME!

Get a heavy-duty plastic paint bucket, complete with lid. Drill several holes in the sides to allow water to enter and exit.

Drill holes in the lid and upper bucket so securing ropes can be attached. In this case, one lot is used to keep the lid on, and the other is being tied to the main rope.

Position the bucket, so it washes around in the wash and ideally distributes the berley out into the area you are fishing. Avoid placing the bucket too far out, or it can get in the way when fish are being fought.

Make sure the bucket’s secured firmly.

Select a target species

you have run out of tackle. Always ask yourself:

Winter is my favourite time of year. There is a

am I properly prepared?

long-standing myth that fishing slows down

Make sure your tackle selection includes a good

over the colder months. I can assure you winter

stock of various hooks and sinkers. You never

is an ideal time to target snapper, kahawai,

know when you may need a smaller hook to

trevally and, occasionally, if you are lucky, a

catch fresh baits. A decent knife is a ‘must,’ and it

roaming kingfish.

doesn’t hurt to have a rag handy either.

Some snapper remain resident around the rocky ledges and kelp beds over the winter while the rest head out to the deep in search of warmer waters. (If you’re keen to try your luck on a kingfish, then the summer months are better.)

Be prepared

Make sure you have plenty of bait – I would much rather walk home with bait than run out while the fish are on the chew. Invest in a decent pack. All land-based fishos know a well-designed pack with well-padded straps and a frame will spare you from

Preparation is key. There is no point walking to

unnecessary discomfort. Remember, you will

your elusive fishing spot for an hour only to be

be carrying in rods, a gaff and a net – you do

walking home again 30 minutes later because

not want to be handling multiple loose items. www.nzfisher.co.nz 7

// LAND-BASED FISHING Stay safe

sometimes appear in the berley trail but are

When you think of land-based fishing, it’s

generally more easily caught in local estuaries

unlikely one of your first thoughts will be a

and from wharves beforehand.

lifejacket - unless kayaking to your ledge. Believe

You will need to invest in some very small hooks,

it or not, you are at just as much risk of drowning

although it’s often easier to use a set of sabikis. I

as fishermen who use a boat. Be aware of your

have caught plenty of solid fish on both half and

surroundings – you only need to slip off your

whole mackies and have never seen a piper go

ledge to end up in the water. Also, rogue waves

untouched.

are not uncommon, so in addition to storing

Don’t be afraid to try big baits – you might be

your gear in an elevated position well away from

surprised how easily even the smaller fish can

the water’s edge, have a mental escape plan in

suck up a large offering!

place to escape big swells. If unlucky enough to find yourself in the wash, you may well be grateful to be wearing a PFD – it can be like an oceanic washing-machine! These days there is a wide variety of PFDs available that allow you to move freely. Cuts, grazes, sprains and fish spikes are all part of the land-based package. If you have the room, it pays to carry a small first-aid kit. Always let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. This is extremely important if heading off the grid and phone reception is unobtainable.

Is fresh best?

Check the weather Before heading out, check the tides, wind and swell forecasts. One metre or more of swell and you will struggle to get your kayak onto the rocks. For those of you walking in, keep in mind that swell will create a lot of surge. Five-knot variables are a dream come true for any fisherman, so if you can, make the most of them when they arise. A lot of fishers prefer to fish on certain tides. I, however, have never had an issue fishing on both the incoming and the outgoing tides. Winds can be a tricky one: once you understand their implications, you will be able to pick

Fresh baits are fantastic, but you have to start

sheltered bays and ideal locations for your trip.

somewhere. Buy your bait, to begin with, and try

Like all things new, trial and error enable you

fresh baits when the opportunities arise.

to accumulate knowledge. If you can take in

Kahawai is a favourite for snapper: scaling your

the basics, you are good to go. So keep safe, be

kahawai before cutting it into baits allows the

prepared, remember to secure that berley firmly,

hook to pierce the skin more easily. Piper or

and in a few months you will have many stories

yellowtail mackerel are also great baits. They

to share! 

8 www.nzfisher.co.nz

Kayaks enable some otherwise inaccessible places to be fished land-based.

Even moderate depth spots can be very productive if fished effectively.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always satisfying to land a fat, tasty snapper!

A weedy, reefy area with deep water nearby provides a great fishing scenario.

It pays to scale kahawai strip baits to maximise hook-ups.

A good spot is brought to life with a good berley trail, resulting in chunky snapper like this one.

A magic place and time... www.nzfisher.co.nz 9

// LURE FISHING

CATCH LIVIES! BY GRANT BLAIR

Catch Livies have a twerking action that fish seem to find irresistible! 10 www.nzfisher.co.nz

Made from a tough TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), Catch Livies provide an interesting mix of a super touch, bit very flexible and life-like soft-baits that swims and act like the real thing. I’ve used the 4” engine oil and pilchard options

get a bite. Like fly fishing for trout, a change in

over the last couple of months and they have

presentation is worthwhile if there are fish on

been really effective. When you’re catching fish

the sounder and nothing is happening.

it’s hard to experiment with other options or

Due to the soft nature of the baits, you should

different soft-baits but the thing that’s quite

use a jighead that holds the bait on well.

telling is when you’re doing well and some of

On several occasions I noticed the baits had

your mates aren’t.

slipped down the jighead when just the tail had

Now there’s two options to consider in that

just been grabbed but that happens with other

situation and either you’re just a bit luckier than

baits too.

they are or there’s some slight advantage with

The Catch Livies combine well with Stingaz

the terminal tackle. On more than one occasion

jigheads for a very different softbaiting action.

the Catch Livies definitely outperformed

The additional small stinger hook gives another

other options. It could have been due to the

hook-up point and also helps secure the soft-

colours or the reflection of particular light

baits on the jighead. Catch Livies are available

frequencies. There’s a good range of colours

in 4” and 5” curly tail and 4” natural tail options

which means that when the fishing is rather

and in a range of colours. They retail for around

challenging, there’s likely to be a colour that will

$12 to $13 per packet of 5. 

www.nzfisher.co.nz 11

// FISHY COOKING

New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest delicacy

CREAMED PAUA BY JORDAN PUTT

...this paua dish beats them all! 12 www.nzfisher.co.nz

As a keen fisho I’ve been exposed to many places and dishes made from local kai moana, be it red cod in Foxton, bluffies in Bluff, salmon in Marlborough, or in this case paua in Dunno’s. But this paua dish beats them all.

Paua’s not a pretty shellfish in the flesh, so to speak, but if you’re blindfolded when you first taste it, it’s Helen of Troy passing your lips. When minced, the flavour extracted and blended with the silkiness of the cream, heaven on earth. But what is creamed paua? Beyond the superlative for fine eating itself, it’s a simple and filling dish in its own right. See below for the simplest, most delicious recipe of all time, care of our roving correspondent, Mr. Grub & Game, Jordan Putt.

You’ll need the following

Recipe

• Onions

Sauté onions, chilli, garlic in butter. Add bacon if desired.

• Chilli • Garlic • Butter • Paua • Cream • Salt & Pepper • Optional additions can include bacon, curry powder, seafood soup sachet

Add minced paua, cook for 4-5 minutes on high heat. Add cream, also add curry powder(couple tsp) and/or seafood soup sachet if you wish. Lower the heat and simmer, the longer the better. I aim for 45 minutes, the longer you do it, the flavour intensifies and you reduce the cream down to a thick bacon and mushroom sauce consistency. Not a dish for the faint hearted, but always a crowd pleaser. Photo Credits: Jordan Putt of Grub & Game

www.nzfisher.co.nz 13

// WORK-UP FISHING

Finding & Fishing

THE WORK-UPS

BY NIK KEY

Upon approaching 50, Nik Key, a self-confessed ‘obsessed’ fisherman, decided he needed a career change – something he was passionate about. Two years ago he became a skipper and a guide, focussing on lure fishing with light gear in the Hauraki Gulf. This issue he shares some of his passion for fishing work-ups…

14 www.nzfisher.co.nz

My office is one of the most amazing places in the world: the Hauraki Gulf, with its smattering of beautiful, diverse islands. Every time I’m out there I feel at home and am in awe of its raw beauty and abundant bounty. I lease several boats (28-60ft) for my business, offering fishing and sightseeing to local and international clients, but also work as a skipper for a successful Auckland charter fishing business run by Kevin Colwell.

Prior Fishing Schedule Last year the spring work-ups were quite extraordinary; I have never seen so much baitfish or feeding intensity, with the action sometimes continuing for hours on end. The first ones popped up over the Whangaparaoa Bay, Tiritiri Matangi and Motuora area, but these early ones did not seem to last long or hold many snapper. During October through to mid-November, the area working best for us turned out to be Coromandel, from the Cow and Calf all the way up to Port Jackson (the Fantail Bay area in

particular). We sometimes moved away from the work-ups to cover areas of intense baitfish sign we’d found 2-3nm away, targeting the larger 70cm-plus snapper. Then, from mid-November until midDecember, the work-ups moved in closer to the area just north of Gannet Rock (Waiheke Island) and up to 4-5nm northeast of the Ahaahas. A big problem last spring was the El Niño weather pattern, with the associated heavy winds sometimes stopping us from getting out (lots of 25- to 30-knot sou’westers). We used two drogues (sea anchors) on those windy days and found that the heavier jigs of 140-200g worked best for the larger snapper; we even caught snapper on 300 and 400g kingfish jigs! The reason for their effectiveness is twofold. Number one, a jig performs better when fished close to the vertical plane. In windy conditions the heavier jigs get down to the strike area more quickly and stay there longer. Number two is that the bigger jigs deter the smaller fish from biting.

www.nzfisher.co.nz 15

// WORK-UP FISHING

What lies ahead? This year is already shaping up to be a good one – we have already enjoyed some outstanding spring-like work-up fishing in August. Developments in the ocean/atmosphere system are pointing to a possible transition to La Niña in the next three months. Hopefully this will mean less wind this spring and summer, enabling more time on the water in better drifting conditions! Finding work-ups is sometimes really hard and frustrating, but with a bit of knowledge and a few tips I can make it easier for you. First off, get yourself a pair of binoculars. I think that the 7 X 50 binoculars are the most versatile for finding birds from a boat. They are not too powerful, so when the boat moves you can still focus on a subject. I usually head out to the middle ground in about 40 metres and then start searching for work-up signs – try about 4-5nm northeast of the Ahaaha Rocks first up. Scan around with the binoculars for birds tracking low to the water and moving fast, rather than birds that are up high. These low-tracking birds know something is happening and are heading for it, so follow them (the ones up high are usually searching for the baitfish or waiting above the school for it to be pushed to the surface 16 www.nzfisher.co.nz

by predators). Tell everyone on board to keep an eye out as well, because some people have amazing eyes for finding work-ups when no one else can see them. Sometimes even small flickers, like stars in the distance, will represent a work-up; if this happens, get others to look through the binoculars to back it up. Also look for large splashes or groups of splashes on the surface, as this can signify excited dolphins that have found baitfish and are rounding them up. However, if just moving along lazily, you can follow them all day and not find a work-up. Also look for lots of white specks on the water that come and go as the swells move up and down (better on a calm day with no white caps). This generally signifies a raft of gannets sitting on the water waiting for the dinner gong to go (they tend to stay near the baitfish). Hopefully, these simple tips will help you find the work-ups. However, when this has been successfully achieved, it pays to follow the simple ‘rules’ below if you’d like to maximise the opportunity – and allow others to do the same: When you see a work-up starting, wait for it to build and get underway properly before approaching it (this can be hard if there are lots of other people out there chasing them).

Never race right into the middle of a work-up, as this nearly always shuts the action down immediately. Not only will your chances of catching a fish be ruined, so will everyone else’s. Instead, remain at a distance, then follow the next rule.

current keeps the activity debris moving. I

Look for the drift and current, and work out which direction the action’s ‘natural berley’ is likely to be flowing (called ‘the exhaust’). This can sometimes be 20-30 metres or more away from the activity’s centre – you’ll find the bulk of the snapper feeding here, so position the boat to drift down the side of the work-up where the tide is distributing the food.

them, as there may have been a massive work-

Use a drogue to slow the drift if necessary, and cast ahead of the drift direction so your lure can be yo-yoed in a vertical manner for longer (a line angle exceeding 45-degrees prevents the lures from working as effectively). If the drift is successful, don’t race off to the next work-up; instead, try your drift line again and maybe drift a little further along, as the

have successfully fished the same drift over and over again for an hour after the work-up finished. If you see a large concentration of birds sitting on the water, try drifting downcurrent from up that’s just recently gone down (I have had some great fishing doing this). Also, birds don’t like to expend energy, so will often sit on the baitfish and wait for it to be worked to the surface by predators such as kahawai, kingfish, dolphins, whales and sharks. Check your charts to make sure you’re not fishing in the cable zones, as this is where the work-ups often occur and it’s very tempting to fish there. Keep in mind that if you get caught (I saw a lot of people being apprehended last year), you may get a large fine! Good luck – tight lines and I hope to see you out there! . 

www.nzfisher.co.nz 17

// FISHING

A Guide to

TOP WATER LURES BY MARK KITTERIDGE

No doubt about it, casting and retrieving surface lures is second only to jigging for the amount of effort expended.

18 www.nzfisher.co.nz

Better gear and improved tactics allow even the older and less fit among us to get out and target kings on top-water lures.

These days, however, I wonder if the pain is being caused by atrophying muscles slowly ripping off crumbling bones. Also, I can end up on quite a lean by day’s end, thanks to my upper back and shoulder muscles knotting themselves into pretzels on one side – and I’ll often wake that night to find my popperblooping arm cramping uncontrollably and my elbow painfully locked. These days, however, I wonder if the pain is being caused by atrophying muscles slowly ripping off crumbling bones. Also, I can end up on quite a lean by day’s end, thanks to my upper back and shoulder muscles knotting themselves into pretzels on one side – and I’ll often wake that night to find my popperblooping arm cramping uncontrollably and my elbow painfully locked. So with physical problems increasingly playing a part these days, I’ve had to find sneaky ways to keep going through a tough day or three of surface-lure fishing – and some of these strategies may help you, too.

Poppers or stick-baits? As both methods have their pros and cons, it

can be tough deciding which lure method to deploy. For example, many anglers like stickbaits because their relatively streamlined forms mean they’re easier to work through or across the water than chugger/blooper-style lures. On the downside, they’re not as effective as poppers for attracting and exciting any kingfish in the near vicinity – a role especially well suited to a cup-faced popper; you can’t beat its watery slurp for ringing the dinner bell! But despite being a great attractor, this lure’s not perfect either. There will be times when kingfish race in, bulging and swirling behind the splashing, bubbling lure, but refusing to bite – until a stick-bait is tossed their way. Consequently it usually pays to have one angler on a popper rod and another on the stick-bait outfit to cover the bases. (For this reason it can also be beneficial to have another angler jigging in deeper water, as this often entices deep-down kings closer to the surface, within range of surface lures.) So if the fishing-tackle budget’s not that flash, you might like to team up with a regular fishing buddy and buy one specialist outfit www.nzfisher.co.nz 19

// FISHING each. Then you can swap with each other over a long session to give tired muscles a break – especially as it’s highly likely that one method will outperform the other. Be aware, though, that kingfish can change their lure preferences in a remarkably short time.

Selecting a rod As already mentioned, the gear used for both types of lures is reasonably similar and good rods should share the following attributes: be long enough to cast a good distance; be able to manipulate lures so they move through/across the water enticingly; possess minimal overall weight; ‘fold away’ to some degree when hooked up, leaving the angler with a shorter rod to fight the fish more effectively. Consequently, rods around 2.3-2.4m are favoured by most top-water practitioners, enabling them to make long, raking casts into the likelier locations. This also means they’re left with plenty of retrieval distance afterwards – and therefore time – in which to attract and excite kingfish into striking. However, such rods can be challenging to cast in cramped situations, may prove unwieldy and

tiring when actively retrieving lures (poppers especially), and can make fighting hooked kingfish pretty tough (fortunately, most stick-bait rods have faster tapers/actions than specialist popper rods, so fold away, leaving a fish-fighting lever). Therefore, as an aging, deteriorating flabby angler, I’m often happy to use a slightly shorter rod (2.1-2.2m in length) when fishing poppers in particular. Yes, anglers using longer rods will often reach the better spots before me, but my rod’s shorter length makes casting relatively easy, is great for imparting darting, weaving actions to stickbaits, and efficiently creates eruptions with poppers. Then, upon hooking up, it’s tough on the kingfish, not me. Also, as the overall outfit is lighter to hold and less taxing to operate, I’m usually able to fish for longer. Obviously rod weight is not just determined by rod length – the rod blank’s composition also has a huge bearing. Consequently, it’s hard to beat graphite (or composite graphite), as this material is very powerful for its weight. Speaking of which – just how much power is really needed? What are your realistic

The writer’s chest might have slipped downwards, but his 18kg quarry still ended up in the boat. 20 www.nzfisher.co.nz

The Williamson Jet’s holes help to dissipate water pressure, making them less likely to fly out the water, but still produce an impressive disturbance when worked properly.

capabilities? For example, there’s no point getting a PE8 (80lb/37kg) rod when you can only pull hard enough to warrant one rated around PE5 (50lb/24kg). Personally, while I CAN still pull hard enough to warrant PE8 (mostly thanks to weighing 90 kilos and having a ‘low centre of gravity’), it’s tough on my crocked, overused elbows, so I only do so when necessary. Now, what makes a stick-bait rod different to one designed for poppers? Basically it’s in the rod’s upper section: those made for poppers require a gruntier tip, so the angler’s rod-ripping efforts are transferred through to the chugger-type popper to produce the all-important ‘bloop’. This watery disturbance sounds just like a predator feeding on prey, and serves to both attract and excite kingfish, so having a rod that creates this effect as efficiently as possible is a big plus. Indeed, because the ‘bloop’ plays such a vital part in attracting predators, some companies are making lures with ever-bigger faces to produce larger and louder watery disturbances. However, while this makes sense, the lures’ broader face not only requires more force from the angler to make them work properly, they

also need a rod with a firmer tip to realise their full potential. The result is a long, stiffish popper rod (basically a crowbar waiting to be used against the angler by any fish hooked) and often a quickly tiring angler – hardly a recipe for long-term popper-fishing success. That’s why I’m happy to stick with standardsized poppers and concentrate on getting the best possible performance from them with my rod actions. This allows me to use fastertapered popper rods which, as explained earlier, make better fish-fighting tools (and also enable me to use them with stickbaits, too). Less strenuous fishing and easier kingfish battles equate to fishing for longer. (Having said that though, when a fellow angler produces a series of submarine nuclear explosions that make your own little blips and bloops pale into insignificance, it can certainly knock your confidence!)

Now for the reel… Top-water reels

Fortunately, it’s possible to have one reel that suits both poppers and stick-baits – provided it holds at least 250m of 24kg braid, is strongly www.nzfisher.co.nz 21

// FISHING built, has a smooth, powerful drag, and offers a reasonably speedy line retrieval rate (determined by combining the reel’s gear ratio with its spool circumference). The line capacity is particularly important to old/weak/unfit people, as this basically determines the reel’s overall size and weight. You want a reel that’s as small and light as practically possible, especially over long fishing sessions, so choose one you can handle – even if this means going down to 24kg braid. However, don’t forget about 30kg. True, it’s not a line-weight that’s recognised by International Game Fishing Association (IGFA), but most anglers aren’t chasing records, and with 13 kilos (30lb!) difference between the 24 and 37kg official line classes, it offers a very useful compromise. Most importantly, its use often allows you to choose the next-sizedown spinning reel (based on the 250-300m minimum line capacity criteria), which means a corresponding (and often considerable) reduction in weight. Indeed, my current popper reel, a Shimano Stella 10000, is around two-thirds the weight of its bigger brothers – almost seven ounces (200g) lighter. Better still, 30kg line does not mean sacrificing much firepower. Braid is notorious for overtesting, and although the degree varies a great deal between different brands and ranges, you’ll usually still have close to 37kg breaking strain at your disposal if the connections are well tied/spliced. Next up, the reel’s drag system: this should be able to exert plenty of smooth stopping pressure when required, but be practical about this. For example, while the better reel brands and models can offer huge drag pressures, to actually set this maximum would likely snap the arms from our bodies or wrench us over the side. I therefore suggest you ignore those gargantuan drag capabilities and set the drag pressure to a level that feels comfortable for 22 www.nzfisher.co.nz

The only disadvantage of a smaller spin reel is the increased chance of being spooled.

you. For example, although my ‘little’ Stella has impressive 23-kilo (51-pound) maximum drag pressure capabilities, I’ll typically set it to around 11-13kg and then use my fingertips to provide added pressure during the fight if required. A drag that’s set well within its limit will also stay reliable for longer. So don’t let others bully you into setting a drag pressure that’s too much for your capabilities, or a very expensive outfit may get lost overboard. As for the ideal line-retrieval rate, this is tricky, as it depends on the reel’s line-load circumference combined with the gear ratio. Basically, though, you’re looking for a reel that’s fast enough to work your lures effectively, but not so highly geared that it is hard to wind when fighting big fish. The ‘perfect compromise’ may be a personal thing, but to give you some idea, most of the better

surface-fishing reels tend to have ratios between 4.4:1 and 5.8:1. So is there a downside to using a more compact reel? Yes – the smaller spool. Aside from the obvious problem of potentially getting spooled more easily, the line level goes down more quickly during casting, resulting in increasingly more friction as the line slips up and over the spool rim. This serves to cut down on potential casting distance, and when combined with a shorter rod as recommended earlier, can be a serious disadvantage while casting alongside anglers using longer rods and bigger reels. The solution is to sneakily place yourself ahead of the others – up in the open bow area is best, perhaps standing in the anchor well and/or wedged into the bowsprit rails if possible, as it’s nice and open for unhindered casting both sides and means you can reach new areas first. Otherwise, simply go out with anglers who are even older and feebler than you!

Other useful accessories You’ve got to have a decent rodgimbal belt. While a spinning rod fitted with a fat, bulbous butt does make it possible to fight kingfish by simply jamming it into your body somewhere, I can do without the macho bruises. A gimbal belt sporting a generous, easily accessed cup is far better, keeping the rod in place, yet still allowing you to change rod angles if necessary.

From the top: Chuggers come in all shapes, weights and sizes. Don’t forget the old pencil poppers – they occupy a useful niche between chuggers and stick-baits. Sometimes kingfish will only eat a stick-bait! www.nzfisher.co.nz 23

// FISHING A pair of light but tough gloves is handy, too. In addition to the usual rigours associated with unforgiving braid and handling big fish, your hands get really hammered by the sun fishing this way, so do them a favour.

design has certainly been responsible for a lot of big kingfish in the past. It’s also a good pattern to use when conditions are rough; as the retrieve is constant, there’s less risk of the lure tumbling.