This snapper went 22lb and he said, “the Snapper Snatcher rigs always seem to bring in the bigger and better fi sh, great hooks and I’ve never had a knot come un-done.” Andrew Davies cau
Trang 1MARCH 2019 / ISSUE #230 / $9.90(incl GST)
New Zealand Bay
SUPER SIZED SNAPPER
WHEN FORTUNE FAVOURS THE YOUNG
THE BEST OF TIMES
THE WORST OF TIMES
FRESHWATER
ISSN 2324- 3953 (PRINT) ISSN 2324-3961 (ONLINE)
OCEAN BORN STICKBAITS AND POPPERS
Trang 2BOTANY, AUCKLAND
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Trang 34BB+1TB 4BB+1TB 4BB+1TB 6BB+1TB
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Trang 4SEND US YOUR PHOTO AND YOU COULD APPEAR IN OUR ADS & WIN A PRIZE!
Send a photo of you and your catch to photos@blackmagictackle.com , or tag @blackmagictackle in your social
media post and we’ll enter you into all of our photo competitions
Fishing in Rangaunu Bay and using squid for bait on a Black Magic
‘KL 5/0 Pinky’ Snatcher ® rig is a recipe for success for Rupert Gates
This snapper went 22lb and he said, “the Snapper Snatcher rigs always
seem to bring in the bigger and better fi sh, great hooks and I’ve never
had a knot come un-done.”
Andrew Davies caught this nice 21kg kingy off Matitia,
Waiheke and said, “the 5/0 Tiger Snapper Snacks ® have been working a treat all summer I fought this kingfi sh for 10-15 minutes as a mate had hooked a smaller one at the same time
so it was mayhem on the boat We also got some nice John Dory’s on the same rigs.”
PROVEN RIGS!
QUALITY RIGS FOR ALL PURPOSES
A joint effort - this excellent 17lb snapper was reeled in off Raglan by Daniel and Thomas
Geddes They were using a Black Magic ‘Firefl y 7/0’
Snapper Whacker Impressive snapper boys!
A Black Magic
Squidly rig was used
by Scott Parry from Fishing & Adventure
to catch this amazing ling fi sh down in Fiordland The action can be viewed on TVNZ1
On Demand
“Awesome rig, I love it I fi nd I’m easily
casting 20m further than my mates with it”,
said Mario Herbert, after catching this
snapper surfcasting in Napier He was using
a Black Magic Longreach ‘Lumo’ rig.
Trang 5TWIN LURE, LEDGER STYLE RIG
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Trang 614 What’s inside
14 THE ULTIMATE FISHING MEMORY…
WHEN FORTUNE FAVOURS THE YOUNG
Andrew Randall Boys and big fish!
20 REVIEW: OCEAN BORN STICKBAITS AND POPPERS
Andrew Randall
22 A FAMILY FISHING TRIP… WELL SCRIPTED AND EXPERTLY EXECUTED
Alex Wallace
A successful day for dads and kids
28 SO, YOU WANT TO CATCH A BLUEFIN TUNA?
Pete McGregor Top tuna tips
34DESTINATION: THE GOLDEN BAY
46 PHOTO ESSAY – A DAY ON THE ROCKS
Scott Cushman
49 SKIPPERS’ GPS HOT SPOTS
Top skippers share their hot fishing spots!
50 THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY
Pete McGregor Sometimes the fish wins.
56 REVIEW: DAIWA KOHGA BAYRUBBER LURES
Scott Cushman
58 HUNTING THE ELUSIVE JOHN DORY
Rob Fort Haven’t got that John dory yet? Read on…
64 “TO BE OR NOT TO BE” PREPARED
Adrian Bell On-the-job training for preparedness
70 TACKLE TALK: THE OTHER KIND
20
40
March 2019 / Issue 230
Trang 7www.bayfisher.co.nz | 7
What’s inside
22
78 OKUMA PHOTO COMP
Send us your pics to be in to WIN!
80 GETTING WET IN 2019
Jeremy Viall
A hunting day that was hard to top
84 PRO DIVE PHOTO COMP
Send us your pics to be in to WIN!
86 TOP TAMURE TIPS:
CARING FOR YOUR CATCH - WET
Aunty Jude’s steamed mussels with garlic
and lime sauce
90 FISH TALES: PSYCHIATRIST’S, CAT
FISHING AND WHIPPER SNAPPERS
Mad Harry Hawkins and Betsy
Unique fishing experiences to start the
new year
92 JARVIS WALKER KIDS’ CLUB
Send us your kids’ fishing photos to WIN
94 NEW PRODUCTS
Check out the latest gear on the market
98 MOON, TIDES & BILL HOHEPA’S
Trang 8subscribe and save! Pay for 7 and get 8 issues delivered to your door!
go to page 102 to subscribe
Editorial
Cover pic:
Salem-Mahia Randall with the
land based catch of a lifetime.
ISSN 2324- 3953 ISSN 2324-3961 (Online)
NEW ZEALAND BAY FISHER
www.bayfisher.co.nz P: 07 543 5493
PUBLISHER
Ink IQ Ltd www.inkiq.co.nz
MANAGING DIRECTOR
& GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jodie Gollop jodie@inkiq.co.nz
EDITOR
Tony Dawson dawsons@farmside.co.nz P: 03 230 4563
Gordon & Gotch Enquiries Phone: 09 379 3100
NEW ZEALAND BAY FISHER
Postal Address: PO Box 9035 Greerton, Tauranga, NZ 3142 www.bayfisher.co.nz
All content is copyright to NZ Bay Fisher Magazine and cannot be reproduced without the publisher’s permission
We welcome features on fishing The text and images should be posted on disc or emailed to office@inkiq.co.nz The act of sending images and copy or related material shall constitute an express warranty by the contributor that the material
is original, exclusive to Ink IQ Ltd and in no way an infringement on the rights of others Disclaimer: The publisher will not be responsible for the accuracy of contributed material and advises that any given GPS positions are not to be relied on for navigational purposes Opinions expressed
in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.
March 2019 / Issue 230
Charles Dickens began his famous novel, A Tale Of Two Cities with the phrase… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” January has been a bit like that when it comes to one
my favourite fishing haunts.
I caught my first trout on the Mataura River, it’s
considered the to be New Zealand’s premier brown trout fly fishery and has an international reputation
as well I fish its length frequently, from the Fortrose estuary where it enters the sea to its headwaters almost within sight of Lake Wakatipu Silver searun brown trout are full of energy and superb
to eat, while the wily upland browns will test the most accomplished fly fisher But it’s not the trout that have delivered the greatest satisfaction this summer, it’s been what are to Southlanders more occasional visitors, the kahawai I know that most
of you won’t understand me getting a little excited about the presence of kahawai but in Southland they are bit like hot summer days, you enjoy them while you can, knowing that soon enough they’ll
be gone again They are superb sport for young and old alike on light spinning gear such as we use to battle the searunners We have enjoyed the kahawai’s presence immensely, so on the Mataura
at Fortrose this summer it’s been a case of… it was the best of times
Until a few days ago that was While upstream
on the river, a little below the township of Mataura, while casting mayfly imitations to casually rising browns I began to realise that all was not well with the river, it looked sick, it had turned a muddy green After continuing upstream I encountered
a discharge of what appeared to be a blue-green algal bloom from the town’s sewage oxidation ponds Probably a cyanobacterial bloom, a toxic hazard to animals and humans And there in the bright green discharge plume was a brown trout rising to take emerging mayflies I almost cried It’s not the first time this has happened or continued
to happen on this iconic river this summer, Gore has created similar problems with its sewage discharge as well My heart broke, I realised that this
summer on the Mataura… it was the worst of times Although a report was made and the incident is being investigated, while samples are analysed, the discharges continue It reminds us of the battle to conserve, repair and care for the fisheries we have, both fresh and saltwater, which lies ahead of us.Much of the content we have for you in this issue reflects the best of times, standout moments, special times and unexpected treasures Andrew Randal has related the adventure which saw his son secure a 30 lb snapper, the catch so far of his short lifetime Alex Wallace shares the detail of an outing with a mate and the children which, upon reflection was really a best of times outing Dan Govier and a friend enjoyed a brief holiday and success in Golden Bay as well Scott Cushman tells a story without words in his photo essay, his collection of images give the impression of a great time Jeremy Viall, Michael Somerville and Mad Harry add to the list of the best of times stories, unexpected treasures and memorable moments.Pete McGregor has put together a couple of ‘worst
of times’ stories in The Ones That Got Away, there was upset, uncomfortable silences and implied blame, he’s just telling it like it is sometimes Most
of what remains for you to discover within are the articles that are sharing expertise, experience and knowledge to help you avoid the worst of times scenario and move you towards the likelihood of the best Adrian Bell has some sage advice about being prepared and Rob Fort chips in with some,
‘how to’ if it’s John dory you’re after Naomi Peterson has a comprehensive run down on broadbill swordfish and how to go about targeting them while Pete McGregor has added something for those looking ahead to chasing bluefin tuna in 2019
We do hope you’ve enjoyed some of the best of times over summer and that they continue for you
MARCH 2019 / ISSUE #230 / $9.90
(incl GST)
New Zealand Bay
SUPER SIZED SNAPPER
WHEN FORTUNE F AVOURS THE YOUNG
THE BEST OF TIMES I FAMILY FRIENDLY TRIPS THE WORST OF TIMES I WHEN THE FISH WIN FRESHWATER
I SMALL STREAM TREASURES
I BEING PREPARED - OR NOT
I THE OTHER KIND OF TROLLING
ISSN 2324- 3953 (PRINT) ISSN 2324-3961 (ONLINE )
WE REVIEW: DAIWA KOHGA BAYRUBBER LURES
OCEAN BORN STICKBAITS AND POPPERS
Trang 916–19 MAY 2019
ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland
10am – 6pm Daily, Late Night Friday (9pm) Admission $20 online# or at the gate – Kids 16 & Under FREE
*Full details, terms & conditions at www.boatshow.co.nz †Rods & reels not included in prize # Last day for online ticket sales, 15 May 2019.
Trang 10Industrial Fishing Depletes the Bay Of Empty
LegaSea is a public outreach initiative of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council The Council has an experienced fisheries management, science, policy and legal team On behalf of the Council LegaSea raises funds and provides public- friendly information about
a variety of processes that are important for the sustainable management of fisheries for future generations Call 0800 LEGASEA (534 273) Email us info@legasea.co.nz Subscribe at www.legasea co.nz Read more at www facebook.com/legasea
The governance of our
marine fisheries is under
increasing scrutiny because
maintaining highly productive
ecosystems has given way
to transactional advocacy
targeting every possible fish
that can be justified Local
depletion and inter-tidal reefs
stripped bare sees coastal
communities and Kaitiaki
[guardians] crying out for
effective restraints Clearly the
current system is not working,
and this is affecting us all
Depleted fisheries
and degrading inshore
environments have an
impact on all fishers’ catch,
the enjoyment we get from
walking along a beach swirling
with life, and the legacy we
leave for our next generations
In the Bay of Plenty,
Kaitiaki have been striving
for acknowledgement and
protections of their special
places and values associated
with the marine life that
surrounds Motiti Island After
an arduous court process, the Regional Council is now obliged to develop controls that will impact on fishing
on several reefs around Motiti Island While the legal process is incomplete, this does highlight the complexity
of achieving any meaningful change to managing our inshore marine environment
As a nation, we have enabled 50 years of industrial exploitation of our fisheries
in search of export dollars
The bulk harvesting methods used have had an enduring, damaging impact on the benthic [seabed] environment
The once-thriving regional fishing towns have all but disappeared, replaced by the Quota Management System, and remote landlords renting quota to fishers working for a minor share of returns
The Bay has become so depleted that it is commonly referred to now as the “Bay of Empty” This is a crying shame,
given the productivity of the past Some of this history was presented during the Rena wreck proceedings, where experts talked about the steady decline of the local hapuku fishery They presented newspaper accounts documenting early gamefishing feats, and even earlier Maori trading of fish, and catch data
Many of the hard decisions required to restore abundance have been avoided by successive ministers, yet when
we look out our windows, the evidence is clear to see
Trawling is still the dominant fishing method and masses
of scallops continue to be dredged from the seabed
If we are serious about addressing the impacts of
50 years of bottom contact fishing in the Bay of Plenty,
we need to do more than just give lip service to maintaining the very habitat that our fish depend upon to survive and
thrive Nationwide, we need
to commit to being better Kaitiaki, enhancing our marine resources for the generations to follow
The most valuable
“must-be-won” Grand Prize in history just
got even better, it’s now worth
more than a quarter of a million
dollars
The $250,000 plus Surtees/
Yamaha Grand Prize will
be given away at this year’s
Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat
Show, at the ASB Showgrounds
on May 16-19 All those buying
tickets to the show, either
at the gate or online, will be
eligible to enter the Grand Prize draw, with those buying their tickets online getting a second, bonus entry
The prize package, which features a Surtees
750 Open Cabin Game Fisher, twin Yamaha 150hp 4-stroke outboards and the revolutionary new Yamaha Helm Master boat control system, has now been enhanced with the addition
of a $18,500 Hosking custom tandem braked trailer, a $17,000 Garmin electronics package, a
$7500 Balex Auto Boat Loader and a $4000 plus Lone Star drum winch package
The Hosking trailer has been specially designed and built for the Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize and will come complete with a Trailparts Credo multi-volt, wireless brake controller This will allow the
The 2019 Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize Is Now A ‘Quarter-Million’ Package
Grand Prize winner to simply
“plug in and go”, using any vehicle with a 3500kg towing capacity, without having to install a hard-wired brake controller The trailer, valued
at $18,500, will also feature multi-rollers, a self-centring roller combination and a 15:1 winch Rated to 3500kg, the trailer will come complete with Treadway light commercial tyres and fantastic looking alloy rims The trailer will also feature a Balex Auto Boat Loader, worth an additional
$7500, to make launching and retrieving a breeze, even when singlehanded in unpleasant conditions
Helping the Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize winner safely navigate to their favourite fishing and cruising grounds,
is a very impressive Garmin electronics package Valued
at over $17,000, it includes Garmin’s simple to use, intuitive, twin 12 inch GPSMap multi-function displays with GPS and chart-plotter There is also a Garmin GMR24 high definition
48 nm radar featuring bird
Trang 11www.bayfisher.co.nz | 11
mode and a chart overlay
function making it easy to
identify objects on shore,
at sea and at night The
dual CHIRP sonar and 1kW
transducer will identify fish
in depths up to 600m and
enable the operator to see
the seafloor at up to 800m
The Garmin VHF 115i marine
radio is a 25W unit capable
of communicating “over the
horizon” A commercial grade
unit, it is also super tough
and includes digital selective
calling (DSC) A chart card and
all the necessary cables, an
NMEA2000 starter kit and
connections are also included
The Surtees/Yamaha Grand
Prize will also include a Lone
Star GX3 Drum Winch package,
including rope and chain
Valued at more than $4000,
the GX3 features a 1500w
motor, gearbox and large
drum capacity, emergency
manual release and stainless
steel machined and anodised
aluminium construction
Rounding out the prize
package is a latest model
Fusion Apollo stereo, a
comprehensive Hella LED
lighting package, Seadeck
flooring throughout,
Oceanblue outriggers, HiTech
Plastic seating and a Go Pro
package with
professionally-positioned mounts A full
set of Hutchwilco inflatable
lifejackets and a year’s
Yamaha Marine Insurance are
also included
The 2019 Hutchwilco New
Zealand Boat Show will be held
at the ASB Showgrounds in
Greenlane, Auckland on May
16-19 Tickets to the show are just
$20 each and are now available online at www.boatshow.co.nz
All tickets bought online earn
a bonus entry into the Surtees/
Yamaha Grand Prize draw and are also automatically entered into the draw for a powered Viking Kayaks’ Reload package worth over $8000
Full details about the amazing Quarter Million Dollar Surtees/
Yamaha Grand Prize package, along with all the terms and conditions, are now available on the show’s website:
www.boatshow.co.nz
What: Hutchwilco New
Zealand Boat Show
Where: ASB Showgrounds,
children 16 & under FREE.
Straight out of the paint shop: the Grand Prize Surtees
750 Game Fisher in its striking Prowler Red livery.
The transom, complete with multi-battery stowage and live
bait tank, takes shape.
The Hosking Custom Tandem Trailer under construction for the ‘Quarter Million Dollar’
Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize.
from local inshore waters to the 3 Kings and beyond, Jig Star & Maxel have combos
to suit all your needs
Distributed by BCS Enterprises:
P: 04 589 3302 E: sales@bcsent.co.nz
Available from your specialist stores.
rise above the rest
Trang 12We don’t generally consider
engagements to be the kind
of news we would publish
However, there are times the
circumstances surrounding
an engagement are unique,
quirky, clever and involve
the sort of creative effort
that is sure to make most
people smile Sometimes we
discover blokes who fish are
incurable romantics We’d love
to share such a proposal and
engagement with you
Leighton Empson and
Brookie Lee, his partner of
three years, are dairy farmers,
contract milkers managing a
farm and herd of 250 cows
Brookie also works as a herd
tester They’re also mad
keen fishers The fishing
interest began at about the
same time as the interest in
each other began to develop
One of their outings early in
the relationship was when
Leighton took Brookie on a
fishing trip, she’d never really
fished before They fished out
of Raglan and Brookie’s catch
of the day was a 15 lb snapper,
not bad for a first catch
Showing a keen interest in
both Leighton and fishing, the
trips continued Next capture
for Brookie was a 15 kg kingi
and in time she caught her first
gamefish, a striped marlin of
103 kg Brookie was hooked,
on fishing and on Leighton
The couple have a modest but
well equipped Mako Savage
trailer boat and it became clear
that their shared interest in
game fishing was becoming a
shared passion
Leighton knew Brookie was
a keeper, probably because
A Good News Story
she was inclined to buy him fishing gear including new game lures… and because they shared quite a few interests and worked well together The lure Brookie gave Leighton for Christmas might have been a hint or the confidence booster he needed Inscribed within was the message,
“Without you I would be lost
at sea — wifey.” Leighton thought it was about time to buy Brookie a game lure for
a change So, in January he contacted Gary Stone at DTF Lures and commissioned
a very special custom lure
The head contained a special message and the skirt colours were Brookie’s favourite colour combination
On the 27th of January on
a game fishing outing, the second day of two in fact, Leighton set the spread and shortly after asked Brookie
to bring in one in particular
to check, he suggested it didn’t look like it was running correctly As the lure was being inspected by Brookie she discovered the lure had
a message for her within it,
“Brookie will you marry me?”
As she turned to Leighton she discovered him on his knee
on the cockpit floor, ready to make a proposal of marriage, while the autopilot kept them steaming It would have been much easier in a flatter sea, Leighton says
He held no ring in his hand though His suggestion was that Brookie should check the leader and make sure that was all OK… and there it was, an engagement ring also threaded
BUY DIRECT FROM THE
trailer requirements from
Trang 13www.bayfisher.co.nz | 13
on the leader “That’s a bit
brave”, I suggested to Leighton
His response, “I know but I
had a backup ring with me
— just in case” He’s a man who
covers all his bases
So what did young Brookie
say? She was obviously
excited and not at all hesitant
but it took a few moments to
get the answer he was hoping
for As suggested Leighton
is a man who knows how to plan for every eventuality
They’d been fishing beyond the Aldermans and they weren’t strictly speaking, in their own patch, however his helpful friends at the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club had prepared the board to record Leighton’s catch of the day
Brookie was Leighton’s only catch of the day, they’d only managed
to raise one marlin
on an otherwise quiet day, but it may well prove to be a catch of
a lifetime
Now then, didn’t that make you smile and isn’t that a bit of good news?
‘DOWN TO FISH’
E:dtflures@gmail.com • Gary: 021 02414911 • Aden: 021 1171495 • Facebook: DTF Lures • www.dtflures.co.nz
• Quality handcrafted game fishing lures and accessories
• Great selection of proven lures and colours
• We will work with you to make your perfect custom combo
• Made in West Auckland NZ
Trang 14fea
Trang 15www.bayfisher.co.nz | 15
WORDS AND PHOTOS:
ANDREW RANDALL I started my fishing journey when I was around six years old I
would head down to the river with my siblings, and we would spend hours terrorizing the local sprat population Occasionally
we would run into bigger fish, having numerous battles with large kahawai that would test our light tackle to the limits
From there I progressed to fishing off the rocks, and it wasn’t long before I was introduced to kingfish and New Zealand’s most famous fish of all, “Pagrus Auratus,” or as we know it, the humble snapper.
For anybody who targets snapper, breaking
the 20-pound mark is almost always an aspiration For me it took around 15 years before I was able to achieve this goal Not that I didn’t have plenty of chances, but I had
to learn the hard way with dodgy knots, broken traces and pulled hooks, all leaving
me completely devastated
When it finally happened, I was
so sure I had hooked a stingray that I fought the fish in a very unconventional manner After an initial howling run, it didn’t really do much, so
I tightened up the drag and pretty much winched it in It wasn’t until I saw the outline
of a huge snapper that the panic set in — fortunately my mate was on hand with the gaff
to secure my trophy Even though this fish was in very poor post-spawn condition, it weighed in
at an incredible 26.45 lbs, in large part due to its amazing length of 94 centimetres
When I think about it, most of my journey has been trial and error, as I never really had people around me who could impart their wisdom, and
we definitely didn’t have access to the internet, that endless source of information on how to catch your dream fish I would have to say that I learnt through pain Maybe not the best way, but boy you learn quickly When it comes to my own children, they have been lucky enough to have had an old man who has done the hard yards and has paved the way for them to catch some pretty cool fish
All my four children have caught snapper, but
it is my third child Manawa (aka “the snapper slayer”) who certainly takes the cake with some pretty impressive fish on his resume His first really solid fish was caught on a beautiful autumn morning at my all-time favourite fishing
The condition of this fish
was truly remarkable It was
nothing like I had ever seen
91cm and over 13 kgs.
Trang 16spot It is not a traditional snapper haunt, but I
have caught a huge number of kingfish there,
including my personal best of 40 kilograms The
spot has a current that can absolutely crank
and even though we have caught snapper to six
kilograms, Mana was able to land a great fish of
eight kilograms (18 lbs), at the tender age of ten
His second fish went a tad bigger when we were
fishing in spring at another favourite spot that
can only be accessed with an inflatable It was a
very early start and Mana decided mid-morning
that he would have a snooze and let Dad man
the rod for a while No sooner had he woken up
and I had handed the rod back to him, than the
reel started to scream All the way through the
fight, we were adamant that it was a kingfish But
as it came to the surface, we saw the coppery
flash of a big snapper This one weighed in at 8.5
kilograms, very close to 19 lbs
But as far as recent catches go, it is my baby,
ten-year-old Salem-Mahia who has produced what
can only be described as a fish of a lifetime Saley
has caught the bug, and been fishing regularly
with me for the last year We started him off
on kahawai and then I took him around the
coast to see if we could get him onto a kingfish
It was only ten minutes into the trip when he
landed his first fish of around 10 kilograms As
the weather started to cool over winter and
the spring months approached, we began to
turn our attention to snapper Saley caught
some nice fish to four kilograms in early spring
and even managed to out fish the old man on
successive trips
It was in mid-December that I was beginning
to get itchy feet, and wanted to target kingfish again for both the food and the fight It was back
up to spot x with Salem-Mahia and my friend Tim Conditions looked superb and I decided to concentrate predominantly on stick baiting On the first morning, we managed to raise several fish to 15 kilograms but were unable to entice a bite It was back to my favourite kingfish ledge, and the goal was to fish into dusk Once again
it looked great but things were pretty dead It
is amazing how a spot can look so epic and yet the fishing be so slow I had been using berley pretty heavily and all we had managed to attract was a huge stingray that was cruising around looking for a free feed Salem was mesmerised and was so keen to hook the stingray, but even though he was using the old broom stick with a bait runner and 100-pound braid, I was not at all keen Mr Ray looked to have been in excess of
100 kilograms
We were running low on bait so I cut an large blue maomao straight down the middle long ways with a single 8/0 BKK heavy circle hook positioned at the top of the tail Saley was mucking around practicing his casting, not listening to Dad’s instructions by throwing his bait in close proximity of My Ray He cast again basically right at his feet, so I headed off to grab some tackle And then I heard the screams Tim (who was standing next to Salem at the time) started yelling at me to come back as the reel screamed in protest and Salem was pulled forward nearly going for a swim Tim grabbed the
Trang 17it comes to big fish The rule is that if they hook
a fish that they cannot control, I will generally take the rod off them for safety reasons The fact that I was not present when Salem hooked the fish was a huge factor in allowing him to stay on the rod Even though we always use life jackets, keeping safe on the rocks is always more important than any fish we hook
Once I was standing by his side I just gave him encouragement and watched as he battled back and forth with the huge fish It was after about the seven-minute mark that my first shred of doubt came as to whether he had hooked the mighty
My Ray Even though there were still some solid runs, my boy was starting to make some progress and was gaining some line There was no way
he would have been able to gain line on such a big ray so early in the fight with his current drag setting And my suspicions were confirmed when the bright sun reflected the shape of a big snapper down in the depths I knew it was a good fish, but nothing prepared me for what popped
to the surface within three metres of the ledge After fishing for over 40 years, I have seen some seriously big snapper, but I was in complete shock to see a snapper in such great condition Panic stations set in pretty quick as I asked for the gaff, but after Salem’s initial strike, Tim was not too keen to let go of his life jacket The net I had
LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM:
To put it in perspective here is a size
11 shoe next to the 13kg plus snapper Caught
on a BKK heavy circle hook
My trophy snapper Even though my fish was 3cm longer
it didn’t have the condition having been caught post spawning I would love to have seen this fish a couple of months earlier
in all its glory.
Manawa (aka the snapper slayer) This fish went 8.5kgs and fought like a kingfish all the way to the rocks.
Salem-Mahia’s first snapper
Little did he know it would
be within a year that he would secure his trophy.
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Trang 18bought was designed for kingfish up to around
12 kilograms My first attempt saw an epic fail,
as I could barely get the net over the snapper’s head I took my time, and managed to just get the snapper in the net, but as I lifted the fish, the netting tore under the weight of the fish I managed to wrestle it in, and as we lifted it onto the rocks, there were cheers and hugs all round
Having caught snapper to over 26 lbs myself, I knew this fish was comfortably bigger It looked
like it had eaten a horse and was in incredible pre-spawn condition Poor Salem’s arms nearly dropped off as I proceeded to take photo after photo to do the fish justice There was never a question about whether we’d release the fish or not We generally keep enough fish for a feed and only start releasing once we have our fill The fish measured in at 91cm, 3 cm shorter than
my trophy, but with its incredible condition, felt
it could have challenged the famous 30-pound mark It weighed in at a little more than 13 kilograms (30 lbs) on the scales we had brought, but looking back I should have taken it to Waihau Bay for an official weigh in
I was truly in shock with what had just taken place I tried to explain to my son what he had just achieved, but he only got it in part Catching
a 20 pound snapper is a huge accomplishment
in anyone’s book but for a ten-year-old boy to hook, fight and land a 30 pound fish off the rocks was extraordinary When I look back, I have to say it was a very unique catch He was the same age as his brother when he got his big snapper Just like my trophy, we thought it was a stingray until we had seen the fish And as I mentioned earlier, it would have been likely that I would have taken the rod off him for safety reasons
if I was there when he first hooked the beast For him to catch it was so much more special and memorable than if it had been me We are not really sure if it is some sort of record for the largest snapper caught by a ten-year-old off the rocks I would be interested if anyone knows of one bigger
Finally, I have never been one to think about sending a fish off to a taxidermist I have caught and released a lot of big snapper and I have always been more interested in just taking a photo and eating what I keep But the more
I thought about it, the more it made sense I always look after my fish and put the fish straight
on salt ice once I get back to the car It is not everyday that your son catches such a trophy fish Most will not see a fish this size in their lifetime Keeping the memory alive seemed
a great way to not only honour the catch, but also to have a family heirloom for generations
to come A quick call to Rob Fort and the fish was wrapped in a wet towel, rubbish bag and put on a flat board in the freezer for ultimate preservation until it could be sent off later in the year for Rob to work his magic
I know I keep saying it but even as I write this
I am still in shock After fishing for a very long time and catching some amazing fish along the way to be with my son and see him catch a fish like this was an incredible experience Fishing can, at any time, blow you away with a surprise that will be imprinted in your memory for ever Fishing fortune is no respecter of persons and
it doesn’t matter how much experience you have it can knock you on your butt at any time You just never know when it will happen I have learnt over the years that the best thing you can
do is just get out there and get a rod set up and a line in the water There is no perfect time — just time on the water Now get out there…
It doesn’t get much
better than this, seeing your son catch
the fish of a lifetime
Truly blessed.
Trang 20We Review
Product: Ocean Born Stickbaits and Poppers
STICKBAITS
& POPPERSREVIEWER: ANDREW RANDALL
When the editor asked me to do a
review on some stickbaits, I knew I
was venturing into a fishing genre
that I was not normally accustomed
to You see, I am pretty old-school
When targeting pelagics off the rocks,
I normally use bait — dead baits, live
baits and even skipping baits across
the surface But over the last few years,
I haven’t been able to ignore the surge
in both range and popularity of
top-water lures They have taken the New
Zealand fishing scene by storm and
have been extremely effective on our
resident kingfish.
Trang 21www.bayfisher.co.nz | 21
introduced a line of poppers and stickbaits designed by world-wide fishing legend, Patrick Sebile, under the A Band of Anglers brand Sebile has travelled the world to work out what works and what doesn’t, and has come up with a new line
of lures called Ocean Born
I was sent three different types of lures A 90 gram Green Mackerel sinking flying pencil, an 80 gram Lime Glow Chartreuse sinking flying popper and finally, a 126 gram Lime Glow Chartreuse super-long-distance flying pencil
My thought on first seeing the lures was that they are quite
different than any others I had seen before One thing that stands out is that they are designed for maximum cast-ability
They incorporate side-wings, low air-friction ribs and angled tail-wings that further reduce the effect of air flow during the cast That is why they are called the “Flying Series.” And the proof is in the pudding, where I would say they are the best casting lure I have used They are a very well-balanced and compact lure, making them not only very easy to cast, but also allowing them to travel through the air
at break-neck speed I was able
to get crazy distance on these lures, which is a real bonus As
it says on the packet, this allows you to “catch fish that others can’t reach.”
A lure that casts well is one
thing, but it’s quite another thing to observe its action in the water These lures come with a standard 4 or 6x treble hook I always replace the split rings and hooks on any lure that I receive with high-end hardware This also allows me to try something different, mixing things up with singles rather than trebles, and to assess any changes, for better or worse, on the action
of the lure The same low air-friction ribs that reduce air resistance also improve water turbulence And the side wings give the lure more lift and action The key with any lure is
to work out what action works best There are many different techniques, like walking the dog, skipping the lure along the surface or slowly swimming
it underneath the surface
These can be achieved by changing the retrieve speed
or cadence It took me a while
to figure it out, but once I did,
I was impressed by the action
of the lure
Fitting in a trip was a bit of a
mission as work got in the way, but a window opened up three days before the full moon along my favourite section of coast The goal was to target kingfish, so
I got the stick bait set up out straight away I made use of my
MC Works Raging Bull PE5-8 rod with a Stella 10000 reel, as
I knew that where I was fishing requires a heavy drag to skull drag the kingfish away from the rocks And it didn’t take long for the lure to work its magic
It was only my first cast, when
a small kingfish jumped clean out of the water and attacked the flying pencil lure Wow, that was quick Throughout the day
we managed a heap of kingfish ranging from 50-105 cm as well
as numerous kahawai It ended
up being a very productive day Overall, I would rate these lures very highly, considering they are in the low to medium price range as far as stickbaits and poppers go If you are looking for something that
is compact, casts well and catches fish, try the Ocean Born flying series
more info @ www.blackmagictackle.com
Trang 22WORDS AND PHOTOS: ALEX WALLACE
It was an immaculate day out on the Manukau A brisk
westerly breeze meant crossing the bar was a no go, but
tucked in under the leeward shores of Mako Point there was
barely a ripple upon the water As the kids gathered around
to inspect the mottled camouflage of a marble-fish, I spotted
a large eagle ray flapping slowly past us in the tide He was
in no hurry to get anywhere and lined up on the gunnels, the
young faces were a picture as they marveled at its graceful
flight down-tide With the summer sun on our backs and a
boat load of enthusiastic young fishers onboard, this was
shaping up to be a great day out for all.
enjoyed as a release from the pressures of
a busy life — the daily burden of bringing
home the bacon, and the day to day chores
around the home — and even, as an escape
from the family I’m guilty, just as others are,
of enjoying a few stolen hours away from the
wife and kids — even though my two young
girls will often beg me to take them along
when I’m prepping my gear the night before a
trip In reality, your vessel, environment and
circumstances will dictate the practicalities of
whether a family trip is appropriate I’ve had
too many trips ruined by cold, argumentative or
sea-sick kids, and so I now know when it’s good
to take them out to sea — and when it’s best to
say no
This trip, however, we had planned thoroughly
There are so many variables to cater for that you never truly know if the day will unfold as expected, but the best you can do is account for all but the most unexpected circumstances
Fortunately, this was not to be one of those days when things went awry Nothing was lost overboard, nobody poked anyone else in the eye and not a single regurgitated sausage roll was spewed upon the decks And I’ll take that as a victory for the two dads who game-planned the whole event!
After our close encounter with the majestic eagle ray, the kids were amping to get wet themselves Pre-clad in togs since 7:00 AM, the swim was, for them the focal point of our day
Much as I extolled the rush of adrenaline and excitement when battling a kingfish, the little guys were never swayed from the anticipated
Trang 23www.bayfisher.co.nz | 23
Trang 24TUTUKAKA NORTHLAND
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climax of their trip — the chance to jump
overboard and swim to the beach So, before the
excitement boiled over, we headed around the
headland to Orua Bay and claimed a 30 m stretch
of empty white sand beach for ourselves While
the eastern coast of the Owhitu peninsula does
in many ways resemble the Coromandel (though
still within sight of the Sky Tower on the distant
horizon), there are very few people who have
discovered its charms The beaches are quiet,
empty and spectacularly scenic With white
sand, warm waters and fringed by Pohutukawa,
they are the quintessential kiwi beaches, but
minus the crowds
While the kids splashed around, dug holes
and prepared sand balls for an impeding attack
upon our vessel, we reminded them that we still
held all their stores of food and were their only
means of transport back to civilization — and
so the impending mutiny was avoided without
unnecessary bloodshed
As much as we enjoyed the downtime, the
tide was high and that meant just an hour or so
until the it began to rip through the Manukau
Heads As the tide awoke, so too did the packs of
kingfish that roam the channels and these were
our quarry for the afternoon Of course, the odds
on one of our youngsters battling and landing
a supercharged kingi were slim, but they could certainly partake in the livebaiting mission We needed a few spry young kahawai for the tank, and a rich berley trail is usually an effective invitation that beckons them We set the slick oozing from the pot and sat down to await the fish It was a slow day for diners and, with very little action, we managed to scrape together just three healthy specimens Two kahawai and a lone mullet, jagged from a school that ventured too close for their own good
Time and tide wait for no one, so with a crew again close to mutiny, we hauled anchor and set off for our next adventure, the search for the elusive kingfish It’s been a productive year for kings on the Manukau Whether folk are better versed in how to catch them, or whether their numbers have increased, I don’t know, but there
do seem to be more being caught than ever Most
of the fish fall into the 8-12 kg category, which
is not huge by any standards, but they sure put
up one hell of a fight A few of the bigger fish are there also A friend had caught a 25 kg specimen
on a live mullet, at the very spot we were to fish,
Trang 25www.bayfisher.co.nz | 25
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so there was always the chance of hooking up to
a horse
The westerly wind had really picked up by
early afternoon, and the flood of water from the
out-going tide was churning the sea into steep
peaks We bumped our way slowly forward into
the wind, with salt spray blowing across the
deck and soaking the gang, who enjoyed every
second of the fairground ride Fortunately, our
destination was somewhat less choppy, and
upon arrival, we set to readying the troops for
action The sea anchor was deployed, to slow
our drift and down went two of the precious
livebaits, out into the flowing tide I’ve learnt
that it’s never just the fish that need feeding
If you keep the nippers nibbling as well, you’ll
have far fewer complaints
We didn’t have to wait long for the kingfish to
show themselves I’d opted to fish the mullet,
and within a few minutes, I had a healthy run
on the bait Kingfish are smash and grabbers
They hit the bait hard and then bolt off with the
baitfish still in their jaws As line peels off the
spool, the instinct is to strike hard, but you have
to control your urges and feed the fish more line
to be sure they have time to swallow their prey
Mullet, especially, are quite the mouthful and we have learned to keep the reel in free-spool and then count slowly to ten before even thinking
to engage the gears and set the hooks On this occasion the ruse worked perfectly, and as the rod loaded up under the strain of a weighty foe, I braced myself to hold on and enjoy the ride
As with most of the muddy Manukau Harbour, there is little rock or reef structure to concern yourself with You don’t need to muscle a fish into submission Instead it’s a case of loosening off the drag a little and savouring the thrill of every run
This particular fish was a lively competitor and took me for a walk from one side of the boat to the other The children were loving the struggle almost as much as I was They’d seen and caught snapper before, but this was the first time they’d witnessed a proper kingi tussle Lined up in a row against the sides, they all leaned over to catch the first glimpse of colour as the fish slowly appeared from the depths But the fight was far from over yet A few more dives for freedom before churning the surface into a boil of foaming spray was enough to send the kids scuttling back
to the sanctuary of the cabin Grabbing the fish
by the tail, I triumphantly hauled it aboard, and
Trang 26exchanged a round of high fives with all the crew
I don’t think the kids had ever seen their old Dad
so happy!
After a round of photos where everyone got a chance to hold the fish, it was time to drop the lines again on another drift We had just one livey left and with the kingfish hard on the chew we had another one hooked within minutes This time Pano was on the rod and as always, another lively fight ensued The kids were enthralled with the whole spectacle and cheered him on as
the rod bucked and dived in his hands Just for once, it all seemed too easy and with two good fish in the boat within 30 minutes, we were clean out of live-bait, so the fishing was brought to an enforced stop, which, to be honest, was probably for the best The children had had their thrills The dads had laid on a great day out and getting home early wasn’t such a bad thing with a couple
of kings on the score-board Best of all, there were three junior crew members still amped up from the buzz of a great day out
Trang 27What’s on in March?
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Western Bay Services Tournament 18-20th March 2019
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Trang 28WORDS AND PHOTOS:
PETE MCGREGOR,
BONZE LURES GRAPHIC:
big game anglers Not least because they were, until recently, something that trailer boat anglers were unlikely to come across
or catch They are a deep water, fast current migratory fish which have very small stomachs
in comparison to their size Consequently, they need to feed constantly Their relatively short bodies create immense speed and power They travel in packs, so the likelihood of multiple hook-ups is high, but more about that later
BOAT PREPARATION
Cape Runaway is the closest point at which deep
water comes to New Zealand’s North Island shores Commercial fishermen have known of this hotspot for tuna for years, but only recently have trailer boat anglers cottoned on There is
a trench there about 11 nm off the cape where the water depth drops to 1000 metres, and it continues on down, so that a further 10 nm out
it reaches 2000 m This is tough territory with tremendous currents and potentially strong winds, so fishing there is not for the faint-hearted While weather conditions were relatively benign for us in 2017, I spent two days there in the (so-called) 2018 season, and each day returning to base at Waihau Bay was tough, especially our
Trang 29www.bayfisher.co.nz | 29
second day when it took two hours with large
standing pressure waves creating seas that
regularly crashed up over the boat windscreen
to the cabin top, all the way in to Waihau Bay You
need a hardtop It was a relief when the Surtees
finally pulled in to the Waihau Bay Sport Fishing
Club haven
Preparation of your boat is essential It goes
without saying that you need to have a very
reliable motor, lifejackets and VHF radio An
EPIRB is also a good option I carry two, one fitted
to the boat and another fitted to me
Fuel is also an issue There is a 24 hr
pay-by-card bowser at Waihau Bay, but it is very close
to the launching ramp, and getting to it can
therefore be a problem as you have to wait in
the launching queue for access The first day we
were there in 2018, there were 188 boats out! You
will need lots of fuel on the boat If you find the
fish are at 1800 m depth, it’s a long way to that
point — you may even find yourself alternating
between 1000 m and 1800 m and then there is
the long slog back — so take heaps I have just
fitted an auxiliary fuel tank in to the underfloor
wet locker in the Surtees to augment my main
tank, especially for trips like this, but I will still be
taking an extra can on board as well You could
look at driving the half hour winding trip back
along the Coast
to the next closest service station, but just be aware the Waihau Bay fuel bowser actually ran out on the day of
188 boats
Launching fees are $5.00 payable either on line (https://waihaubayfishingclub.co.nz) or at the ramp, or join the Waihau Bay Sport Fishing Club for $83.00 per year They provide a tremendous service and a top-class launching ramp
Make sure you have adequate food and water on board, along with warm clothing, heaps of warm clothing; it can get very cold
Speaking of cold, it will also be very cold in your accommodation as well Some guys sleep on their boats overnight to get an early start
As with a lot of game fishing, the change of light is a good bite time, so be prepared to get
on the water early It will be pitch dark and with
so many boats around you, it may be quite stressful If you use a spotlight on your boat, do
so sparingly and please be aware that you will not be popular shining bright lights about, as it effectively wipes out night vision for others and they will not be happy Better to station guys on the boat to act as your guides or lash out on a FLIR scope
Invest in a wash-down pump or a good bucket
ABOVE: The author hooked up to a lively tuna.
BELOW: Last years pink squid teaser lure rig easily seen here.
Trang 30In working with your tuna, you will find they discharge a huge amount of blood.
Buy heaps of salt ice and put it in the boat the night before departure The pub at Waihau Bay sells salt ice, and serves very good meals.
DREDGES AND TEASERS
Tuna love top water splashy things Graeme says
a dredge is not essential, but he likes to run one nevertheless It cannot hurt and may be that extra added ingredient for your boat You are not losing any lure positions by running one as long as you use a dredge pole I ran one in 2017 along with a Volcano teaser chain plus a floppy, squiddy thing with two birds on it as well This last teaser made a huge surface splash, and we hooked a double shortly after it was deployed
If you are running a dredge, consider putting a bypass safety leader round the dredge weight
Graeme suggests that everything you run should have a rigged lure on it, except for the dredge His reasoning is:
• Tuna are very shy of leaders and running a teaser / lure combination effectively disguises the leaders
• Nothing is wasted Tuna will probably attack in
a pack and will attack everything they see, so the more lures in the water the better
• There is nothing worse than losing a lure head from the end of a teaser chain because it had
no hooks in it as a fail-safe line stop
Graeme doesn’t advocate using a Volcano teaser for tuna, again because it has no rigged lure attached
BIRD TEASER
This is a pretty robust gadget that creates a lot
of splash Combine it with a bigger angle-face lure (creating even more splash) and run it in the short shotgun position While the Bonze one has been designed with inbuilt strength to cope with fighting a fish, most of the other ones
on the market will need a backup bypass leader
in case of failure Run the lure round one metre maximum behind the bird
THUNNUS SQUID CHAIN
This is a great option to run a lure from Multiple in-line brightly-coloured squid create a lot of surface commotion, and a lure is added close to the last squid So again, only a very short leader
to the lure — about the same length as the gap between the squid elements Use a bullet or cut-face lure Run the rig in the short corner position
THUNNUS PRO SPREADER BAR
Run this fellow either on long corner outside the Volcano (if you are using one) or swap positions with the Bird teaser rig so this one runs in a short shotgun position right in the middle, relatively close behind the boat It’s a bit of an awkward beast to handle, with so many elements to get tangled up on the boat, but once it’s running,
it creates the most amazing effect and surface commotion, and it hides the leader If you buy this rig already fitted with a DLB Bullet lure, don’t forget to remove the hook guards from the hooks (I caused some amusement for my fishing buddies on the second day when these little plastic bits were noticed still attached to the hooks.) I can also advise that it pays to unwrap and remove all twisty ties from the rig before you get anywhere near the boat It was a good twenty minute exercise to get it ready to deploy because
I hadn’t attended to that previously
Graeme told me that the spreader bar is the most effective rig for tuna when he fishes in the States where the tuna don’t normally take lures Over there, they tend to get two bite times a day when the tuna school up to feed When the spreader bar is deployed, they get more multiple strikes, with fish taking not only the spreader bar lure, but others as well, when they are deployed
It definitely seems to excite a more committed and aggressive strike Hopefully that will apply here as well
For the balance of your spread, run small splashy lures like the Bonze Merlin or D Shackle
on the short and long riggers Don’t be afraid to run a full spread of five, or even six, lures if you have the ability to do so Run your short and long corner lures via the close-in position on your outriggers, that is, all four rods running from the outriggers (see diagram) This gets the lures out away from your wake, and creates a gap behind the boat to run a close-in teaser / lure shotgun, and maybe a second shotgun lure way out the back
Graeme suggests that as another option you could look at running a lure with a paravane to
Pete’s tuna spread.
Bonze Thunnus Pro DLB
Spreader Bar.
Bonze - Thunnus Squid teaser rig - note
lure has similar colours to teaser.
Bonze Thunnus Pro Bird Teaser.
Trang 31www.bayfisher.co.nz | 31
The author with a stunning
bluefin tuna.
Both teaser lure combos can be
seen in this shot.
Note the green spreader lure running
behind the volcano on left of photo.
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Trang 32create a diving lure on the short cornerFit your lures with a pair of size
8 or 9 stainless closed-gap steel hooks for holding power, with only a short gap between the hooks Shorter than is normal for marlin This gives more chance of hook-ups Use a 300 lb leader for lure / teaser combinations with 200 lb being normal for unaccompanied lures
Run your drag at 8 kg and troll at between 6.5 and 7.5 knots You cannot troll the lure / teaser combinations too fast, or they will continually pop out of the rigger clips and even pull line off the reel Graeme recommends establishing
a motor speed (revs) that give you 6.5 knots, and leave the motor at this speed even when running against a tidal rip While your speed over ground (SOG) will drop, the speed relative
to water remains the same Most strikes will come from fish swimming with the current They are chasing baitfish that cannot swim against the current
The best bite will be at the change of light early
or late in the day
Remember, tuna are not like marlin When they take a lure, they will go down They will not go racing off towards the horizon chewing
up metres of line They will not dash away on the surface towards the bow of the boat You are in control If only one lure is taken, just keep trolling for a wee while — tuna attack in packs,
so chances are, you will hook more if you keep going a while Though I would suggest that with three hooked up, it might be a good time to slow down
You don’t need to turn the boat after you have fish on Just keep moving at reduced speed until you get the gear in Then stop the boat and fight the fish It’s easy enough to fight multiple
fish at one time because they will be below you Obviously, you must still watch carefully for crossed lines
Once you have fish to the surface, you can leader and gaff the one you want to keep Get a good fixed-head gaff like the one pictured and you might also like to get a hook remover (as pictured) These are great for tuna, but also good
to keep on the boat for marlin and pesky sharks during the rest of the year Note that the Waihau Club will only weigh one fish per boat Releasing excess fish is a must
These fish release a lot of blood, both in the water when gaffed, and in the boat after landing Some anglers use a plastic cover on the boat deck to catch the worst of this
You should immediately bleed your fish There
is an excellent online video on the best method for doing this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spBt-kNpfCw) Unless you are weighing the fish, consider cutting it up right there and then and getting it into the chilly bin on ice Certainly that’s what we will be doing unless we think we have a super-sized trophy fish
You need to get your fish on ice as soon as possible to get the body temperature down I cannot stress too much how important this is I have had a large insulated fish bag made similar
to those offered by Precision Pak for marlin But
I have had it made deeper than the marlin bag, specifically to accommodate tuna which have much deeper bodies I have had pockets sewn
in to the inner sides to contain ice I also throw loose ice directly in with the fish While I haven’t yet tried this bag on tuna, it certainly works well
on marlin, even without ice Dispose of carcases well out to sea
I hope this gives you some ideas, and sparks your enthusiasm to get in amongst these great fighting fish Let’s hope there is a run this year Please remember to be respectful of the local community while you are in their wonderful part
of New Zealand
TOP TO BOTTOM:
An early start is imperative.
A sea of boat lights in Waihau Bay
at 5am.
A fixed head gaff is important.
Hook remover - Tuna sized!
You can end up a long way from
shore but there is pretty much
always company.
Trang 33www.bayfisher.co.nz | 33
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16-19 May 2019
Trang 34WORDS AND PHOTOS: DAN GOVIER
One of the advantages of living in the top of the South
Island is that there are so many different areas that can be
accessed for fishing, depending on weather conditions or
the species you want to target We are truly spoilt in the
top of the south, as many of these destinations not only
offer great fishing, but the scenery, remoteness, wildlife and
natural setting are as good as anywhere in the country.
was Pohara, Golden Bay Our family, along
with some family friends, had booked a
bach for the holiday weekend After a busy
period at work, I was looking forward to nothing
more than letting the stress slip away and settling
into the relaxed setting that Golden Bay offers
and is renowned for
It takes just under two hours to drive from
Nelson to Golden Bay, through the fruit-rich
Tasman region, skirting the Abel Tasman
National Park and over the Takaka Hill Takaka
Hill has an elevation of 791 metres above sea
level, and is not a hill that should be attempted
if you don’t have much experience towing, or
don’t have a suitable vehicle to match the boat
you are towing, as it has both a very steep ascent
and descent However, it is tar sealed all the way,
and there are plenty of pull-over areas to let
other vehicles pass if you are holding up traffic
During the winter months, the road can be closed
with snow so caution is needed, especially when
there is black ice on the road
Golden Bay, located on the northwest tip of the South Island is relatively shallow It is largely protected from the north by Farwell Spit, a 26
km long arm of fine golden sand which is New Zealand’s longest sand spit Golden Bay is also aptly named, with its clear waters, stunning scenery and great golden sand beaches which are widely used for swimming and fishing, and for general unwinding
Our accommodation for the long weekend was at Pohara, a small village located about ten minutes’ drive from Takaka Port Tarakohe
is in the heart of Pohara and provides great facilities for boaties and recreational users and
as with most boat ramps these days, it is user pays — there is an entry fee before you can enter through the barrier arm into the ramp area
However, most people don’t mind paying for good facilities, and the port offers a nice wide boat ramp which is useable at all tides This
is important since Golden Bay has one of the
Trang 35www.bayfisher.co.nz | 35
largest tidal ranges in New Zealand
Port Tarakohe is a sheltered harbour enclosed
within a breakwater and a headland, and
provides moorings and berths for a number
of commercial and recreational fishing
boats The port also services the aquaculture
industry which operates in Golden Bay, where
approximately 9% of New Zealand’s Greenshell
mussels are produced
Golden Bay used to be home to a number of
different industries, including the Golden Bay
Cement Company; the big concrete silos still
stand proud high above the port The company
was established in the early 1900s, and resulted
in the construction of the Port Tarakohe wharf
The industry started slowly with its production
peaking around the mid-1970s However, by the
late 1980’s the Golden Bay Cement Company
merged with Portland Cement and operations
were moved north to Whangarei After 80 years
of operation, the Tarakohe factory closed, a
significant loss to Golden Bay As a result of the
major user leaving the port, Tasman District
Council purchased the harbour facilities and
expanded them to meet the requirements and
needs of recreational and commercial fishers
I have visited Golden Bay a number of times
on holiday and for work, but I had never
really fished there, due to time constraints
and weather conditions I was watching the
weather closely on the days leading up to our
holiday weekend and it was looking good It was
predicted that all three days were going to be hot
and sunny with light winds, but Sunday looked the best day, so that was our target Given the holiday traffic likely to be around, and the tow over the Takaka Hill, I decided to take my little Smartwave centre console away, as it is easier
to tow than my Senator, and with only two of
us fishing, we didn’t need the room the bigger boat offers
With Queen’s Birthday falling in mid-October, the snapper were just starting to turn up in Marlborough, as they moved into the shallower waters to start feeding up before the spawning period I had no local knowledge of Golden Bay
or anyone to talk to over there who knew where the fish were, so it was going to be a bit of a punt
on where to look The question I kept asking myself was, “Do we go deep or stay closer in around the mussel farms?” On the Saturday, as
I got the boat ready, I spent a bit of time looking
at the chart, and thinking about where to go and made a plan for the next day
Crew for the day was my mate Regan, who had done a bit of fishing before, but had not caught any really big snapper So, the main objectives were to get out and have a good time, hopefully catch a feed of fish, and most importantly, get Regan a decent snapper
Sunday morning dawned as forecast, and it was a stunning Golden Bay morning — clear sky,
a light land breeze and a calm sea We launched just before day light and there weren’t many other boats around, which was surprising given the long weekend, but that didn’t bother us; we
Trang 36• 5 Nights Accommodation in a 2 BDR Luxury Self Contained Apartment
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to some time out away from the grind
Conditions were good as we headed out into the bay A few commercial boats were also heading out for their day’s fishing and were heading in the same direction, so that gave me a bit of confidence that I’d made the right call
As we continued offshore, the sun was starting
to rise behind Separation Point, and with D’Urville Island and the hills behind Tasman
Bay visible in the distance, it made for a fantastic setting to bring in the new day For me there is
no better time in the day than first light I just cannot get enough of being up then before dawn, even when I’m not out fishing, I enjoy seeing the sun come up; everything is so active, both on land and in the water Each to his own, though
— there are many people who would rather go fishing after breakfast, but I guess that is their personal choice and preference To me, if you are going to make an effort, you may as well go all out and give yourself the best possible chance of catching a fish, and that is certainly most likely
by being out on the water early However, you do need to consider other factors for the area you fish, such as tides, katabatic winds and forecast weather changes, and adapt the timing so that it works for you and your area
Further offshore, a bit of westerly wind started
to pick up, and being in 4.2 metre boat, I wasn’t that keen to keep heading offshore as the sea was becoming short and sharp I turned the boat around and headed back to where the conditions were calmer again and much more pleasant Not the most accurate way of selecting a fishing location, but I would rather sit in a bit of comfort than slopping around, when, to be honest, I was fishing blind and I wasn’t hell- bent on going to any definite location or reef
With the anchor down, we were sitting nicely and the current was streaming well for the berley that would hopefully entice some snapper towards the back of the boat Both Regan and
I were using Black Magic Snapper Snatchers, probably my go-to rig, and if there was ever a
Trang 37www.bayfisher.co.nz | 37
time that I needed these rigs to pull through
for me, then this was it — new fishing location,
uncertain whether there were any snapper
around, or whether we were even in the right
part of the bay The odds were certainly not in
our favour, but then again, I like a challenge
We didn’t have to wait long — as soon as
Regan’s rig hit the bottom, he had a fish on; it
looked good but I didn’t think it was our target
species A nice fat gurnard came up This was
a great start to the morning, as we had only just
started fishing and we already had a fish on the
ice, with only one line the water
However, we were quickly brought back to
reality, as we got another fish on, but this time
it wasn’t so good, a spikey dogfish Golden Bay
has lots of these, and we were not spared their
intrusions on our fishing either One thing to
remember when sharks turn up, is that it is often
best to ease back on the berley, as you don’t
want to bring even more of them around Some
days you just have to fish through the sharks,
and be prepared to catch plenty if you want to
have a chance at catching a good snapper, so we
decided to persist and fortunately, it paid off in
the end Other times, you simply have to move,
as you will never win; they will just clean you
out every time
We were both hooking sharks one after the
other, and I was starting to contemplate a shift,
when all of a sudden Regan started making
noises from his side of the boat and I looked
over to see his rod bent right over That was
certainly not a shark, or a gurnard, and with
some string pulling off the little Trinidad 12a and
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Trang 38the nodding of the rod tip, it could only mean
one thing — target species It was making Regan
work I think it had taken more line than Regan
had gained, and I was throwing a bit of banter his
way asking why he was taking so long, but also
telling him not to rush it I didn’t want him to lose
it — this was the fish we had come for
In spring time in Golden Bay, the water colour
and clarity offshore is not that clear, often due
to all the nutrients and plankton in the water
column That day was no exception, so we were
both looking down watching with anticipation
to see what was going to come out of the depths
Then there it was, that unmistakable silvery
orange glow of a nice snapper coming up — you
beauty I quickly netted it as it came to the
surface, and after the celebrations and some photographs, it was dispatched and put on ice People who come out fishing with me probably get sick of me taking photos and asking them
to hold the fish this way and that, trying to get a decent photo, but hopefully it’s all worth it in the end
The sharks were soon forgotten, the lines were rebaited and we were back into it This time it was
my turn, and I knew straight away it was no shark
— I was very happy to feel the characteristic nods and runs of a nice snapper on the end of my line The fish were biting just when I thought they would, the light was soft and the sun was still low
in the sky There was plenty of tide running and
we had started to create a bit of activity down
Trang 39www.bayfisher.co.nz | 39
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a re b
ack in
tow n!
on the bottom with our baits to attract a bit of
attention from the fish As I was getting my fish
near the surface, I heard some more moans
coming from the other side of the boat and
Regan was back into it as well I peeked over,
and again the rod was doubled over and Regan
was hunched over it trying to keep the tip up
and off the gunnel, fighting to stop what was
obviously a really good fish from running It
could not get any better than this; what a great
start to the day and an even better way to spend
a holiday Sunday
The fishing continued for a bit longer with a
few sharks mixed in between the snapper and
gurnard, before the snapper went off the feed
as though someone had turned off the switch
It was a very short feeding window; it was all on
for about an hour and then they stopped It just
goes to show, if you are not out there early ready
for that bite time, you may actually miss it
As the snapper stopped feeding, the sharks
became more aggressive in their feeding When
the spikey dogs start following other hooked
sharks to the surface, that is my indicator that
they have moved in, in large numbers and it is
time for us to move away However, we had six
nice snapper and a couple of gurnard on ice for
a couple of hours effort which was plenty for us
for a feed, so we decided it was time to go back
and see the family for a coffee and a morning
tea snack
After a quick clean-up of the boat, I pointed
the boat back to Port Tarakohe and put the
throttle down The land breeze had completely
eased and the sea had glassed right out; it was
a stunning morning Our job was done, we had
some great fish in the bin, Regan had caught
his biggest snapper to date, it was a relaxing
morning away from the pressures of work and it
was all done before morning tea time
The facilities at Port Tarakohe are fantastic,
the jetty, ramp and wash down area make it so
much easier when you return from your
day’s fishing to get all cleaned up So,
it was a successful trip — we had
achieved what we set out to do, we
had ticked all the boxes and will
certainly be back over there
again for another fish and a long
weekend at some stage
And once the fishing is over, there are so many other things
to do and explore in Golden
Bay, for the entire family,
that you can spend days
over there doing something
different each day
If you want any local knowledge with regard to fishing in the top of the south, you can contact me through the magazine for more assistance — but I can’t tell you all the secrets,
we don’t want everyone
moving here!
Trang 40The mighty broadbill swordfish, perhaps at the top of many
anglers’ bucket list, is one of those fish that it appears we are
becoming more familiar with, and as engine technology and
reliability improves, we are able to venture further offshore in
our endeavours to catch these magnificent fish Our desire to
document and share our success, means photos and videos of
swordfish captures have become more commonplace Anglers
regularly share their successes on social media channels, and
willingly share their knowledge with fellow fisher folk.
I have yet to target a broadbill swordfish; one
day I would like to, maybe not as the angler,
but definitely as crew In my quest to acquire
a deeper knowledge of these remarkable
fish, though, I’ve spent time conversing with
very successful swordfish fishermen — both
commercial and recreational I’ve also spent
some time with my nose buried in the pages
of books and staring at computer screens,
researching whatever resources I could find
If I was to set out to target one, there are a
handful of people I’d seek advice from, and
two have generously provided information
which I have included in this article The first is
Tony “TK” Walker Having successfully fished
commercially for these mighty fish for many
years, he has willingly shared his knowledge of
these magnificent fish at public talks The second
is Luke Davey of SwordPro, an expert when it
comes to daytime sword-fishing
Setting out to catch one of these gladiators of
the sea is somewhat similar to going into battle
It requires preparation and determination, along
with the right armoury
Broadbill swordfish are mostly migratory fish
With an initial fast growth rate, they quickly
become apex oceanic predators Females grow
faster and live longer than males While the
majority of fish migrate, there are also a few
resident fish TK refers to these as “Kauri stumps,”
big old fish that for one reason or another choose
to stay in an area
Moving between the surface and the great
depths, swordfish possess well-developed
characteristics that allow them to tolerate such
extremes and the associated pressure and
temperature changes This presents anglers with
two main times to target swordfish — during the
evening hours of darkness near the surface, or
during the day at depth Each option requires a
different technique
Swordfish do not form schools, but neither are they solitary There will often be a concentration
of several fish in the same area, particularly
as they move with the prevailing currents or congregate around underwater features such as canyons, banks and seamounts They use their highly-developed sight to stalk prey, and their
“sword” to wound it before eating it
New Zealand’s swordfish season is already underway We have seen many catches, particularly from Northern regions And the best time to target swordfish in the Bay of Plenty area according to TK, is now — right when we’re choosing our best spread of lures to run, and listening for reports of where the skippies are —
as we focus on chasing marlin
That, therefore puts us in a bit of a quandary —
do we target swords or marlin? Why not fish for both? TK says, “If it’s a quiet day and the marlin have gone off the bite, think about putting down
a bait for a swordfish.” Generally, you’ll be in the same area as the swordfish are, because the marlin you’re chasing are following the same currents and food source that the swordfish are
THE LIFE OF THE SWORDFISH
Swordfish have phenomenal growth in their first year of life Gaps in my knowledge around these fish have been slowly filling with gems gleaned from Peter Ward and Sue Elscot in their report, “Broadbill swordfish: Status of the world fisheries.” They note that by one year of age,
a swordfish may reach 90 cm (approx 15 kg)
They have observed that growth then slows considerably over the remaining years, until swordfish reach an average maximum size of 190-217 cm (approx 130 kg) for males and 246-
364 cm (approx 350 kg) for females However,
we know this isn’t the limit of their size We are
WORDS:
NAOMI PETERSON PHOTOS: TONY WALKER, LUKE DAVEY
Daytime drops - look for bait around the drop o ffs Image courtesy of ENL
RIGHT: Luke Davey with a summer swordfish.
BELOW, TOP TO BOTTOM: Luke with one of last season’s catches.
Do your research, hatch a plan and watch it all come together, just like Luke Gilbert Image - Max Gilbert.