NZ Fisher Issue 13

www.nzfisher.co.nz 1

f sherISSUE 13 November 2011

Introducing the Kiwi Anglers guide to Fishy words

Jetski antics at Coromandel

www.nzfisher.co.nz

Piper, too tasty for bait

2 www.nzfisher.co.nz

Pg 4

10

14SPORTFISHING

4 What’s the deal with Jet Skis?

SPORTFISHING

10 KingfishintheBayofPlenty

BOATFISHING

12 The One That Didn’t Get Away

13 Fishing Video of the Month

LANDBASEDFISHING

14 Piper: Forgotten Delicacies

JETSKIFISHING

18 A Quick Ride Over For Some

Coromandel Fishing

20 The Kiwi Anglers Guide to Fishy Words

2o Regional ReportsPg 20

CONTENTS

http://bit.ly/mSaEXt


Pg 20

NZFisher is a little delayed

in going to the press this month.

21 days ago (or a five weeks from

publishing date) the container ship

Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef

off Motiti Island in the bay of Plenty.

We watch in horror as the oil from

her fuel tanks slowly spread and

pollute our shores in a seemingly

unstoppable wave. I spent the

Friday previous to Rena grounding

fishing for Kingfish at Mayor Island

– just kilometres from where Rena

now lies stuck.

It seems unlikely that this disaster will

pass quickly and painlessly. We are

reminded again of not only the fragility

of our ecosystems but the destructive

power of our own existence. NZFisher

staff and contributors send our wishes

to the people of the Bay of Plenty –

some of people are there helping with

the clean up. We are all hoping for a

quick recovery.

Number three in our countdown of

the best five inshore fishing locations

was to include the Bay of Plenty this

month. With respect to the area we

have postponed this feature as we await

a better understanding of the impact of

Rena’s spill.

Last month I questioned some of the

actions and inactions of our Minister

of Fisheries. There was some debate

amongst readers as to the legitimacy

of these claims while others (a

significant majority – who are not in

the employ of the ministry or Fishing

Industry) supported and applauded

my comments.

As a recreational fisher who enjoys

and loves the beauty, abundance and

security of our fisheries it is too easy

to forget that these rights of access

are ones hard fought for and tightly

guarded. One thing is clear, despite

our laissez-faire approach to our

favourite pastime; kiwis do not want

the fisheries we hold so dearly gifted

away to others for a few coins in the

government’s coffers. Thank you to

the voluntary groups that fight for

our rights.

As a member of the New Zealand

angling & Casting association

, sport Fishing Council and

recreational Fishing Council I am

acutely aware of the time they invest

and work they do – I ask each of

you to consider lending a hand by

joining one of these organisations and

putting your energy or funds behind

the great work they do. It’s election

year and your support adds weight

to the cause, especially when gaining

political support for our underfunded

recreational fishing ‘industry’.

The weather is improving and the fish

are biting – I suggest you get out and

enjoy spring as the fish feed up, the silly

season will be on us in no time!

Tight lines,

Derrick

//From the

EDITOR

editorial

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

EDITOR / Derrick PaullART DIRECTOR / Jodi OlssonGROUP EDITOR / Trudi CaffellCONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Derrick on 021 629 327or email derrickp@NZ Fisher.co.nzADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /Phone Richard on 09 522 7257 or email [email protected] / NZ Fisher, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZWEBSITE / www.NZ Fisher.co.nz

Cover Image: Tim Spiller with a 30lb Snapper landed from the shore near Kawhia in October this year on an Okuma spin combo. Story to follow next month

This is a GREEN MAG, created and distrib-uted without the use of paper so it's envi-ronmentally friendly. Please think before

you print. Thank you!

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By andrew hill

sportFISHING

What’s The Deal With Jet Skis?


sportFISHING

MANy MAy ASK WHy fish off

a Personal Water Craft (aka Jet

Ski) and then I usually need a

spare 10 minutes expressing my

passion of how much you feel

alive with the whole experience of

JETSKIFISHING. It starts with how

easy JETSKIFISHING is, from the

convenience of having room to store

your fishing vessel with minimal

space required, allowing easy fishing

preparation, normally at your home.

Attaching the ski behind almost any

vehicle, with a tow bar, as the skis

are not overly heavy, making easy

launching in most tides. There is no

problem doing beach launchings

in appropriate 4wd’s, not having to

worry about trailers bogging down

with excessive weight.

With launching and retrieval, it is simple

to manage safely by yourself in most

conditions, even so simple my girl friend

can manage fishing trips by herself.

This day and age, with fluctuating

fuel costs and the possible recession

a multipurpose smaller water craft,

being a PWC, is a viable option. PWC

fuel efficiency is extremely economical

and obvious practicalities of quick

starts and stops, makes quick trips a

frequent occurrence. Typically most

skis have 50 to 80 litre fuel cells

allowing up to 4 hours of actual riding

range depending on conditions.

Many sceptics new to the

JETSKIFISHING option, have queried

the stability, and I can confirm the

late model three seaters are safe

and comfortable to fish with up to

two adults on one ski. Obviously

there is smaller skis also used for

JETSKIFISHING, yet is not such a

practical option when fishing in

rougher conditions with two people

on the ski.

With new generation technology, and

recent PWC reputations of reliability

and performance, these machines are

fast becoming a fun and easy way to

enjoy fishing.

A quick basic fact, the term Jet-Ski is a

registered trademark of the Kawasaki

Motor Company. As now commonly

referred to, should correctly in other

brands be classed as a personal water

craft. The term Jet Ski is typically the

original model Kawasaki ski produced

in 1973. The name Jet Ski stuck with

the public since and will still be the

stereo type for PWC’s for many years

to come.

When considering the proven option

of JETSKIFISHING, many may already

have a ski the fits the purpose, possibly

being used for general wave hopping,

skiing, racing, tow in surfing and

social runs. Until recently, without

active exposure keen mariners hadn’t

envisioned the real potential of these

great machines. The key is education

and readily available products to kit

a ski for fishing! Typically the most

practical skis for JETSKIFISHING are

the larger, year 1997 on models,

especially the 4 stroke versions, for

obvious performance, reliability and

economy. As with any product you,

get what you pay for and there is

only a few big players on the PWC

market. Water safety is so important

with reliability and quality being an

important issue, my recommendation

is stick with the proven brands such

as yamaha, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and

Honda, call me to discuss model

specifics...

Technical data PWC’s use an impellor unlike

most boats having a propeller, the

impellor allows accessing spots

with a lot less restricting low water

limits. Studies have shown PWC

create minimal water turbulence and

reduce water emissions substantially

over conventional outboard motors.

Another plus is there is nowhere to

have line tangles under the ski, makes

playing fish a lot less risk. As with

similarities to a smaller boat, the skis

can tire the fish as it is a moveable

object under fight and being so low

What’s The Deal With Jet Skis?

The result of a great day on the water Dolphins on the way home


to the water line gives a real feeling

of sport fishing. The hulls are normally

composite, fibreglass or Nano Xcel

(yamaha)which does not create

much external noise and slap in the

water. With the low noise output the

opportunity for stealth drifts is a huge

plus JETSKIFISHING. With the PWC

physical size and being so low to the

water line, the windage is minimal

and allows a naturally slower drift

than most boats. The late model 4

stroke engines have reduced the noise

output substantially and have loosing

the reputation of a menacing sound

on the water.

How to get started! OK , so you either have an

existing ski you have that can be

easily rigged, or you are going

to source a pre loved or new ski.

Once at this stage, there is no

turning back; JETSKIFISHING

is a highly addictive sport! New

skis can be purchased from local

licensed dealers, supported with

manufacturer warranties. There

are also parallel imported new skis

and second hand skis which do

not come with any manufacturer

support by way of warranty.

One of the most important points

to keep in mind when converting or

utilising your PWC for JETSKIFISHING

is to make all hardware removable.

This needs to be easy so the ski can

also be used for regular beach and

water sport activities. There have

been selected options available over

the years to kit your ski, but many are

quite permanent, costly and restrict

you from leisure activities. If the fishing

rig is a permanent fixture with visible

mounting points it could affect the

resale value. Like anything with fishing,

the fishing mess needs to be restricted

to one area, hence why a chilli bin

option such as an “Ultimate Rod

Holder” is the way to go and keeping

your fish chilled and easily removable.

I have seen many alternative systems

attached to skis to hold rods, yet if you

want to do it once and do it right don’t

learn at your expense taking short

cuts. If you don’t make it easy and

safe you will not enjoy the potential of

JETSKIFISHING. Realistically the skis

have many uses, but once set up for

fishing they become one of the most

practical fishing options on the market

today.

sportFISHING

Innovation is the key – A Jetski specific Catch bag is born


sportFISHING

JETSKIFISHING is a huge buzz every

trip, whether you are catching fish,

or just the riding to and from your

spots. your fishing rig must be secure

enough so you can ride as if you had

no fishing gear attached at all.

Recommended Guidelines and Safety Accessories Most regions in NZ require mandatory

registration of PWC’s compiling a

register of hull numbers and ensuring

accountability of maritime bylaws.

Usual safety options such as handheld

VHF, Personal Location Beacon and

also local Coast Guard membership

is recommended. Cell phone in a dry

bag is another handy communication

device. Standard safety apparel is a

comfortable floatation vest, goggles,

full finger gloves, winter light grade

wetsuit, sports boots, cap or beanie.

Sunscreen, First Aid kit, Flare

Fishing techniques JETSKIFISHING is perfectly matched

for soft baiting especially with hassle

free mess and results from using

plastics. Bait fishing is possible on a

PWC, yet the idea of JETSKIFISHING

is to be quick and easy. Bait requires

more time and more accessories, so I

use what works best which is plastics.

Using plastics, with a ready prepared

rig, I can pull up at a spot, unclip the

rod, bait up and drop within a minute.

The motion from the PWC drifting,

with the minimal hull noise, makes

great soft baiting.

PWC’s cover ground quickly, also

getting into those hard to get wash

spots with confidence of quick start

Innovation is the key – A Jetski specific Catch bag is born

Andrew with a fat Waitemata Snapper from Jet Ski


sportFISHING

ups. Lures are easily

trolled on PWC’s

especially the new

WAVERUNNERS

that are equipped

with cruise control.

Live baiting is a

little bit tricky, as

a live bait system

needs to be

attached to your

rig at the rear

boarding platform, I use what is

easiest for the weather conditions.

Most practical on the PWC yet, is

chasing work ups! The range and

performance of the larger horsepower

skis makes JETSKIFISHING a whole

new fishing experience. This has the

wow factor from Dolphins swimming

beside the ski, whales popping up

beside you, all the sport with nature

while enjoying the elements. The only

real con is watching your toes around

the bigger fish at the deeper waters!

Fishing Accessories When JETSKIFISHING, all equipment

needs to be simple and easily

accessible to enjoy all the potential

fun. All three seater skis have

substantial storage throughout the

ski, either under the seats, below the

handle bars or at the front hatch. On

my yAMAHA WAVERUNNER, I choose

to carry my rain jacket, flare, torch,

first aid kit, fishing tackle bag, Ultimate

Catch Bag, Ultimate Reel Covers(for

reel protection) additional soft baits

and pre rigged spools in this area.

With glove box, a small selection

of jig heads, soft plastics to suit the

conditions, cell phone and VHF and

camera. Up front in the hatch are

more permanent accessories such as

tow rope, anchor, sand anchor, sea

anchor, towel in a dry bag, saddle bag

Sometimes the tax man wins

Mako & Snapper


sportFISHING

for additional fish storage. With my

rod holder kit on the rear boarding

platform, I carry a Jetskifishing custom

net, Jetskifishing gaff, a Daiwa Sol soft

bait combo, with a Daiwa Monster

Mesh/Saltist 30T for jigging. When

transporting rods all gear must be

always clipped down on every start

up as I don’t want to take any chances

loosing gear overboard.

Washing down Here is another real plus with PWC

use, the wash down process is so

quick and easy. To flush the salt water

takes up to a couple of minutes from

a fresh water source. With the size of

a PWC all washing down is completed

in about 10 minutes (all from ground

level, no step ladders required). With

easy storage using a trailer with a

jockey wheel, it does not take long

put your PWC in its storage area. All

this quick and easy cleaning creates

a more enjoyable experience on the

water, knowing you are not going

back to a whole lot of additional work.

JETSKIFISHING has so much to offer

with the easy life of fishing. There is

so much more to just riding a PWC

off your local beach. If consumers

can understand the potential of

JETSKIFISHING, having a reason to

head out on the water! They too will

be enjoying the fishing and nature we

are so fortunate to have in NZ.

Enjoy the easy life with

JETSKIFISHING, Best Regards,

aNdrew hill

A great day ends with a fine view


thiNgs have started to heat up

here in the Bay of Plenty, fish numbers

are not massive but what they lack

in quantity they are certainly making

up for in size. We have landed some

really nice fat fish including one by

Aussie angler Marinos which would

have been pushing the 30 kg mark.

Along with the big fish there are

stories all throughout the bay of big

fish destroying unsuspecting anglers

with mind blowing runs, these big

fish are testing both the gear and

the anglers. I had one fish smash my

jig just under the boat, it ran off at

blistering speed but as we were in 80

metres of water I was not stressed.

The run got faster and faster and

when I attempted to palm the spool

with some serious pressure it simply

made the fish go faster, it all ended in

tears as the fish smashed into the reef.

We hosted Etienne Piquel well known

New Caledonia guide along with two

legends form Aussie Stan and Marinos

recently. They had some pretty good

fishing mainly on jigs but Marinos did

get his big fish on a stickbait. At the

end of the trip Etienne stayed on for

an extra few days and being flat calm

it would have been rude not to head

Kingfish in the Bay of Plenty

story by Mark armistead www.extremesportfishing.co.nz

sportFISHING

Old Salts playing with new tricks

Etienne & fine BOP King


sportFISHING

out for a fish. The fishing was not easy

but in the afternoon we had a good

bit and Etienne raised some nice fish

on his Orion Crazy lure, both myself

and Steve quickly threw our lures at

the fish he raised and both hooked up

leaving Etienne to watch. I felt a bit rude

poaching his fish especially after all the

work he done for me in New Caledonia

GT fishing. So from then on I took the

hooks off my lures and stumbled upon

a pretty cool technique to help anglers

catch more fish.

I spoke in length with Ettienne about

teaser tactics for GTs and I have a few

things I have been working on myself

in regards to kingfish teasing. I think

we will soon be developing some very

exciting teasing strategies that will

help us catch more fish and the visual

strikes will be spectacular. In the end

our teasing tactics world and Etienne

quickly landed two nice fish one

around 20KG that punched well above

its weight class and we really thought

it was going to be a much larger fish

during the brutal battle.

Then it was time for Boulder to bring

a crew down from Auckland to help

celebrate his birthday, fishing was not

easy but one angler Aaron was a star

of the day and at one stage he had 5

fish while all other anglers were on Nil,

he got them on jigs, stick baits and

just could not put a foot wrong. On

the other hand poor Brian had a bad

run of luck, he hooked a good fish on

the first drift that launched right out of

the water and smashed Gamma stick

bait in one of the most spectacular

strikes you are likely to ever see.

I don’t know what went wrong form

here but as weight come on the line

simply parted, we suspect a wind knot

may have been the cause here. Later

in the day Brian hooked another solid

fish only to have the line jam up near

the roller and the line parted again,

hard luck Brian but next time I am sure

luck will be on your side.

Boulder on the other hand did what

boulder does better than anyone

else could ever possibly do and

that is sleep sitting down in a rough

sea; it is a real skill that he seems to

have mastered. On a serious note

Boulder worked hard all day, casting

jigging and right at the end of the

day we all heard the big fella hoping

and hollering when a really nice

fish decided his Carpenter Blue fish

looked pretty tasty.

The fish charged around the front

of the boat and once the gear was

cleared it took a bit of tricky boat

manoeuvring to get some better line

angles for the guy. Once we got in a

better position we dragged the fish

out into deep water but it consistently

charged off on some solid runs that

must have had it close to the craggy

reef below. Boulder did a fantastic

job of playing the fish out and after

a lengthy battle we soon had a nice

solid 22 KG fish boat side.

Check out our face book page for

more pictures.

Graeme ‘Boulder’ McKenzie with his end of day 22kg

http://on.fb.me/v7aWz5


BOATfishing

i said to the guys, “this is the

last drop of the day!” down went

my line. No sooner had it hit the

bottom when WHAM! Something

big grabbed my bait ……. I thought

‘Well this sure beats a day at work’.

Sitting down having my lunch on

Tuesday, it was a beaut’ clear winters

day, I was sitting outside soaking up

the sun, when I got a text from Mark,

‘Sign writer extra ordinary’, to say

‘the sea’s flat mate’ - ‘yeah I bet it is’

I thought. I checked the forecast that

night and the weather was settled for

another 2 days, so I thought ‘bugger it,

I’m going fishing tomorrow’. I phoned

Mark and he was keen. We arrived at

Ngawi at 7am Wednesday morning to

a flat calm sea, picked up my father

Graeme (one of Ngawi’s newest

retirees) and the boat from the family

beach house and we were off with a

feed of blue cod on the agenda.

We had a good start to the morning

with 6 nice Tarakihi and a couple of

average cod, we were fishing in about

65m of water, so we moved in closer

to a patch of fowl ground in 45m to try

and pick up some cod. There was some

good fish sign on the sounder and the

Tarakihi were biting well, with a lot of

the smaller ones going back, but blue

cod were few and far between.

We had a dozen nice tarakihi and 6

average blue cod when it was nearly

time to head off. We had been using

squid and a bit of scarpi for bait, so

I grabbed one of the smaller blue

cod and took a fillet off one side

hoping to try and snag a good size

cod before we headed off, and when

my bait hit the bottom, it got hit

by a freight train. As I watched my

Shimano charter special reel, slowly

empty of braid and my 15kg jelly

tip rod bend in half, I was glad I had

made up a new trace. After losing a

really good fish not far from this spot

about 3 months earlier, when I was

using an old trace that had been used

several times previously, I had learned

my lesson.

Luck must have been on my side this

day. After pulling off 100m of line,

the destroyer on the end of my line

snagged on the bottom, and after a

stressful 30 seconds (that felt more

like 5 minutes) of gentle tugging

and some swearing, the fish tugged

back and continued to slowly unload

off my reel until finally I started to

gradually get some line back. It took

a while - I have no idea how long - but

the fish slowly came to the surface,

making some good runs on the way

up. There was some speculation as

to what it might be and I think Mark

got tired of hanging onto the gaff.

When it surfaced I saw the white belly

and yellow pectoral fins, I thought it

looked like a Trumpeter, but nah they

don’t get that big do they?

Mark carefully gaffed it and dragged it

over the side of the boat, he said “It’s

a Trumpeter alright, what an f*#@ing

monster!” The VMC 6/0 sports circle

hook was firmly planted in the corner

of its mouth and the sinker had broken

off the bottom of the 80lb trace, in

future; I will have a lighter break away

line attaching the sinker.

Back at the bach, the Trumpeter (after

it had been bled) weighed in at a

gnats whisker under 20kg/44lb, my

heaviest fish yet and possibly the fish

of a lifetime for that particular species.

What a great day, good company

and an excellent way to relieve the

winter blues.

Paul Catt lands Ngawi’s golden monsterstory by Paul Catt

The One That Didn’t Get Away

Paul Catt’s 20kg Trumpeter

Paul with Trumpeter on the scales


Paul Catt lands Ngawi’s golden monster

VIDEO

giaNt trevally or gt’s are

considered by most serious anglers

as the ultimate fish to land on a line.

Their size, incredible strength and

ability to utilise their surroundings

makes them the ultimate quarry.

Check out how the Nomad Sport

Fishing guys handle them. Some of

the strikes in this video are incredible

– these fish hit like freight trains.

And while the video quality isn’t the

best, the fishing on this video at

Shoalwater Bay is incredible.

Fishing Video of the Month

‘Giant Trevally – Kings of Bust offs’

The One That Didn’t Get Away

http://bit.ly/t0wRLj

http://bit.ly/sXoOhz

http://bit.ly/sXoOhz

http://bit.ly/uwOk3d


landBASED

By derrick Paull

images by scott Macindoe

Piper: Forgotten Delicacies

Great left-over’s for ground bait

Preparation is simple

Prepared for smoking

Gently does it - Piper netting is a team effort


landBASED

as a kid I spent far too many

hours on Devonport & Murrays Bay

wharves flicking small bread balls

or fresh maggots at fish so elusive

we considered them snobs of the

fish world. Back then it was the

challenge of the capture rather than

the delicate treat they provided

once prepared & served.

Piper as they are known here or

Gar(fish) at the rest of the world

describe them are definitely one of the

finest baits a fisher could present most

northern saltwater target species in

new Zealand. They have been largely

forgotten as a table fish but for a few.

When caught & prepared fresh, Piper

is a fish with a taste quite unlike any

other in our fishery. Described as a

cross between John Dory & flounder

by one aficionado they are a very tasty

treat. Recipes are abundant online

(and here) and offer much variations to

what is a delicious fish in its own right.

Piper are a particularly fussy eater.

Their diet usually consists of marine

plant life they sup off the surface of the

water with their upward facing mouth.

They will fall for small tightly rolled

balls of white bread or floury dough

on small, long shanked hooks but

we found that, contrary to their

herbivorous tendencies live maggots

were the real bait of champions. A

good days piper fishing might see you

head home with a dozen in the bin –

enough for an appetiser for two, but

no dinner party!

Netting for fish has always seemed

overkill to me, but with species

like piper it is the best method for

collecting a good haul, particularly if

you have the means and intention of

preserving them.

Piper will generally populate clean,

shallow bays and harbours during the

day and this is where they’re easiest

to net (or catch on a line if you’re

stubborn enough).

here’s a short video of the landing

process. There are a few rules to follow

if you’re netting, so be sure to check

the Ministry of Fisheries website.

Done well, the rewards can be substantial

http://bit.ly/uIcnLg

http://bit.ly/uIcnLg

http://bit.ly/tpRb1j

http://bit.ly/tIWl4n

http://bit.ly/vLLEJn


this triP was a spur of the

moment social ride leaving from

Bucklands Beach to the top of the

Coromandel. We left the ramp

just after first light with four skis.

All the riders had done plenty of

Jetskifishing hours and were familiar

with such a long range trip. The

conditions were forecasted to drop,

yet the marine forecast was still

saying it was blowing seventeen

knots at Channel Island as we were

leaving... Our fingers were crossed

that it would decrease, to make for

an easier ride over. The ride across

took fifty minutes to the top of

Coromandel and started with Neil,

Dave and Buzz enjoying some soft

baiting in the deeper water.

I tried a nearby spot for some

Kingfish activity with no success...

then decided to have some breakfast

while enjoying the surroundings

and catching up with the guys on

the water. This was a good time to

post some live Facebook updates

on the Jetskifishing Page, fans of

Jetskifishing can do the same by

sharing their live experiences at our

Facebook Page.

For my Softbaiting on this trip, I

used the Berkley Lumo 4oz Elevator

Head, as I was fishing at fifty plus

metres of water. To setup for my drift

I scouted around the area using the

Raymarine charts to fish on the edge

of the contour lines, finding the fish

sign which was not far off from the

surrounding bird life. With not much

current and plenty of weight, first

soft bait of the day to be used was

the Gulp Squid Vicious – Nuclear

Chicken. In my experience, with

these heavy soft bait rigs, there is

no need to cast, just drop below the

ski while keeping in touch with the

line. you should constantly be ready

to strike the line, as the better sized

fish could hit the bait at anytime. As

with my theory, the bait was hit and

after a few minutes of string pulling

action, I had my first Snapper of the

day to add in the chilly bin.

I was wrapped with the quick start

and next spotted some activity with

some Dolphins and Gannets working

the area. This is always a good sign

for the possibilities of a feeding

frenzy! I moved a bit closer to the

active area and made a quick change

of baits to the larger Grub, in hope

of enticing a mooching Snapper

beneath. Today was another one of

jetskiFISHING

Quick Ride Over For Some Coromandel Fishing…


jetskiFISHING

those dream days of Jetskifishing,

magic conditions and fish to go

with it! As I dropped the next bait I

could feel the occasional hit to the

bait, this time the rig made it to the

lower depths. While manipulating

the bait with the flick of my rod

tip, I soon had another taker, this

fish giving me a better run for my

money. The fish had more weight to

it and fortunately with fishing over

the sand, I had no worries with the

line it was taking. I was patient and

have learnt not to get too eager by

tightening the drag with too much

pressure, that when the fish makes

a run it can bust your line. After a

few minutes of the long retrieve

from fifty metres depth, I soon had

another nice Snapper to add to the

chilly bin.

We all had some fish in our chilly

bins, so we left in pairs with a


jetskiFISHING

heading of the middle ground in

search of a larger work-up. We didn’t

seem to find the bird activity that we

were after, but sure was the perfect

conditions to be out there covering

the miles.

We also tried a bit of jigging at this

area after seeing some nice bait

sign on the Raymaine. With the

mechanical jigging it can get quite

exhausting if you are out of practice,

so wasn’t long and I was back to my

soft bait fishing.

It seems to be Murphy’s law, the

larger fish hit your baits when

least expecting! As I was retrieving

my bait from the depth of fourty

five metres my bait was hit by a

screamer. I was totally caught off

guard and it was all on, with the

fish pulling me straight to the

bottom. There was plenty of solid

head shakes and it was too early

to call whether a heavy Snapper

or a Kingfish. With at least fifteen

minutes of playing it and plenty of

encouragement from Buzz, we finally

could see the fish’s colour coming

through the water. The visibility was

brilliant and I could soon spot a

Kingfish before it completed another

couple of short runs after seeing the

ski! I wanted to be sure the fish was

well legal so we had a challenge of

netting it, seeing it was caught on

the lighter gear... The Kingfish was


jetskiFISHING

definitely a keeper and after adding

it to the Ultimate Catch Bag it was

heading home for the smoker.

With the day still ahead of us and

most needing to go to work, we

called it quits and headed back for

home. Along the way we were joined

by the Dolphins.

The Dolphins are a tranquil sight and

just another exciting experience you

see when going further a field on

Jetskifishing adventures.

With making it back to ramp in good

time, it was a quick wash down

of my WaveRunner and off to an

afternoon’s work.

More reports to come soon!


FISHwords

oNe oF the reccurring themes in

email we receive is that too many

of our readers don’t know the lingo

we bandy round like it’s mainstream

English. It wasn’t until my fishing

buddy Mark up at Mangawhai sent

me a message asking for me to

decipher one of our last stick baiting

articles, that I realised we needed to

do something about it. So here’s the

NZFisher guide to fishy words.

We’re starting this month with

Terminal Tackle (don’t worry, there’s a

definition below!) and we’ll continue

on over the next few months.

The term tackle, with the meaning

“apparatus for fishing”, has been in

use from 1398 CE.[1] Fishing tackle

is also called fishing gear. However

the term fishing gear is more usually

used in the context of commercial

fishing, whereas fishing tackle is

more often used in the context of

recreational fishing. For this reason,

this article covers equipment used

by recreational fishermen.

FISHING TACKLE:

terMiNal taCkle:

Starting at the business end.

Terminal tackle refers to the bits &

pieces you tie on to the end of your

main line. Terminal tackle includes

(but is for from limited to);

Hooks•

Lures•

Swivels•

Trace•

Line•

HOOKS:While it’s likely that every single

NZFisher reader already knows what

hooks are, it seems like the right

idea to expand a little & give a bit

more info on the various hooks out

there (especially the ones we use

here in Aotearoa).

From Wikipedia: : wA fish hook is

a device for catching fish either by

impaling them in the mouth or, more

rarely, by snagging the body of the

fish. Fish hooks have been employed

for centuries by fishermen to catch

fresh and saltwater fish. In 2005, the

fish hook was chosen by Forbes as

one of the top twenty tools in the

history of man

Hooks are designed as either single

hooks—a single eye, shank and

point; double hooks—a single eye

merged with two shanks and points;

or treble--a single eye merged

with three shanks and three evenly

spaced points. Double hooks are

formed from a single piece of wire

and may or may not have their

shanks brazed together for strength.

Treble hooks are formed by adding

a single eyeless hook to a double

hook and brazing all three shanks

together. Double hooks are used

on some artificial lures and are a

traditional fly hook for Atlantic

Salmon flies, but are otherwise

fairly uncommon. Treble hooks are

used on all sorts of artificial lures

as well as for a wide variety of bait

applications.

The Kiwi Anglers Guide to Fishy Words


hook NaMes

Bait hook shapes and names

include the Salmon Egg, Beak,

O’Shaughnessy, Bait holder, Shark

Hook, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Carp Hook,

Tuna Circle, Offset Worm, Circle Hook,

suicide hook, Long Shank, Short

Shank, J Hook, Octopus Hook and Big

Game Jobu hooks.

LURESA fishing lure is an object attached

to the end of a fishing line which is

designed to resemble and move like

the prey of a fish. In pre-European

times Maori made kahawai lures of

Paua & wood with strong, bound

bone hooks. These were towed

behind waka (canoes) while transiting.

Many will tell you that the right

colour most important. What I’ve

learned is that on any given day 9 out

of 10 lures with work. All the colours

& beautiful ain’t jobs seem to achieve

is a lighter wallet for the angler when

he leaves his tackle store!

There are many types of fishing

lures. They are all manufactured

in different ways to resemble prey

for the fish in most cases, but are

sometimes engineered to appeal to

a fish’s sense of territory, curiosity

or aggression. Most lures are made

to look like dying, injured, or fast

moving fish. They include the

following types:

Jigs

Deep water jigs used in saltwater

fishing consist of a large metallic

weight, which gives the impression

of the body of the baitfish, which has

a hook attached via a short length of

Kevlar usually to the top of the jig.

These types of jigs can be fished in

water depths down to 300 metres.

Surface lures are also known as top

water lures, poppers and stickbaits.

They float and resemble prey that is

on top of the water. They can make

a popping sound from a concave-

cut head, a burbling sound from

“side fins” or scoops or a buzzing

commotion from one or several

propellers. A few have only whatever

motion the fisherman applies through

the rod itself, though if skillfully used,

they can be very effective.

Spoon lures are made to resemble

the inside of a table spoon. They

flash in the light while wobbling

or darting due to their shape,

and attract fish. Artificial flies are

designed to resemble all manner of

fish prey and are used with a fly rod

and reel in fly fishing.

The Kiwi Anglers Guide to Fishy Words

FISHwords


FISHwords

Soft plastic baits/lures is a general

category of lures that are made of

plastic or rubber, and are designed

to resemble fish, crabs, squid,

worms, lizards, frogs, leeches and

other creatures.

Swimbait is a form of soft plastic

bait/lure that resembles an actual

baitfish. It can be retrieved like a

plug/minnow lure. Some of these

have a swimming, paddle, tail. The

development in the finishes in these

types of plastic lures have meant

that the finishes achieved now look

more like a baitfish than ever before.

LINES

Modern fishing lines intended for

spinning, spin cast, or bait casting

reels are almost entirely made

from artificial substances, including

nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride

(PVDF, and called fluorocarbon),

polyethylene, Dacron and Dyneema

(UHMWPE). The most common

type is monofilament, made of a

single strand. Fishermen often use

monofilament because of its buoyant

characteristics and its ability to

stretch under load.

Its ability to stretch has a

huge advantage over the early

developments as it prevents the

rod from being ripped out of the

user’s hands when given a sudden

pull. Recently, other alternatives

to standard nylon monofilament

lines have been introduced made

of copolymers or fluorocarbon, or a

combination of the two materials.

There are also braided fishing lines,

cofilament and thermally fused

lines, also known as ‘superlines’ for

their small diameter, lack of stretch,

and great strength relative to

standard nylon monofilament lines.

Both braided and thermally fused

‘superlines’ are now readily available.

MonofilamentMonofilament fishing line (shortened

to just mono) is fishing line made from

a single fiber of plastic. Most fishing


FISHwords

lines are now monofilament because

monofilament is available in a variety

of diameters, each of which provides a

different tensile strength (called “test”

after the process of tensile testing),

and because monofilament fibers cost

little to produce.

BraidMultifilament line, also referred to as

The Super Lines, is a type of fishing

line.[1] It is a braided line which is

made up of a type of polyethylene,

an extremely thin line for its

strength. By weight, polyethylene

strands are five to ten times sturdier

than steel. Multifilament line is

almost similar to braided Dacron

(Old school braided lines) in terms of

sensitivity but a diameter about one-

third that of monofilament.

FluorocarbonFluorocarbon fishing line is made

of the fluoropolymer PVDF and it is

valued for its refractive index, which

is similar to that of water, making

it less visible to fish. Fluorocarbon

is also a more dense material, and

therefore, is not nearly as buoyant as

monofilament. Anglers often utilize

fluorocarbon when they need their

baits to stay closer to the bottom

without the use of heavy sinkers.

SwivelsA fishing swivel is a small device

consisting of two rings connected to

a pivoting joint. The device is usually

made of metal, and the pivoting joint

is usually ball- or barrel-shaped. The

line from a rod and reel is tied to

one end, and a length of fishing line,

often terminated by a hook, lure or

sinker, is tied to the other. The main

purpose of the swivel is to allow the

line to untwist during line retrieval,

preventing undesirable tangling.


Since the Rena disaster we’ve received these words from Mark at Extreme:

there is a sad situation here in our

home port of Tauranga, the container

ship Rena ran aground last week onto

one of our favourite kingfish spots.

Since then the ship has started to leak

oil, containers are falling off, and now

the ship is at risk of breaking up which

is just devastating.

There are many of you who are

booked on upcoming trips, some

are individuals and some are multi

day trips. Rest assured we are

currently working on finding suitable

workarounds to fulfil all of our

booked trips.

For the short term we are looking at

taking our operation on an adventure, I

am currently looking at various options

along the coast in areas not affected

by the Rena problem. Rest assured

there will be no compromise on the

fishing here for you guys, in fact some

of the places we are looking at heading

to are where I go fishing when I have

a holiday. One of these locations a

few years ago saw 3 of us land an

extraordinary 200 kingfish in one day!!!

As like anywhere in New Zealand

the scenery will be stunning, and the

food and people fantastic.

I have been receiving many emails

and messages from you all with

well wishes (thank you) and some

messages in regards to what is

happening on upcoming trips.

As always we will be doing our

upmost to ensure you the angler

get the best from your New Zealand

adventure.

Now with a fishing update, since

Rena landed on Astrolabe reef

the fishing has become extremely

difficult, some days only one or two

fish. So it may be a timely thing to

head off and try some new ground

and let things settle down a bit here.

rewarded or wondering what you are

doing there! Above all, the kingis have

been a real dichotomy with smaller

fish one day followed by uncatchable

monsters the next – at the same

location no less! While the largest

landed was a modest 22 kilo specimen

landed by Aucklander Bruce Cox,

many other larger fish were lost. Here

the fish are readily taking jigs and bait

with little differentiation. Some lost

fish were on long enough to tell they

were 30 kilos plus while most were

momentary “wiz bangs”! The bottom

fishing was all or nothing. Find a place

where they are and it doesn’t take too

long to limit out with double headers

commonplace. The vast majority are

hapuka with just a few trumpeter

(some over 12kgs) and terakihi to

spice up the catch. While few places

were looked at, bass seemed to be

nonexistent. Hapuka were mainly in

the 8 -15 kilo category with just the

odd one over 20. Angler Raj Prakash

did well to subdue a 21 kilo specimen

on only 10 kilo tackle while trying

for lesser species. They are in quite

poor condition overall due to having

just completed their spawning cycle

recently. As per normal, they will put

on condition by the week with some

good feeding going on. Water looks

nice here as well with a handful of

smallish (7-9k’s) but plump albacore

full of juvenile squid landed in 4-500

metres just off the shelf. Expect plenty

out of this place over the following

weeks and months.

SummaryInteresting and, in retrospect, a typical

spring start. While we shouldn’t

expect anything earth shattering

or huge changes, more consistency

should follow. Nice to not have the

predicted westerly winds thus far but

don’t breathe too easily. Will report

again in another week, till then …

Bay of Plentysource: Mark extreme Fishing adventures

regionalREVIEWS

Coromandel source: Carl Muir www.epicadventures.co.nz

once again the weather is playing

havoc with the fishing, but thankfully

this month the big Snapper have

begun their migration & made their

presence felt. A couple of remarkable

fish have been taken from the shore

including 30lb Snap landed from the

beach down Foxton way.

Taranaki – West Coast the aMF team

http://bit.ly/tmLjJf

http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/walkabout-comp-for-the-month-of-october_topic70465_page3.html


Global WarmingJust when you think it’s safe to go

outside, it snows…in Auckland! Then

faster than a couta’ bite-off it’s shorts

and T-shirts (at least for a little while)

even slap on the sunscreen. Spring

epitomized. Lots of lambs and more

aquatic examples like this new brood

in tow paddling off towards Rangitoto

means it’s all on, coming ready or not!

Oh yeah and I kid you not, snapper

have roe already!

With water temps just starting to rise a

degree or so and some very good bait

schools all around the gulf prospects

for this spring & summer fishing are

shaping up big-time.The best thing

about now is that its spring, enjoying

those perfectly calm days with big

healthy fish on the bite. The worst

thing about now is that its spring,

exasperating days of wind with fish

mouths shut tight. We’re certainly in for

the roller coaster ride of spring weather.

Bring it on, there’s always a silver lining.

WorkupsThe first of the spring workups are all

on with many whales, lots of dolphins

and gannets in scary numbers at times

smashing the bait to smithereens,

pummelling the sea surface from a deep

dark blue to an aerated light green.

Truly inspiring sights and sounds -

from the huge spouts of air from the

whales to the fluttering of the air from

the gannets wing-tip feathers as they

dive, again right beside the boat.

The snapper underneath (not so

during the Claytons workups, more

about these later) are generally good

solid fish around the 10-12lb mark,

some excellent juvenile kingfish right

in amongst the action too.

Binfulls like this are getting more and

more regular although it has been

more of a 50:50 call over the past

couple of months. The odds of having

a 115L fish bin overflowing with big fat

snapper like this within an hour or two

are getting better by the day.

Inner Waitemata harbour channels can

still produce the goods particularly

with very lightly weighted soft baits

(1/4 to 1/2oz) from tiny tinnies just

driftin’ on through the sides when the

tide is running well, judging by the

inner city fishermen in the Fishing

Website forums.Smaller grub-tailed and wriggly

legged SBs are doing the trick, some

areas can be fished successfully even

while the wind is howling, tucked in

to the sheltered lee, places like the

Motuihe channel for instance.

I’m sure the famed snapper

migration is nicely coinciding with the

proceedings of the Rugby World Cup,

here’s a Waiheke snapper lofted by

Julien Bonnair of the French Rugby

Team aboard Wavedancer, a great way

to recover from the rigors of rugby on

a blustery morning.

Speaking of Wavedancer I’m

fortunately now one of the 4 Captains

taking out the fast and luxurious

fish hunting charters of Wavedancer

one (Taranui) and Wavedancer two

(Tara-iti), both are identical Rayglass

2800’s. Fantastic boats for quickly

hunting down workups and much

more, using soft plastics only,

dedicated to high performance action

fishing. Close encounters with Orca,

dozens of Brydes whales, Dolphins

both common and bottle nose on

a calm day it can be a right natural

aquatic playground out in our very

own Hauraki Gulf. It’s a delight to be

aboard such a clean fast boat hunting

down the fish, and with Wavedancer

II launched this week, well you can

imagine the blast it is catching

snapper right throughout the gulf

(www.wavedancer.co.nz).

Other SpeciesLots of gurnard are around, most not

particularly big but always colourful

and always a tasty treat…great to

target when the snapper aren’t

playing the game, worth a try while

slowly drifting anywhere in the gulf

really, open sandy areas, either drag

a heavy deep water rig well out back

of the boat with a little Gulp grubtail

or small Catch anchovy or small brown

Z-man lure. And if you put down the

sabiki rigs whether fishing inner or

outer areas, put a live mackerel back

down – they’re working well and

like Forrest Gump ‘life is like a box

of chocolates, you never know what

you’re going to get’. Delicious John

Dory also caught on the little soft

plastic Catch Anchovy looking like

a live-bait “matching the hatch” in

perfect spring weather just last week.

In short the snapper have just turned

their heads towards the local volcano,

the outer gulf is on fire most days and

the snapper are swimming ever closer

to the inner harbour areas.

The winter residents (snapper) are

already sparking up on occasion first

thing in the morning lately. As yet the

inner channels are O.K. in terms of

success but the best is yet to come.

Patience grasshopper, not long now…

Espresso

Hauraki

regionalREVIEWS


NEXTmonth

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f sherIn the next issue of NZ Fisher…

Cape Karikari & surrounds – Number two on the top five inshore countdown•

The NZFisher / Digital Hothouse R’Ocktober Fish Competition results•

Gearing up for Game fishing – what does the boat need?•

Documents

NZ Fisher Issue 13