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Love fishing. Read NZ Fisher, the fresh new digital mag for Kiwi fishing enthusiasts.
Citation preview
www.nzfisher.co.nz 1
ISSUE 32 January 2014
www.nzfisher.co.nzCongratulations to our Torpedo7 prize winner for Issue #32!
Landbased Kings on Fly
Big Fish –Small Jigs
ALLNEW
GREENMACHINE
Honda’s brand new BF60 four-stroke EFI outboard engine combines exclusive Honda technologies in a lightest-weight-in-class package that delivers best-in-class performance.
The newly-designed, water-cooled, three-cylinder engine incorporates electronic fuel injection, Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST™) air/fuel ratio and ignition-timing technology, and lean burn control to deliver powerful start-up and acceleration together with outstanding fuel economy during cruising (ECOmo). NMEA2000 compatibility allows the BF60 to communicate with onboard marine electronics, while ultra-smooth operation and world-leading environmental performance combine to crown the new BF60: ‘Green Machine’.
BF60
www.hondamarine.co.nz0800 4 STROKE (787 653)
Honda_BF60_BC_FP.indd 1 18/6/2013 8:58:44 AM
ALLNEW
GREENMACHINE
Honda’s brand new BF60 four-stroke EFI outboard engine combines exclusive Honda technologies in a lightest-weight-in-class package that delivers best-in-class performance.
The newly-designed, water-cooled, three-cylinder engine incorporates electronic fuel injection, Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST™) air/fuel ratio and ignition-timing technology, and lean burn control to deliver powerful start-up and acceleration together with outstanding fuel economy during cruising (ECOmo). NMEA2000 compatibility allows the BF60 to communicate with onboard marine electronics, while ultra-smooth operation and world-leading environmental performance combine to crown the new BF60: ‘Green Machine’.
BF60
www.hondamarine.co.nz0800 4 STROKE (787 653)
Honda_BF60_BC_FP.indd 1 18/6/2013 8:58:44 AM
www.nzfisher.co.nz 3
Pg 6
18
20
CONTENTS
editorial
NEWTECHNIQUES 6 Santa Baiting– Christmas Fishing at its Best
TORPEDO710 Livebaiting Essentials with Torpedo7
14 Kings on Fly: NZ’s Peak Fishing Battle?
KAYAKFISHING18 Night Fishing From Your Viking Kayak
20 West Coast Snapper Smashed
BENISLAND.CO.NZ22 Big Snapper off the Rocks
26 Reader Pics
28 Competition
29 Video of the month 10
• Forged aluminum, 2 tone anodized side plates• ALC: Rigid 1-pcs anodized aluminium frame• Aluminium left & right side plates• Machined aluminium star• Multi-disc Carbonite drag system• 4BB + 1RB Stainless steel bearing system• Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing• Precision cut brass main and pinion gear• Adjustable 6-pin velocity control system• Aluminium twin paddle handle with oversized knobs• Available in both left and right hand models
ISIS
• ALC: Rigid 1-pcs anodized aluminium frame• Aluminium left & right side plates• Machined aluminium, gold anodized spool• Multi-disc Carbonite drag system• 5BB + 1RB Stainless steel bearing system• Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing• Precision cut brass main and pinion gear• Adjustable 6-pin velocity control system
AKENA
CITRIX
SERRANO
For news, advice, offers & a good old laugh, visit us at facebook.com/borntofishnz
Akena
Citrix
NEWMODEL!
for 2014HOT!
Isis
Serrano
• ALC: Rigid diecast aluminium frame• A6061-T6 machined aluminium, anodized V-shaped spool• External adjustable centrifugal cast control system• Multi-disc Carbonite drag system• 7BB+1RB bearing drive system• Micro-click drag star for precise drag settings• Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing• Graphite sideplates• Available in both left and right hand models
www.cdrods.co.nz
• ALC: Rigid diecast aluminum frame• CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process• Aluminum right side plate holds gears in perfect alignment• A6061-T6 machined aluminum, anodized spool• Magnum light spool on SR-200W for reduced weight• Heavy duty, machine cut, Dura brass gearing• Multi-disc Carbonite drag system• Micro-click drag star for precise drag settings• 10BB+1RB stainless steel bearing drive system
www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
HAPPY NEW YEAR NZFisho’s!
We’ve had a cracker of a break but
we’ve pulled finger and here’s your
first 2014 issue of NZFisher.
Congratulations to all those who
have wet a line and landed some fish
already this year. We have had a bit
of fun looking at ‘other’ species over
the break and have generally given
snapper and kingfish a miss. There’s
been scallops, paua, crays, pipi, tuatua
and more blessing our dinner tables
(ok, there’s been some snapper and
kingfish too!) But it’s gamefish we’re
onto now. All going well, we’ll have
some marlin and tuna pics for the
NZFisher (and Reel Adventures) team.
We’ve had great news recently that
shark finning is to be banned In NZ,
starting with some species this year
and closing out with blue sharks in
2016. Despite the long phase-in
period, we’re pretty happy with the
Minister’s decision to implement this
law before the elections. It’s long
overdue and well received by most
intelligent people.
For those of you who have not heard
about this yet, please head to the
‘Sea Change’ website and have a
read up on what is being proposed to
develop a marine spatial plan for the
Hauraki Gulf. It’s an important process
and they’re planning shared use
over the next 30 years. While today
we might think of it as a pathway to
better access, its the access that’s
at stake. You can visit the full site at
www.seachange.org.nz. NZFisher
is right behind the protection of our
natural environments, both on shore
and marine – but we wish to ensure
the public is fully informed of the
processes at play.
2014 is being heralded as a bit of a
watershed year by most Kiwis I’ve
spoken to. The baggage of the GFC
appears to have been left behind
and the unusual superstition of
2013 is now behind us. At NZFisher
we’ve set some pretty lofty goals
for ourselves and we hope to bring
you an improved, more detailed and
professional publication in 2014. It is
our goal to become the number one
online fishing publication in NZ and
we want you to enjoy the benefits
too. Please send us your images and
stories to [email protected] so
we can share your successes with our
own – and you’ll also be in the draw
for some awesome prizes too!
Tight lines NZ Fisho’s!
//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 OlssonCONTENT 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.NZFisher.co.nz
Cover: A Houhora king falls victim to a ZETZ Boggie Walk Smelt – Landed by Ian Biddick
This is a GREEN MAG, created and distributed without the use of paper so it's environmentally friendly. Please think before you
print. Thank you!
EACH YEAR MOST OF us head off to far away beaches,
camp-grounds or family baches to relax, rest up, drink,
eat well and often fish for a feed. This year a few of us
NZFisher folk headed up north for a week to get away, try
some new tricks and, well, get a feed!
Weather was a bit tricky and a few electronic hiccups on
the new boat meant deep water was too tough to be
fun, so we stuck to the inner reefs and bays in search of
moochers. By Christmas we’d missed the first round of
snapper spawning so they’d dispersed a little and we’re
a bit patchy. That didn’t stop us giving them a good go
and with some less conventional lures (we tend not to
use bait, at all).
We also spent some time trialling, and sadly failing, with
our handmade imitation Maori fish hooks. After some
reading on their traditional use we have the idea that
they’re more of a choker than ‘hook’ in the modern sense
and were used more to target the likes of couta and
hapuku rather than our target, snapper. There’s more work
to be done here and we’ll get on to it again soon, (who
could say no to some more fishing?)
It was Christmas, so it seemed right to put a bit of Christmas
spirit into the fishing so Santa hats on and lures Chrissy
themed. Despite our best intentions the fish just weren’t as
into our Christmas cheer as we were – until Ian (finally!) nailed
one for the camera on
the Santa lure.
After the Santa
baiting session, we
landed a few more
snaps on soft baits
and micro-jigs before
heading close in for
a bit of a Cray/Paua
snorkel. As Neil has
said previously, when
the fishing is slow you
can almost always rely
on Crays, Paua and
other shellfish to fill
the fridge and they’re
so much fun for the
whole family to chase.
6 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Santa did it!
newTECHNIQUES
NZFisher’s Northland writer Neil Wagener looked at the difficulties of Christmas fishing in the last two issues and we thought we’d put his teachings to the test over Christmas and New Years – here’s how we got on...By Derrrick Paull
Santa Baiting– Christmas Fishing at its Best
The newest skippie lure of choice
The boat
www.nzfisher.co.nz 7
Our team were only on snorkel but managed a nice haul
of two Crays (plus returned a number of undersized
packhorse‘s too) and half a dozen nice (yes, legal!) Paua –
one hell of a feed for day one. At the beach we also dug
a handful of tuatua to spice up the pasta a little. It’s such a
pleasure to live in NZ on days like this when our initial plan
was foiled by fish with their mouths firmly shut, we can nip
into a bay and find a king’s feast of shellfish with little effort.
We set out on day two but were somewhat foiled by an
electrical issue on the new boat. The sounder was nothing
short of awesome in water up to 100 metre, but any
deeper we lost the bottom regularly; virtually ending our
hapuku / bluenose mission. Not to be completely outdone,
we used what we knew of the garden patch hotspots to
put ourselves in the right places, but dropped baits blind.
250 metre plus is a very long way to drop
baits without knowledge of what’s there, but
when you’ve travelled 30 kilometres offshore
to find fish you make the most of it, right?
While not our target species, a pair of gemfish and a
scarpie were once again greatly appreciated for the pot.
On reflection, the gemfish is outstanding, and went down
a treat at out Christmas day celebrations too with everyone
commenting on its delicate flavour and texture.
A quick snapper fish on the way back did provide a bit
more sport and a few fillets for the families on shore. A
day truncated by wind, we spent a few hours talking up a
plan for day three over a few quiet ales; causing a late start
and much deserved sleep in.
The day dawned cool but clear and the plan was to
chase kings and snapper on micro-jigs and stick-baits off
Houhora. We set off across East Beach on a mirror-like sea
with high hopes of one of our plans actually coming off!
We arrived at the reef to find it crawling in bait-fish and
decent schools of kings chasing them. A few drops later
and we were into some nice fish and ones that actually
took the baits we wanted them to – specifically the ZETZ
micro-jigs which we’d been dying to put up against
the kings. Ian Biddick managed the best fish on one, a
stroppy 12 kilogram model that came aboard hooked by
the tiniest corner of its mouth – something only the tiny
hooks on the micros could manage.
newTECHNIQUES
Thank god for small harbours
Calamari Entree
Darren wrestling one out
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Ian M also landed a new PB, an 11 kilogram fish that he
fought hard in 15 metres on the 10lb Ducro 10 PE1 set.
When I started jigging it was with PE6, 400 gram sets
that destroyed kings (and anglers) but stole the joy of
fighting anything but the biggest fish. I love this light
gear and intend to put it to good use at the three kings
later this year!
We landed our fill of kings but the best action came when
we threw the bigger stick-baits at them with the Hitter
Aurora 120 gram causing the biggest stir. There were
packs of 20 or 30 fish up to 20 kilogram chasing, smashing
and hitting the baits – every time the video camera was
switched off but constantly absent while we were filming –
it was insane and awe inspiring. Ever since my first real top
newTECHNIQUES
The kings were hungry – but only for very small jigs
Ian’s Zetz King
top water experience at mayor Island in 2010 I’ve
maintained the opinion that there is no thrill in fishing
within NZ like a pack of crazed kings smashing at
stickbaits. If you haven’t yet – you must get on a trip to
throw stickbaits at kingfish; it’ll change your life!
I trust you all had a fishing experience that put a smile
on your face like Ian’s over the break. If not – get away
from your PC and go fishing – it’s all on now!
The Aurora does it again!
Ian nailed his new PB on the Ducro 10lb set-up!
A mixed bag
Kings ON!
What a haul - and not a snapper in sight!
newTECHNIQUES
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Sabikis
A decent sabiki rig is essential when catching those
precious baits prior to a big day out livebaiitng. Sabiki rigs
are a very effective Japanese creation that work a treat on
New Zealand bait fish.
These Saltura Sabiki rigs have been tried and tested in the
southern hemisphere and developed to target our baitfish.
Each rig is set up with 4 hooks, flashers, beads, a swivel at
each end and a sinker.
FEATURES
Top Shelf Quality•
4 Hook Setup•
Ready to fish•
Livebaiting Essentials with Torpedo7
Livebait is unquestionably one of the most efficient, rewarding and enjoyable forms of fishing; and Kiwis just love it! While not necessarily difficult, livebaiting does require some specific tools of the trade. Here Torpedo7 gives a quick rundown on some of the essential pieces of equipment you’ll need for a successful day’s livebaiting.
Torpedo7
www.nzfisher.co.nz 11
Keep your bait alive and kicking
Once you’ve caught your bait, it is vitally important to store
them somewhere with recirculating water until you are
ready to rig them up and let them down into the enemy
territory. Turn virtually any water well into a live well with
this 12 volt aeration system from Marine Metal Products.
By aerating the water you keep bait/fish lively increasing
their performance as a livebait.
FEATURES
Converts any well into a livewell•
Aerates and cools up to 35 gallons•
Mounts with suction cups•
Choice of two spray bars•
500GPH Pump with 10’ wire and filter•
Copper battery clips•
2 spray bars with connector, mounting clips, •
suction cups and screws
5.5’ flexible tubing•
Hook the dream catch with Owner
When you are livebaiting, you are obviously chasing
some pretty serious fish so you need some serious hooks.
These amazing hooks from Owner are built tough and
are purposefully designed for this style of fishing. These
durable hooks are coated in corrosion resistant black
chrome and have a tough forged shank. Ideal for rigging
large baits.
Featuring a patented “T” shaped triple edged blade led
by a needle sharp point, these hooks will cut their way
through the toughest cartilage, scales and jawbone. With
the three cutting edges, the resistance decreases as the
edges cut their way through for an effortless hook up.
Torpedo7
12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Reel ‘em in
When livebaiting, there are a few different options when
it comes to reels. The lightweight but very tough Shimano
Thunnis has become a very popular choice however.
The Thunnus 12000 C14 offers all the features
that the Thunnus reels are renowned for but
offers a larger line capacity, making it suitable
for most fish in Australasian waters.
Whether you are casting Poppers, Straylining or
Livebaiting and you hook a decent Kingie or Snapper you
will have piece of mind that your Thunnus will provide
unparalleled reliability and performance. It offers
Shimanos renowned Baitrunner feature which enables
the fish to take the bait without resistance and to strike
simply re-engage the drag pressure by reeling in.
These reels are ultra versatile so if you are looking to buy
a top end setup that you can do virtually anything with the
Shimano Thunnus 8000 should be a certain choice.
FEATURES
4:4:1gear ratio•
6 +1 Stainless steel ball bearings•
Dyna Balanced anti wobble system•
Oversized power roller line roller•
C14 Ultra lightweight construction•
Propulsion line management system•
Fluidrive II gearing system•
Paladin - Gear durability enhancement•
Cold forged Aluminium spool •
Super stopper II Anti Reverse•
One Piece bail wire•
Mono line capacity lb/yrds - 12/550, 16/350, 20/265•
Braid line capacity lb/yrds - 50/505, 65/310, 80/240•
Weighs approx 780g•
Max drag 12kg•
Torpedo7
COMPETITION WINNERThe lucky winner of Torpedo7’s $150 voucher from NZ Fisher’s December issue is Darryl Lock.
Congratulations Darryl, enjoy!
Win a $150 Gift Voucher with NZ Fisher and Torpedo7!To celebrate the summer season we’re giving away a $150 voucher to spend at www.torpedo7.co.nz in each of our
summer issues. Competition open only to NZ Fisher subscribers. Head to www.nzfisher.co.nz to subscribe for
free! 2 easy steps to enter!
Read this issue of NZ Fisher and answer this question...1.
“In our Kings On Fly article tell us one ingredient from the writers recommended Berley mixture”
Go to our Facebook page at 2. www.facebook.com/NZFisherMagazine and tell us your answer
Entries close 14 February 2014 and winner named in our February issue!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 13
14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Kings on Fly: NZ’s Peak Fishing Battle?
This summer has already been an absolute cracker for kingfish in the Auckland region. We’ve been seeing them, hooking them and catching them on virtually every trip since mid-November. Words and images by Tom Lusk
MY FRIENDS HAVE managed them on livies, cotton
Cordell pencil poppers and stickbaits, and others around
the place have had success jigging and even surfcasting for
other species off the West Coast beaches.
For me, I’ve attained a major milestone: a keeper king on
fly from the shore. Since I took up the long wand in salt in
early 2012, I had caught a 73 centimetre number on trout
gear and lost two biggies that grabbed snapper flies and
smashed me in less than five seconds. Now I’ve landed
two nice comfortable keepers and lost three more, and the
season is just kicking off.
Encountering Kings
My approach to tangling with kings on fly gear is similar
to more traditional king methods. I’m a big believer in
berley, and like to use a mixture of a three kilogram Salmon
berley with white bread, all mixed up in a 20 litre bucket of
seawater and spooned into the water bit by bit.
Rolled oats are a good further constituent. A long-handled
serving spoon or ladle is a good delivery method, and
slapping a spoonful into the water every ten or fifteen
minutes gives a good combination of noise, smell and
visual cues.
Such a thrill
www.nzfisher.co.nz 15
While I’m not sure that kings necessarily follow their noses,
I think that when they’re stooging along looking for trouble
and come across a menagerie of excited and distracted
baitfish, plus delicious oily scents and floating pieces of
food, they are bound to flick into extermination mode.
White bread is a great addition because it’s fairly cheap,
very visible, and everything in the ocean likes it, even kings
themselves. Gulls love it too, but when targeting kings, the
extra commotion they cause is probably not a bad thing.
Terrain is important. Ideally, you want lots of clean seabed
in front of you. If you can find a kelpie fringe leading onto
a sandy bottom, you’re off to a good start. Really evil
territory is probably better left to LBG fishos.
The Set Up
With fly gear, your fly line is expensive – around $80 to $100
and up, so with notoriously dirty fighters like kings, you really
want the weakest point in your line to be close to the hook.
Thus, I use relatively light leader: 20 to 30 pound fluoro is my
preferred weight, something unthinkable when live baiting.
I also use barbless hooks, as if I do bust off, I don’t want the
fish stuck with a piercing and possibly trailing a fly line.
My rod for kings is a 12WT Kilwell, and my reel is a Colton
Torrent 911. This is at the heaviest end of the scale, and
some of my fly-fishing friends do well on kings with 10WT
rods. However they tend to be fishing on clean flats, where
it’s not so crucial to be able to lift the fish at the end of the
fight, when he is hell bent on doing macramé in the kelp.
The smile says it all.
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
The Flies
When a king sees your fly as he meanders along the rock
edge, he’ll usually instantly accelerate and engulf it from
a couple of metres away, so I don’t know how important
beautifully tied flies are.
Size, shape and flash are key features of a fly, but I’ve
had very positive hook ups on a variety of sizes, shapes
and colours. For a beginner, I’d recommend any baitfish
patterns of about 7-10cm. If you like surface strikes, crease
flies are fantastic, and I’d rate these above popper flies,
which can be knocked aside by the attacking fish. One of
my favourite flies imitates piper, so it’s long and slender,
with a distinct black beak and big eyes.
The Fight
My two successful fights with keeper kings from the shore
have involved me getting very wet. In both cases, the kings
came in out of nowhere, smashed the fly and then blasted
off along the bottom, right through the kelp. To free them,
I’ve backed off the drag and swum out to free the line from
the weed, which is something I’d only do in calm conditions
with mates on the shore.
Once the fish is free, it’s really a matter of slogging it out,
ideally over the sand away from any structure. My first fish
took 230m of line in three blasting runs, and showed me
the spool knot - very worrying, and the first time this has
ever happened to me. However, once he was that far out, I
knew he was in the clear, and was able to gently wear him
down before bringing him back in to shore.
Facts and tips
Don’t worry if your casting distance isn’t great. Kings 1.
will come in to incredibly shallow water. A 10m cast is
usually overkill.
A stepladder, as used by a flats kingfish guru friend, is 2.
very useful on the rocks, too. Height gives a lot more
visibility.
Keep your drag low early in the fight. You really want 3.
the fish to swim away from the rocks as much as
possible. Once he’s out in the open, you can begin to
wear him down.
Polarised sunglasses are virtually an essential. Fly 4.
fishing for kings is a highly visual game.
Having pillie cubes handy is a good idea. A dozy king 5.
can be woken up to feed by a hail of splashing bait.
If you get tired of waiting for his majesty and go for 6.
other species with a smaller rod, keep your king gear
very close, and ready to go, i.e. a bit of fly line out of
the rod tip, fly clear on the rocks, drag set low. Kings
turn up at the least convenient times.
call 0800 666 785 for your nearest retailer
keeps your screen water repellent...for longer!
diamondfusion.co.nz
Milan Radonich, PlaceMakeRs Big angRy Fish, nZ.
“…using diamond Fusion gives you clear vision 360 degrees (even at night).”
endorsed by new Zealand Fishing news and fishing.net.nz
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
kayakFISHING
HOW OFTEN DO YOU struggle to find time to get out
on the water for a fish? Our days can so easily be sucked
up with everything other than what we want to be doing.
During the summer months it is possible to get out for
a fish after work but sometimes if there is a good bite
or you are just having too much fun, have you thought
about staying out after dark?
When I first took up kayak fishing the thought of sitting
out on the water in the dark was not something I ever saw
myself doing. Fast-forward to now and I have no problem
at all about paddling out into the cover of night to go for
a fish. I have learnt that as long as precautions are taken
and everything safety wise is covered then it can be a very
enjoyable time to be out.
All sorts of factors need to be thought about and I must
stress that it is not a smart idea to night fish a new area
without having fished it a few times during the day. It
is extremely easy to lose your bearings and have no
idea what way you came from especially if there are few
landmarks viewable in low light.
Apart from all of the usual safety equipment (life jacket,
radio etc) you should already have on board; night fishing
adds a few new things to the already large list of necessary
items. First of all a white light that is viewable round 360
degrees is required under Maritime regulations so that
Night Fishing From Your Viking KayakHow often do you struggle to find time to get out on the water for a fish?By Shane Kelly and Bam Blaikie
You’re not always easy to see
you can be seen by other vessels. The Maniyaks use the
Navisafe lights on Railblaza telescopic poles, or another
great option is the Railblaza visibility kit The higher the
better as even a small swell will see the light disappear
every few seconds. Something else worth thinking about
is reflective tape on the blades of your paddle and on
your clothing for additional ways of letting others know
you are out there.
So that ensures others can see us on the water but what
should we use to see for ourselves? We have found the
best option to be the cheap Energizer head lamps that are
available almost anywhere batteries are sold. These lights
offer enough light to make out what is in front of you but
also has a red light setting which is very good to use when
sorting new tackle or re-baiting hooks which you will find
your eyes not needing to re-adjust after switching the light
off. While these are not water proof they are cheap enough
to replace if they ever fail. A back up source of light is also
something to have hidden away in your night pack.
Chart plotters are not a must but extremely recommended.
As it is incredibly disorientating being out in the pitch black
you need something that you can use to get you back the
way you come. While not all kayaks are fitted out with chart
plotters even a GPS or a smart phone will let you track
where you came from so you can head back the same way
when it is time to call it a night. Our Lowrance finders leave
a snail trail of exactly where we have paddled. All we need
to do is follow this back to our launch spot.
There is one more item far more important than any of
these and that is a buddy to go along with you. Fishing
on your lonesome is never a smart idea unless you know
the area very well but in the dark it becomes far more
important to have someone else there. Be careful not to sit
in shipping lanes or anywhere that is a high traffic area.
I recommend you give night fishing a go this summer. It will
add a whole new dimension to an already enjoyable sport.
You will find you notice your senses in overload as you
sit out on flat water and notice every splash around you
wondering what the heck it could be. Let us know how you
get on. We would love to hear your story of paddling out
into the dark.
The Viking Maniyaks are Wellington based duo, Shane
Kelly and Bam Blaikie. Keep an eye peeled for more of
their tips, tricks and competitions wins right here in NZ
Fisher and on their new website, www.maniyaks.com
kayakFISHINGNice high, clear mounting point
VHF & waterproof light a MUST
360deg LED light
Handy LED light, secured to the yak.
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
I PLAY A LITTLE game of find the truth with the Ministry
of Primary Industries (MPI) about the state of fisheries
recreational fishers are most interested in. One of the
fisheries in question is the Snapper 8 (North Island West
Coast) where there is major conflict between what science
says, recreational anglers report, and the commercial
industry insist. For my part, I’ve heard more from observers
and scientists within Government departments that cannot
speak freely.
The last assessment of the Snapper 8 Fishery was back in
2005; where results show that the fishery is (was) as likely to
be at 10% as above. In fisheries terms, this is a ‘collapsed
West Coast Snapper SmashedWhat’s the state of our snapper fishery off the coast of the North Island?By Neil Wagener
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
fishery’ – but in this case, one we can still take fish from. It
seems very odd to me, a science outsider, that given the
known state of this fishery, that we would still be fishing it.
The 2005 assessment also looked at the age class of fish,
stating “Recent catch-at-age sampling shows that the
age structure in the fishery has changed little over the
last 20 years averaging around 6 years (this is the lowest
average of all the snapper stocks). The fishery is held
up in most years by only 4-5 dominant age classes with
an eligible accumulation of biomass beyond 20 years.
Given the current age structure the stock would be very
vulnerable to recruitment failure extending more than
2-3 years in duration”.
The way I read that, the fishery is full of midgets and not
too many adult fish at all.
There is a big ‘but’ to this story though. It doesn’t appear
to be all doom and gloom at all. You’d think that in a
collapsed fishery there might be a bit of outrage from
recreational fishers who can’t catch a feed. Or perhaps
there’d be a drop in commercial catch. But there isn’t.
I’ve followed this fishery for a few years, armed with
the science and MPI assessments, often getting really
into the minds of those who fish the west coast. It’s very
seldom that I come across boat fishos who are genuinely
disappointed in their (snapper) fishery over the bars or
launching off the beaches on the West coast. It seems
that once you know the spots, snapper are easy to land
off shore.
I cannot say the same for landbased fishos. It seems they
struggle to ever catch snapper these days – even from
waters where snapper were formerly noted swimming so
densely and shallow that their backs would be out of the
water while hunting for tuatua over the high tide.
In fisheries management there’s a term, ‘localised
depletion’, and at first glance the idea that an area had
simply been depleted, before another area, would fit
this situation. Until you have a look at where the fish
are consistently being landed in this fishery. The data
surrounding where trawlers land their fish is shrouded in
secrecy, but there are commercial fishers willing to share
their insight and experiences – albeit it on the quiet.
What appears to be happening is that snapper keep
returning to the same locations their school mates just got
scooped up from, sticking close together and keeping the
same haunts.
While this does make it a wee bit easier for recreational
and commercial fishers to catch them, common sense
might suggest it’s also a way to deplete the species, not
just locally, but across the whole fishery.
If you’ve made it this far you may be wondering why I’m
writing this article and even more, why would we think that
snapper are huddling together in the depths; especially in
places where they get regularly scooped up in trawl nets?
The theory comes from a mix of anecdotal information
garnered from recreational and commercial fishers. This
anecdotal information can be added to a theory presented
by G. A Rose & D. W. Kulka in relation to the collapsed
northern cod stock off Newfoundland & Labrador in
their paper; “Hyper aggregation of fish and fisheries:
how catch-per-unit-effort increased as the northern cod
(Gadus morhua) declined” (Google it if you’d like a better
understanding) and a real problem can be envisaged.
In short, hyper-aggregation means that the fish, remaining
in the fishery when they’re severely depleted, seek each
other out and aggregate in such numbers and with such
density that when they’re being targeted and researched,
the fishery appears to be strong and the fish abundant.
Only problem is, the Ministry’s own research showed in
2005 that the fishery was in trouble (at or below 10% of un-
fished levels). The magic number of 10% is what they call
the ‘Hard Limit’ at which point the fishery should be closed
to taking more fish.
Is it possible that our west coast snapper are so heavily
depleted that they are seeking each other out and hyper-
aggregating in a similar way to the north sea cod? At this
point, no one entirely knows, but there are some pretty
big questions to be answered by the proposed stock
assessment we’re hoping will come to fruition.
For the sake of the fishery and the future of snapper on the
west coast, I really hope there is no correlation, but you
have to wonder!
22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
WE HAD ROUGH SEAS and gusting south-westerly’s all
week and I was eager to go for a fish. It has been two
weeks, you know…taking the dinghy out into Tryphena
Harbour was not an option due to the strong winds, thus I
decided to go rock-fishing on the East Coast. Low tide was
around midday and there was no swell on that side of the
island. I left home around 9 o’clock, bought some bait from
the Stonewall shop and casually drove to Medlands Beach.
Something happened during the 20 minute drive. I
was so excited to go rock-fishing; you know the kind of
excitement? When you are sitting in an office and doing
your job and suddenly the fishing vibe gets to you, you
drop everything, say you feel sick, leave the workplace
and go for a fish. You are going on a mini-adventure and
although you might have done this thousands of times,
you sense that special feeling; psyched to hear the line
spooling and feel the weight of a solid fish on the rod.
Personally, I enjoy very much being all by myself or with
fellow fishos on a remote spot.
Yeah man, I was freakin’ excited to go rock-fishing, and
there is nothing wrong with that! By the time I unpacked
the car and me and Rani started to walk, I realised that I
should be standing on the rocks right now. I should have
left home earlier. Well, anyway, I walked via the ‘Track’
around to the southern side of Oruawharo Bay.
Big Snapper off the Rocks
benisland.co.nz
When it comes to fishing, you just can’t top rock-fishing or as some people say LBG (land-based-game fishing). I’m going to stick with the term rock-fishing as LBG implies that you do a bit more than simply casting out a piece of dead bait from the rocks and hoping to catch the big one. By Ben Assado
Walking on the ‘Track’ down to the ledge. It’s not easy finding the track, but no climbing is involved.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
There she is, a new personal best off the rocksbenisland.co.nz
This time I even had some berley, a nice four kilogram
Bonito one, however, I forgot to bring a rope and the berley
bag. After rigging up the first rod it was around 10.15am
already, and I still felt like a lazy fool for not being here an
hour ago. There was a bit of side-on wind and I thought:
“Don’t bother with the second rod, don’t bother with the
berley, just cast out mate.” And that’s what I did, a whole
squid baited onto two fixed 6/0 hooks on a meter of 60
pound trace. I was using my 10 to 15 kilogram, 8.6 foot
two-piece rod and the ever trusted Shimano 6500 Baitrunner
spooled with 30 pound line.
Boom, I was on a snapper immediately. It was 30+ cm and
went straight into the bucket. Second cast, boom, I was on
again. A smaller snapper that was released to fight another
day. So there I was, casting out, every cast a bite and the
berley was still next to my feet. What do I do, keep casting
out, cut a chunk of berley and throw it out? Three times is
a charm, so a piece of squid was casted out again. The bait
was taken only a few seconds after it hit the surface, flicked
from free spool into drag mode and, let me say it again,
kaaabooom the rod loaded up and the fish was taking
line. Too much line I thought and turned the drag up half a
notch, line was still taken.
What a great feeling it is when you hear line spooling out,
when you get into position to fight a fish, holding the
rod as high as is feasible, letting the fish take line when it
fights, and working rod and reel as fast as you can when
it isn’t pulling line. The fish had a few runs but I managed
to keep the load onto him and to turn its head quickly.
Snapper fight hard to begin with but once you turned the
head upwards and keep the pressure on they don’t have
much fight in them. That is of course if you can stay on top
of them, not letting them run into the foul.
The fight, albeit intense, took only two to three minutes,
before I saw colour a couple of metres out. There was a lot
of colour and all I could think of was not to lose this one.
‘Keep the pressure on, take it easy, and slowly wind him
24 www.nzfisher.co.nz
No gaff, no net, no berley, no getting up early or fishing late, bo boat, just pure skill and lots of luck… hehe
onto the rocks.’ And there it was; a new personal best for
Snapper off the rocks.
Needless to say, I was stoked! I put her into a rock pool and
for a moment, I was unsure of what to do next. I still had
four kilograms of berley and had only used three pieces of
squid so far. I decided to toss all the berley into the water
and fish hard for another hour or so. The fish kept biting
and biting and I kept landing and releasing Snapper. One
after another…
What a beautiful (fishing) day! I packed in at 11.15am which
was just amazing. I’d landed enough fish for a whole week
within the first ten minutes and there were plenty more
snapper wanting to get arrested. While cleaning the fish, a
dinghy passed by and unfortunately, I realised too late that
there were some mates of mine in it. Well, I ate lots of fish
yesterday, and Rani and I have three smoked fish, a couple
of smoked wings and a smoked head to enjoy for the rest
of the week. Here some more pics for you guys.
Keep it real, Ben
Reproduced with the permission of Ben Assado. Ben Island
lives permanently in the hills of Tryphena, in a rugged and
stunning bush block, and pursues his dream of living in
harmony and sustainably from the land. Landbased fishing
and blogging about the simple, yet utterly fulfilling life on
Great Barrier Island are his favourite pastimes. Follow his
fishing adventures for big snapper and kingfish off the rocks
on www.BENIsLAND.co.nz.
benisland.co.nz
The knife is 36 cm long..jpg
www.nzfisher.co.nz 25
www.thesnapperfestival.co.nz
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
Feb 7-8 2014
www.thesnapperfestival.co.nz
26 www.nzfisher.co.nz
READERpics
Reader Pics
Allan MckInvens new PB - a 75cm Hauraki Gulf Summer snapper
Allans PB & his second best
Barry Williams with a lengthy Whatipu Kingfish landed on Christmas eve!.
Derrick with a nice Northland king - submitted by Ian McLeod
www.nzfisher.co.nz 27
READERpics
Wayne Downer & a tasty summer snap aboard his own Frewza F16
Mike Proctor & his new PB king on spear (80lb!!!!) Image Camden Andrews
Angela Cielo Taguibao with her new PB, 2.3kg snapper from the rocks - Great fish!
Russell Baily & his new 17kg PB (on a jig) in the Bay of Plenty
Peter Wigg & a Large John Dory caught in Whangaroa Harbour before Christmas
Tony Brake with a16lb snapper taken by ‘Seahorse’ long line off Auckland’s West Coast
WINNER
28 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Win a Trip on Board Diversity with Tackle-It & NZFisher!
JUST POST A PIC of you with a fish to
our Facebook page and you’re in the
draw to win day trip aboard Diversity
care of Damo and the team at Tackle-It.
Every image you enter has a chance
to win the big prize. The more and
sooner you enter, the better your
chances so get fishing and posting
those images to Facebook!
WINNER: Tony Brake with a16lb
snapper taken by ‘Seahorse’ long
line off Auckland’s West Coast
COMPETITION
www.nzfisher.co.nz 29
VIDEO
Fishing Video of the MonthI LOVE KAYAK FISHING and love how waterproof video
cameras have opened up the sport to non-kayak fishos
in such a visual, vibrant way. Here’s a handful of videos
I’ve seen lately that have motivated me to go kayak
shopping again!
First up, the 1. ‘NZBlokes’ team with their 2013
round up
And more recently they’ve been getting into them2.
in the Far, far North.
And 3. this is what I want to be doing more of this
summer!
30 www.nzfisher.co.nz
HOOKEDUP!
Know whatyou’re doing
Phone 0800 40 80 90 or visitwww.boatingeducation.org.nz
Core Courses Specialty Courses RYA Courses
Wide range of courses for all types of boating available nationwide
Ocean Yachtmaster
Day Skipper
Boatmaster
Maritime VHF Operator Certificate
Coastal Skipper
Radar
GPS Operator
Engine Maintenance
Marine Medic
Sea Survival
Sea Kayak and Waka Ama
Club Safety Boat Operator
Bar Crossing
PWC
Powerboating
Sail Cruising
Motor Cruising
www.nzfisher.co.nz 31
Have you subscribed to NZ Fisher? It’s free!Simply visit www.nzfisher.co.nz to get a copy of NZ Fisher
delivered straight to your inbox every month!
regionalREVIEWSNEXTmonth
Coming up in our February issue:- What really makes a good knife?
- Reel Adventures vs Rompin Sailfish
- Propping your motor - how do you know what’s the right prop?
Photo Credit: ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com
Know whatyou’re doing
Phone 0800 40 80 90 or visitwww.boatingeducation.org.nz
Core Courses Specialty Courses RYA Courses
Wide range of courses for all types of boating available nationwide
Ocean Yachtmaster
Day Skipper
Boatmaster
Maritime VHF Operator Certificate
Coastal Skipper
Radar
GPS Operator
Engine Maintenance
Marine Medic
Sea Survival
Sea Kayak and Waka Ama
Club Safety Boat Operator
Bar Crossing
PWC
Powerboating
Sail Cruising
Motor Cruising