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ENJOY FISHING? SUBSCRIBE TO NZ FISHER E-MAGAZINE! If you love fishing you’ll love NZ Fisher e-Magazine, the fresh new digital magazine for Kiwi fishing enthusiasts… and it’s free! Packed full of tips, ideas and stories to see you through to your next fishing outing, you’ll land a shiny new issue direct in your email inbox every four weeks!
Citation preview
www.nzfisher.co.nz 1
ISSUE 20 December 2012
www.nzfisher.co.nz
FREWZA! The NZFisher boat launch
OffShore Landbased FishingWIN an OKUMA Salina Combo
2 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Pg 10
1220
Pg 21
CONTENTS
NZ FISHER BOAT
4 NZF Boat No. 2 Unveiled
COMPETITION
8 Win a Rod & Reel with
OKUMA & NZFisher!
10 Reader Pics
BOATFISHING
12 Making the Most of Summer Fishing
HOW TO
14 Building Your Own
Mechanical Jig Rod
LANDBASEDFISHING
16 Off Shore Landbased
20 Gear Reviews
21 New Products
22 Regional Reviews
26 Fishing Video of the Month
www.nzfisher.co.nz 3
TWO YEARS INTO the story
of NZFisher we’re stoked to be
introducing the new NZ Fisher Boat.
We chose the Frewza F16 side console
for a whole lot of reasons that we’ll
get into later in this & future issues,
but we are so proud to show it off. All
going well we’ll be showing it off with
plenty of fishy pics and stories too!
NZFisher hasn’t spent a whole lot of
time testing gear for our readers, but
the little bit we’ve done before has
been well received so we’ve chosen a
couple and hope you find our reviews
helpful. We’ll be adding more to the list
and due to the wonders of the internet
over time you’ll be able to search
them forever. Let us know if there’s any
specific product we can research for you
too. This month we kick off with the
Okuma Makaira 5 two speed.
With Christmas just around the corner
and a decent holiday for most hopefully
you’ll be spending some time on the
water. Not only do we want you to be
safe, but we’d like our readers to feed
the family too. We’ll put a few ideas
together that we hope you will find
useful when the fish have their mouths
closed – but remember to always be
ready for when the big one strikes.
From the whole NZFisher team, have
a great Christmas, drive safe, catch
plenty & enjoy your break.
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 Paull
ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson
CONTENT ENQUIRIES /
Phone Derrick on 021 629 327
or email derrickp@NZ Fisher.co.nz
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /
Phone Richard on 09 522 7257
or email richardl@espiremedia.com
ADDRESS / NZ Fisher,
C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162,
Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZ
WEBSITE / www.NZ Fisher.co.nz
Cover Image: Andrew Evans with one of two great spring Puka he landed in October
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!
Here are a few snap-shots of
the all new Frewza F495 Side
Console decked out to NZFisher
Specifications. We’ve partnered with
Honda to bring the very best of small
boating to our readers. Once again
we’ll document the build over the
next few issues but this time we’ll
also be bringing you on-board images
& video explaining the usefulness
and usability of the boat itself, the
electronics and the outboard. We
will endeavour to make your boating
easier, safer and more enjoyable
through sharing our adventures and
product specification processes.
Cost is always a consideration and
we looked hard at every dollar
spent. We’ll offer some insight
the most cost effective options
for outfitting your boat and all
going well you’ll be spending
more time on the water fishing!
SPECS:Frewza F16 Side Console (16ft)•
Honda BF60 4 Stroke Outboard •
Coast A16 Trailer•
Lowrance HDS-7 Touch GPS •
NZFisherBOAT
NZF Boat No. 2 UnveiledFREWZA Side Console, the new way to go
4 www.nzfisher.co.nz
An safely wrapped EPIC lager sacrificed to christen the bow
www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
NZFisherBOAT
FREWZA!
The heart & soul
6 www.nzfisher.co.nz
landbasedFISHING
Coastal Trailers Cost Effective Boat Trailers for Light Boats
Website: www.coastaltrailers.co.nz
FN47
18
LEADERS IN BOAT TRAILERDESIGN & PERFORMANCE
Trade in your existing boat trailer for a new Voyager, and receive minimum 10% DISCOUNT on the value of your new replacement trailer• We service, repair and re-galvanise any boat trailer• Parts, servicing, multi-roller and tandem conversion
6 Kaimiro St, Pukete Industrial Estate, Hamilton – Ph 07 849 3158
www.voyagertrailers.co.nz
Used by‘Superbly Built’‘The boat goes on and off the trailer like a dream’‘it tows like a breeze!’
Matt Watson, ITM Fishing Show
COASTAL BOAT TRAILERS are cost
effective trailers that are specifically
designed for smaller light weight
watercraft up to 5.4 metres in length.
e.g. light weight fibreglass runabouts,
personal watercraft (PWC) and open/
centre console aluminium boats. We
provide owners of these types of
boats access to a trailer that is not
typically overdesigned to suit much
heavier boats and in doing this we can
offer a more affordable trailer.
While we aim to keep the cost as
reasonable as possible Coastal Trailer
Chassis are all New Zealand made of
sturdy steel construction and hot dip
galvanised. We then assemble using
locally sourced trailer components
and materials. All trailers are fitted
with LED submersible lighting,
jockey wheels and 1 7/8” couplings.
Mudguards are lightweight plastic
except for the CA10130 which has
steel guards. Springs and fasteners are
hot dip galvanised with the exception
of the coupling fasteners that are high
tensile zinc plated.
All Coastal Boat Trailers are
adjustable to suit various types of
water craft so the purchaser can
easily adjust the hull support to fit
their particular type of boat.
All components are covered with a 12
month warranty and the Chassis’ have
a 5 year structural warranty. Chassis’
are load tested and load rated to
ensure safe operation within the
parameters defined.
ADVERTISEMENT
The day you caught your first fish. The first time you climbed into a boat. These moments make up the beginning of the future.
Today, Honda’s forward thinking comes together to bring you a reliable, fuel efficient range of outboards.
The Beginning of the Future
Contact your local Honda Marine Dealer todayFreephone 0800 478 765 www.hondamarine.co.nz
From 2.3hp to 250hp.
Scan me for a free cap!
BeginningFuture190x225 Traderboat.indd 1 15/11/2012 8:59:10 a.m.
The day you caught your first fish. The first time you climbed into a boat. These moments make up the beginning of the future.
Today, Honda’s forward thinking comes together to bring you a reliable, fuel efficient range of outboards.
The Beginning of the Future
Contact your local Honda Marine Dealer todayFreephone 0800 478 765 www.hondamarine.co.nz
From 2.3hp to 250hp.
Scan me for a free cap!
BeginningFuture190x225 Traderboat.indd 1 15/11/2012 8:59:10 a.m.
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
COMPETITION
Win a Rod & Reel with OKUMA & NZFisher!Every subscriber is in the draw!
JUST POST A pic of you with a fish
to our Facebook page and you’re
in the draw to win an Okuma Salina
II Rod and Reel combo plus tackle
worth $750.00.
Not only that but every month we’ll
give away an Okuma Hoody and
ReelWear T-shirt between now and
April 2013. Every image you enter
has a chance to win each month and
also the big prize. The more and
sooner you enter, the better your
chances so get fishing and posting
those images to Facebook!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 9
COMPETITION
Hasn’t Okuma come a long way?The exciting sound of the clicker, the subtle
take of the fly, the explosive strike that
comes from a rapidly retrieved popper...
fishing rewards the senses in so many
ways. From mountain lake to offshore
waters, at every turn Okuma Fishing
Tackle embraces your passion for the sport
of fishing.
Our 2012 introductions continue our
commitment to dynamic and innovative
rods and reels for both freshwater and
saltwater anglers. Within each, our goal is
to advance your skills and deliver a better
experience from every day on the water.
We accomplish this with advanced
materials, cutting-edge design and by
having one ear to the ground at all times.
Never wanting to limit your possibilities,
Okuma creates the tools to unlock endless
angling experiences.
www.cdrods.co.nzo nz
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
READERpics
Alan McKinven’s got the worst view on the water - skippers need to fish
Paul Steffenson - A 20lb+ Snapper released
Ruben Ryan with a typical inner gulf spring time pannie
Michael MacKinven with a perfect Springtime snapper from the back of tiri
www.nzfisher.co.nz 11
READERpics
This month’s winner is Ruben Ryan.
Ruben wins a Reel Adventures,
ReelWear Tee-Shirt for his spring
Snapper Pic. Ruben, drop us
a line to arrange your size &
delivery details.
Keep sending in your pics for
the great OKUMA prizes up for
grabs every month.
Win this Reel Wear tee shirt next month by sending in your fishy pics to ?
Coverboy Andrew Evans with his haul ‘Out the back’
Asleigh with a her best snapper, taken at Whatuwhiwhi during ROctoberish
Hamish shows there ARE 30lb snapper in the south Island (Credit Jean Willis)
12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
SOmETImES, YOU JUST need to get
a couple of fish in the bin and it’s not
all about the trophy fish, but we don’t
say no when they turn up!
3 things to improve fishing
over the summer:
HAVE A PLAN: the days we
tend to do best are when
we have a clear plan of what
we’re going to do, where we’re
going to fish, what we’re going to
target and so on. If we’re going to
target kings seriously, then we’ve
learned to stop snapper fishing and
to really put the effort into cubing,
keeping the berley going, throwing
poppers and stick baits, tending to
livies, swapping them out if they’re
looking sick and doing everything
we can to get a shot at one.
DON’T CUT CORNERS:
big fish put big pressure
on your gear and you will
get found out. Make sure your reels
are re-spooled; don’t risk your fish of
a lifetime for the sake of a few bucks
on new braid/mono. The same goes
for all your tackle, especially if you’re
specifically targeting big fish rather
than a feed.
SPEND AS MUCH TIME
OUT THERE AS POSSIBLE.
We’ve waited a long time
for some decent weather, and last
summer was pretty ordinary. Don’t
spend weekends building decks,
doing gardening or other household
chores. More time fishing = more big
fish caught, it’s a simple equation. (It
helps to have an understanding wife
of course!) I have mates who moan
about not having got any good fish
for a while, but you just have to look
at the amount of time they actually
spend out there doing it.
In the last couple of seasons I’ve
caught numbers 5 and 6 kilo snapper
just in and around Rangitoto, the
biggest being a 76cm that never got
weighed and I’d put that in large part
down to the amount of time I spend
out there, probably 2 or 3 times a
week even if it’s just a couple of hours
after work or dinner in the evenings.
The extra effort to get out there more
always pays off in the end. And as
a fisho, where would you rather be
anyway?!
1
2
3
4
5
5 simple rulesto help you stay safe:
Life jacketsTake them – Wear them.
Boats, especially ones under 6m in length, can sink very quickly. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time in the water.
Skipper responsibilityThe skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for the safe operation of the boat. Stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.
CommunicationsTake two separate waterproof ways of communicating so we can help you if you get into difficulties.
Marine weather New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect both weather and sea state changes.
Avoid alcohol Safe boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. You need to stay alert and aware.
For more information about safe boating education and how to prepare for your boating activity, visit www.adventuresmart.org.nz
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The Boating Safety
Before you go boating on our seas, lakes and rivers, get familiar with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code, no matter what kind of boat you use.
CODE
www.adventuresmart.org.nz
The Water Safety The Outdoor Safety
CODE CODE
Also available:
By Forsyth Thompson
boatFISHING
Making the Most of Summer Fishing
1
2
3
Make hay while the sun shines
Sometimes it IS the little things that matter - a gurnard is a sweet treat!.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 13
1
2
3
4
5
5 simple rulesto help you stay safe:
Life jacketsTake them – Wear them.
Boats, especially ones under 6m in length, can sink very quickly. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time in the water.
Skipper responsibilityThe skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for the safe operation of the boat. Stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.
CommunicationsTake two separate waterproof ways of communicating so we can help you if you get into difficulties.
Marine weather New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect both weather and sea state changes.
Avoid alcohol Safe boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. You need to stay alert and aware.
For more information about safe boating education and how to prepare for your boating activity, visit www.adventuresmart.org.nz
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The Boating Safety
Before you go boating on our seas, lakes and rivers, get familiar with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code, no matter what kind of boat you use.
CODE
www.adventuresmart.org.nz
The Water Safety The Outdoor Safety
CODE CODE
Also available:
14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
howTO
Building Your Own Mechanical Jig RodEasy, right? Part 2 of 3
Rod building 101: Part 2 Building the bottom end:
You should already have the reel seat
position marked out with masking
tape. The bone of the rod also needs
to be marked out. Rather than being a
perfect circle, the profile of any blank
is asymmetrical.
As such, when the blank is loaded,
it will try and return its most stable
axis. It is therefore important that
the guides and reel seat are aligned
with this axis, otherwise you will be
fighting the twist of the rod rather
than the fish.
To find the rods bone find a hard flat
surface (tiles are good). Place the
butt of the rod on that surface and
use one had to push the butt of the
rod towards the ground, and the
other hand to bend the tip of the
rod upwards. In this position the rod
can be rotated. It will have a natural
tendency to be stable and then to
flip. The stable part is the bone. Use
your china marker to mark the top of
the upwards facing surface when the
blank is in this stable position. You can
now mount your but cap or gimbal. As
this cap is likely to have a much larger
internal diameter than the rod butt is
wide you will need to build a couple
of ‘arbours’ with your masking tape.
Carefully wind the tape around the rod
butt until the diameter of this arbour
is the same as the internal diameter of
the butt cap. Now mix your glue well,
apply with an ice block stick and push
the butt cap on, cleaning up excess
glue immediately. If you are mounting a
gimbal, remember to position it so that
it lines up with the bone. Also, you may
want to consider taking the cap off the
gimbal so that it doesn’t accidentally
get glued in place. To mount the butt
grip you should not need to build any
masking tape arbours. Simply apply
the well mixed glue to the area where
the grip will end up as well as inside
A tidy finish comes from taking the right steps Testing tne curve
www.nzfisher.co.nz 15
howTO
the grip itself. Put the rod butt on the
ground and then push the grip on.
The glue should help to slip the grip
into place, but a reasonable amount of
pressure may be required. Only push
from the end of the grip; squeezing
the grip as you push it on can create
resistance. Again clean up excess glue
immediately. It is also a good idea
when mounting the grips and reel seat
to cover them up with masking tape to
avoid any glue ruining their finish. The
bottom grip I purchased was longer
than required. This is easily remedied
with a razor and fine (>300 grit) sand
paper to restore some shape to where
you made your cut. The process for
the reel seat and fore grip is similar to
that above. I used three masking tape
arbours under the reel seat. The final
part of the bottom end is the winding
check. This is simply mounted with rod
building glue.
Testing tne curve
Homemade rod jig
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
howTO
Guide spacing: There is no exact formula for figuring
out the spacing of your guides. There
are guidelines to help with initial
guide placement (see http://www.
acidrod.com/acidrod_layout.html).
At this stage you need to consider not
only how the guides are placed down
the rod, but also whether you ‘acid
wrap’ the guides around the rod. This
technique is popular with conventional
jigging rods because the large amount
of pressure over the road when
hooked up can cause the rod to twist.
To avoid this guides can be placed
in a rotating fashion so that by the
time the line gets to the rod tip, it is
directly under the rod. There are many
ways to do this, but the most common
way in New Zealand is as follows. The
striper guide is placed as normal (0°),
the second guide is rotated slightly
in a clockwise direction, so that the
inner left edge of the guide is aligned
with the centre of the striper guide
(this ensures that line comes onto
the centre of the reel). The third
guide is rotated anticlockwise (45°
from the striper guide). Continuing
anticlockwise the fourth guide is set
at 90° from the striper guide, the fifth
guide at 135° from the striper and
the remaining guides at 180° (i.e.
directly under the rod). From here it’s
all about trial and error. Secure your
guides on the rod with masking tape.
You will now need to mount the tip
top. Simply glue it on with araldite or
rod building glue (ensure it is lined up
exactly opposite to the rods bone).
Once the glue is set tie a short length
of braid to the tip top and a hook to
the other end of the braid. This will
be hooked onto something heavy
(a bucket of water works) to put a
working bend in the rod (I secured the
butt end of the rod to a work bench
with a ratchet tie down). You can
now put a reel on the rod and thread
the line through the guides, pulling
it just tight so you can see how the
line follows the curve of the working
rod. This is a ‘static test’. Look at the
rod from side on and on top. Ideally
the line should smoothly follow the
rods curve and not come close to
touching the rod. You will likely need
to reposition the guides several times
to get good spacing.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 17
howTO
Rod building jig: Once you have your guide spacing
you are ready to start binding. You
will need a jig to aid the binding
process. You can easily and cheaply
build one yourself using plans from
the internet. I built mine with wood
and components I had in my garage.
I splashed out $2.50 for felt to coat
the rod mounts. You wont need any
motorisation for the binding process,
but you will need some sort of a
motor to rotate the rod to evenly
set the overcoat (after your binding
is complete). For this I used a BBQ
rotisserie motor. A drill with pre-set
speeds would also be a cheap option.
Part 3 next month
The makers mark
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
landbasedFISHING
ANDREW AND I HAD been trying
to make this trip happen since the
Bounty Hunter back in June, so with
a good light wind forecast for Fri
and Sat we packed up on Thursday
and with the Baby Stabi on the back,
headed for Whitianga.
Getting there late in the evening
we caught up with Craig Farr from
R&R Charters and his mate Mark for
a few beers and some bait catching
practice down by the marina and
hatched a plan for the morning.
With so many little islands, rocks and
secret spots through the e coast of
the Coromandel, Andrew and I were
busting to get out there. For once,
though, we didn’t spend the evening
packing the little Stabi: not only
does Craig do fishing charters, but
as a keen LBG man himself he does
drop-offs for LBG fishos in some of the
best-looking spots I’ve seen in a while.
Friday was a day off for Craig so he
and Mark were joining us for a fish.
Leaving from Whiti in the morning we
headed north to do a drop-off to a DOC
team on one of the Mercs who were
spending 2 weeks there. Having run out
of batteries, the only way to get more
was to get some dropped off, so we
swung by as one of the girls swam out
to collect (she clearly hadn’t counted on
the water temperature being as low as it
was. Rather her than me!). Then it was a
trip straight out to Whale Rock. Coming
straight out of 70m and with 40m
of water straight in front, it’s hard to
imagine a more likely looking kingi spot.
And with several having been caught by
the boat guys there recently we were
itching to get into it.
Craig’s 8m alloy walk-around was a
hell of a lot more comfortable than the
Stabi, and with a specially made rail at
the front and a step, getting on an off
the rocks was a dry feet experience for
the first time in a long time! It would
be hard to recommend it too highly
as a way to go land based fishing. I’m
a huge fan of boat access for LBG but
this was a whole new level of comfort.
And it meant we could bring even
more gear than usual, even my mate
Brenton (famous for bringing the
kitchen sink) would have been hard
pressed to take too much gear on
this trip. With 2 popper sets and
3 livey sets as well as all the usual
snapper and bait catching gear,
Andrew and I were serious about
getting a legal land based king and
breaking what has turned into a really
awful run of luck for me with the
green and gold buggers!
The anticipation was high as we
waited for the kahawai to turn up
in the berley trail. And waited. And
waited. Poppers were thrown all over
the place but not a single follow, the
only sizable animal we saw being a
seal cruising past. A couple of massive
runs on the snapper gear fishing
whole big jack macks ended in bust
offs and still nothing in the berley so
we headed off to the other side of the
island (via the noisiest and smelliest
seagull breeding area I’ve ever seen).
Here there was more current, white
Off Shore Landbased
By Forsyth Thompson
landbasedFISHING
water and deep water up to the
ledge. It couldn’t have looked more
likely if it tried. Again, in with the
berley. Again, no kahawai. Not one.
Endless popper casting produced
the same result. And the one run we
had on the big snapper bait failed to
hook up. With not a cloud in the sky
we pulled the pin, went back to where
Mark and Craig were fishing, and had
a lunch break to try to turn our luck
around. Craig had just lost a massive
snapper with the net ready – after 15
minutes on a locked up 6500 it finally
put its teeth through the 80lb trace.
And with numbers 20-pounders to his
name, he’s a man who knows what a
massive snapper is!
With nothing further happening, we
decided to load the boat back up
(still keeping dry feet! I could get
used to this) and head for another
rock. This was one neither Craig nor
Mark had fished before, but just off
it plenty of really good snapper had
been caught and they were excited
to give it a go. We were about to
find out why!
In the first hour or two we found out
why Mark fishes 24kg and locked up
drags for snapper. I thought it was
a bit of overkill until we saw him get
smashed again and again, fishing huge
jack mack and bonito baits, and simply
not able to stop these fish getting
back into the kelp.
By the end of the day with just one ext
5-6kg fish landed, we reckoned he’d
had probably 8 truly huge snapper
encounters none of which had
turned into a landed fish. Sure as hell
frustrating, but still, amazing to see
just how big some of the (resident?)
fish up there are. But all these big
encounters were limited to Mark
– Craig, Andrew & I couldn’t seem
to get into a big one despite trying
everything. However, as the current
picked up, the snapper came on the
bite and we caught fish after fish,
every bait getting nailed as soon as it
got towards the bottom.
All great condition fish, mostly in the
40-50cm and range and sensational
land-based fishing in just about
anyone’s books. They were endlessly
hungry and taking anything thrown
to them so we put a dozen in the bin
and then just fished for fun. With the
sun setting and us just about to have
to pack up, the kahawai finally turned
up in the berley trail, just to rub our
noses in it! But with just minutes left
before we needed to get underway,
we let them know what we thought
about their timing and packed up for
the day.
Getting back to Whitianga about
9:30, it had been a long and often
frustrating day: on the hottest day
in a long time, the fishing had been
hot too. Granted, it hadn’t produced
the kings we’d come for, and we had
nothing to add to the trophy photos
album, but we’d had a fantastic day,
fished with a couple of great guys, and
fished the kind of spots that increase
your pulse rate just looking at them.
If you’re looking to go and get into
some serious LBG action and to fish
some spots that you just wouldn’t get
onto otherwise, most definitely give
Craig a call – even if he’s got a charter
booked, he’ll still drop LBG guys off
on his way out if you ask nicely! http://
www.rippinandreelin.co.nz/
With just 5 weeks left of 2012 for
Andrew and I to land legal kings off
the rocks, we hatched a plan to fish
the Saturday taking the Stabi out of
Whangapoua and heading up the
coast. But that’s another story!
Off Shore Landbased
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
GearREVIEWS
A heavy weight in disguise
THE INTRODUCTION OF Okuma’s
High Performance range of tackle has
confirmed Okuma’s place alongside
the top tackle companies. In the case
of the Makaira, Okuma supersedes
the competition.
When it comes to mechanical jigging
reels there are many pretenders.
Most of these more versatile reels
just don’t cut it though. Unlike less
specialised fishing techniques, you
really need tackle that suits the job
when it comes to mechanical jigging.
While the Makaira was not designed
as a jigging reel (it was designed
as a top of the line game reel), the
smallest model, the Makaira 8II,
is more than suited to the trying
demands of mechanical jigging.
At less than 700 grams in weight with
the ability to put out more than 15
kg of smooth drag the Makaira 8II is
a heavy weight in disguise. Just the
combination of grunt and light weight
that is needed for mechanical jigging.
On these two aspects alone the
Makaira 8II has few competitors.
Combine with this the ergonomic
handle and narrow spool and you
have all the aspects that a jigging reel
should have. Many so called jigging
reels just don’t stack up across all of
these aspects. On the downside the
Makaira doesn’t have infinite anti-
reverse. I was concerned that this may
result in the handle moving slightly
backwards while jigging, making it
difficult to maintain a smooth jigging
action. So far this hasn’t happened, so
I’d put infinite anti-reverse down as a
nice to have, but not essential.
A really great little feature on the
Makaira 8II that you won’t find on
most reels of this size is the two speed
settings. I didn’t think this feature
would come in handy, but when I
recently hooked a 15 kg king using
the Makaira paired up with a rod that
was too long, dropping down to the
2.1:1 gear ratio was just what I needed
to get me off the rail and to get the
fish moving. A real life saver; well, not
for the kingfish.
Despite the poor initial choice of rod
(we quickly swapped that for one
better suited to the job) the Makaira
8II performed flawlessly during our
field test, where the Makaira was used
to jig up a couple of nice kings from
around 60 m of water.
For this test I spooled the reel with
350 yards of 50 lb Tufline, giving the
Makaira 8II sufficient capacity to fish all
but the deepest of locations. The drag
was more than sufficient, stopping the
biggest fish in its tracks when I put the
pressure on. More importantly, the
drag was impeccably smooth. The reel
and handle were very comfortable,
and after quite a few hours of jigging
I didn’t have the aching arms I have
often had in the past.
Finally, the narrow spool laid the
line with minimal effort. I was left
wondering what more could you
ask for? Durability; one of the most
important expectations of any high
quality reel. Having only had the
reel for a few months I can’t answer
that from personal experience, but
if you have any doubts about what
Okuma have achieved with their
High Performance line of reels, have
a look at this testimonial from the
independent reel guru Alan Tani.
Alan provides detailed tutorials where
he completely breaks down and
rebuilds a wide range of reels. So
when Alan says “this reel gets my vote
for best in its class” about the Makaira
8II, I stand up and listen. Finally, price
is always an important consideration,
especially when purchasing high end
tackle. At $589.95 recommended
retail the Makaira 8II is competitively
priced and likely to be a great seller
for Okuma.
Okuma Makaira 8II
Portside
Starboard
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
boatFISHING
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P R E V I E W T H E N E W H D S G E N 2 T O U C H A T L O W R A N C E . C O M
www.enl.co.nz
What’s New in the World of Fishing?
NewPRODUCTS
REEL ADVENTURES & REEL WEARNew to the retail market, check out Leanne Dixon’s
(‘Wahoo Woman’ to F.Netter’s) new project; Reel
Adventures. Leanne’s kindly donated some cool gear –
check out the Readers pix section to get in the draw.
OKUMA ‘NANOTECH’ RODSFrom Okuma:
Latest technology resins and carbon make up this
stunning blank resulting in a light, powerful and
amazingly sensitive rod. Accompanied with the best
Fuji components available, this rod is ideal for soft
bait casting and even stray-line fishing.
w
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22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Coromandel Source: Carl muir – www.EpicAdventures.co.nz
regionalREVIEWS
Wellington Source: Steve’s Fishing Shop
Shore Report
The fishing is getting better by the
week in the Harbour as the weather
is improving and the temperature is
warming up. There have been some
really nice Trevally caught up to 3.5
kg, and the best areas for these fish
are Kau Point and Point Gordon.
My top tip for fishing these areas are
- use strips of fresh Squid bait, and
be very attentive to your rod tips as
Trevally often are very subtle in their
bait taking and will gently suck the bait
into their mouths. This will barely move
your rod tip so be on the lookout for
tiny movements. A good rig to use is
Kiwi Tackle 3/0 Lumo Lime Tarakihi 3
Hook Ledger Rig this is also a great
rig for Trevally and Gurnard, who are
attracted to the luminous squids.
Snapper numbers are on the increase
as well, with one angler catching a
brace of 2 kg fish at Miramar, these
are only two of a number we have
heard of. Big schools of small Kahawai
are around too with a couple of small
Kingfish being taken on Spinners.
The South Coast. Palliser Bay has been
fishing well for Spotted Sharks, Red
Cod and Kahawai with a few large
Conger Eels thrown in to test your
knots and gear. South Coast West
of Devils Gate has yet to really fire,
having said that there are Moki being
caught with the largest being a lovely
condition 5.12kg specimen caught
by Gary Whittaker of the Wellington
Surfcasting And Angling Club.
East Coast fishing has been excellent
with good numbers and sized Gurnard
being taken, as well as Moki and
Spotted Sharks. A popular spot has
been Castle Point, reef Gurnard
fishing can be spectacular at times off
here. Pictured is James Bennie with
a nice Moki and four Gurnard. The
Moki 100 Fishing Competition was a
huge success with a number of fish
caught and near perfect conditions.
Everyone had a great time and a
good catch up at this enjoyable event.
The eventual winner was Eddie Ski
from the Wellington Surfcasting And
Angling Club with a 3.8 kg Moki. Well
done Eddie, your shout for the boys
next weigh in me thinks! Tight lines,
enjoy the start of the summer fishing
and catch heaps.
Felix
Boat Report
Well it is that time of year when it all
starts to happen – YEHA! November
and December can be such an
exciting time of year to fish as often
the larger fish start to show up before
the big runs of smaller fish, Kingfish
and Snapper most notably.
Pukerua Bay south down to Pipanui
Point have been producing good
number of Snapper with Big Bay
just south of Pukerua Bay being my
preferred location for consistent fishing
for Snapper – and berley is a must.
A simple berley system is not hard
to make, yet is the most important
fishing tool in your boat. Not only for
Snapper but all fish, it is your way of
advertising where your baited hooks
are. Kingfish are being caught at the
usual places, Hunters Bank - North, and
Kapiti and inside ledges around Kapiti,
jigging being the most popular fishing
method. For those of us who are into
jig fishing – live baiting or trolling lures
works well too.
The water temperature on the West
coast has not really cranked up yet but
there are really good numbers of fish
out there despite the still cooler waters.
Trolling lures like Berkley Monster bib
lures rigged with a daisy chain of squid
lures in front of the lure is hard to beat.
The action of the lure brings the squids
alive, making for an irresistible lure.
South Coast. Inshore Tarakihi and Blue
Cod fishing has been good on most of
the reefs, Arabella Rock, and Western
Ledge have fished well along with
Lyall Bay and Fitzroy Bay for Gurnard
on the sand. Spiny Dogfish numbers
are declining which makes fishing for
Gurnard a lot more fun, try anchoring
in 20 – 30 metres of water, use Flasher
Rigs with fillet baits of Trevally or fresh
Kahawai, these baits or well or even a
jig will out fish bait at times.
ww
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www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
The Hauraki Report Source: Espresso www.catch.org.nz
regionalREVIEWS
Damo from Charter Connection has
a few words on what’s been going
on in the Gulf.
New BeginningsSpring sprang and all that comes
with it has already happened, oh so
quickly, the local version of Swan
Lake typifies the season’s changes
and delight that accompanies the
big winter shake-off. From now
on it is all on, in fact it already has
been for a few weeks – I would have
reported earlier but I’ve been too
busy catching fish!
Spring urged an entire fish migration
early enough again this year,
perhaps even two weeks earlier than
last year, of many of the fish we so
fondly love – and they’re now in
Push-Play mode.
It’s game-on out there, every day
somewhere there are outstanding
sights and sounds of whales,
dolphins, gannets, shearwaters
smashing into pilchard and mackerel
schools with attendance from
snapper, kingfish, sharks and much,
much more! Everything is in full flight.
Where to goMost snapper have not entered
the inner Waitemata channels
quite yet, a bit of a stall in their
inwards progression recently has
held large schools of snapper in
the 30m depths right around the
entire gulf. This depth is also where
there are large pilchard schools
funnily enough. Some of the larger
snapper specimens have sneakily
swum into the waters’ edge for
some close quarters action, so land
based fishing or tiny tinnies come
into their own now around the gulf’s
borders. Many successful fishing
evenings have been had with bait
‘n burley sessions backed into a
reefy area around one of the many
islands in the gulf judging by reports
on the Fishing Website forums, but
also from what I’ve heard that has
remained unreported. Burley up for
a couple of hours on the incoming
tide, late arvo/evening – some big
boys to over 20lbs may destroy your
toys! Use the right gear and you
stand a chance, don’t and you won’t.
What tackle?What you use is very much
dependant on where you wish to
fish – personally I prefer to fish out
in the Hauraki Gulf drift fishing. The
most common question I get asked
is where are the fish i.e. a sure fire
Spot X, but with the workup hunting
Spot X is misleading at best. Workup
style fishing requires attention, fast
action, speed and a
full tank of fuel, as well as good
observation, as Spot X’s rise and
fall in a matter of minutes – that’s
why it’s so exciting, and rewarding!
If the fast and furious way of fishing
isn’t you, there are fortunately many
more ways to fillet a fish or three.
Some excellent are results to be had
One of my favourite spots on this coast
is 5 Mile Reef. You just don’t know
what you will catch, big Blue Cod,
Tarakihi, Groper and Trumpeter can all
be caught here along with just about
anything else. When fishing 5 Mile
I prefer to anchor a couple of hours
before high or low tide in around 60 –
80 metres as this reef can be very tidal.
It makes it hard to berley so unless
there are small tides, I don’t bother.
Rigs should be strong and hardy 5-8/0
hooks tied on 80 – 100 lb mono. Bait
should be firm Squid or fish fillet i.e.
Trevally works very well as it is a firm
oily bait. 15 or 24 kg line on your reel
will handle most fish you hook here.
Often I will use a second rod with 24kg
line and 2 x 10/0 hooks on a ledger rig
with 100 to 150lb mono trace, a good
rig to use is Steve’s Pro Angler 3 Hook
Special Groper Rig which I make myself.
On the hooks I use whole fish i.e. Jack
Mackerel I take out with me to use, or
use whole Tarakihi that I catch out there
as Groper and yes, big Kingfish, will be
looking for easy prey like whole fish, this
also works well on the outer ledge at
Hunters Bank and all the reefs.
Out wide in Cook Strait Bluenose
have been very good not only in
good numbers but also in size with
many a 10kg plus fish being caught.
As usual we get mixed reports on
best Bluenose baits, bait versus jigs.
Jig fisho’s are doing well but so are
the bait fisho’s. It makes good sense
to me if one is not working try the
other, but always keep both options
available to you. Groper this time of
year do fish well, but the Bluenose
fishing is so good that most anglers
are targeting the Bluenose.
Now is one of the best times of the
year to go fishing, make sure you
make the effort to get out there. If you
need a hand with advice, just get in
touch; see you out there doing it!
Steve.
24 www.nzfisher.co.nz
regionalREVIEWS
Hauraki Report cont.
SOmE DECENT WEATHER, a nice
warming trend and changes is the
fishing throughout – that’s what late
spring should be about and this one
is finally conforming to that idiom.
With only a week to go till summer,
one would hope for warming temps –
both air and water.
Inshore
Well, it had to happen and finally the
near-shore arena followed suit with
the other more distant areas – that
is hit the doldrums. After reasonable
to good, consistent results for weeks
– make that months – its hit the
skids right throughout over the past
fortnight. Snapper, in particular, have
felt the downturn more acutely with
heretofore reliable places like Matata
failing big time. With the collapse
Bay of Plenty Source: Rick Pollock. www.Pursuit.co.nz
by simply going out into the gulf
(avoiding the no-fishing zones) and
anchoring , drop the burley to a metre
off the bottom and use bait or softies
or lures. Simple and highly effective
with the snapper swimming in large
schools all around the waterways
and they’re keen on feeding at the
moment. Breeding is just starting and
can preoccupy the fish for many hours
at a time, but when they bite, they are
very aggressive.
Lots of bigger healthy snapper in
the 10-15lb weight class/65-75cm
long like this one now, and the
great thing about this Websites
measuring (and competition) is
that you don’t have to kill the fish,
just a quick picture on a the wet
measurer and they’re good to
keep swimming like this one did if
you choose, brilliant.
A key note for drift fishing the gulf,
ANY surface life or activity – drop a
line, even when your sounder says
nothing. Snapper are flooding in,
4m deep schools on the sea floor at
times, swimming up several metres to
take lures – so try a slow retrieve up
10m or more when in 30m deep, it’s
that time again when they like being
teased with something they could
miss out on..trust me it can make the
difference between ‘the fish weren’t
biting’ and catching your limit.
King of FishJust a little thought into
targeting them can easily result
in an exciting and eye-opening
experience for all anglers as there
are some excellent numbers
out there. One of my favourite
methods is to use metal jigs by the
pilchard bait schools...snapper are
a side effect, oh the hardships in
life ay?! Use your sounder to find
the mid-water bait, and the surface
bird activity.
Whale TalesSuperb natural wonders are on
display every single day out there,
truly National Geographic stuff,
check out this Brydes Whale at
close quarters, this is not zoomed
in! Feeding on Pilchard schools
gives rise to absolute mayhem and
a mad dash of all creatures to eat
or be eaten, the intensity certainly
amps the adrenaline!
The pilchards have been on the
big muster, rounded up for a tasty
treat by all and sundry, a primary
reason why pilchard bait and soft
plastics like this Catch Bleeding
Pilchard are being used with such
great success (this being one of my
personal favourites naturally).
The sights and sounds of the
Gulf change like the weather,
and if you’re lucky enough to be
out there when these boats race
into view, well....wow! The sheer
exhilaration of these boats has to
be seen to be believed – oh and
give these guys plenty of room...
they can easily travel at 30-40 kts
and turn on a dime i.e. much faster
than many powerboats.
So really in my mind it is all about
how you want to catch fish now
that spring/summer is here. What
methods, tackle and place do you
want to be to catch your bounty?
And what type of fish? Snapper are
great but so are trevally, kingfish,
dory, mackerel, kahawai, gurnard...
oh and there’s scallops to gather,
mussels, even a few crayfish close
enough to Auckland if you’re a
diver, variety is definitely the spice
of life.
When all said and done, we have
a magic playground right on our
doorstep and now is the time
to enjoy it. All within easy reach
for everyone young and young
at heart. Forget the beanies, it’s
time for sunscreen, swimming and
watching the rod bend over under
strain of a big fish on your line.
Simply....enjoy.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 25
regionalREVIEWS
of the snapper fishery, many have
turned to both terakihi and gurnard
under duress but with good results
overall. Plenty of anglers on the water
are good to see but the productivity
has been disappointing. Will this
change? Undoubtedly! When?
Probably very soon.
Offshore
Some interesting happenings out
at the smokey isle, mainly centred
around kingfish. Depending upon
the day, this fishery can be absolutely
wide open or nonexistent! While
artificial are yielding their fair share
of fish, the quality continues to come
to bait – mainly live mackerel. Many
fish are good size and condition as
we approach their annual spawning
period. In saying this, there remains a
reasonable number of slabby fish as
well which definitely goes against the
suspected trend. A good example of
this disparity was two recent catches:
a 106cm fish which went nearly
20kgs (a real barrel) countered by a
119cm fish which went 16! With water
eclipsing 17 degrees C now we’ll be
looking forward to 18 which should
trigger that spawning response.
Some of the retained females show
quite ripe roe so can’t be far off
now. While a fair few are over 25k’s
and even 30, the whopper of the
week went to 74 year old visiting
American angler Phil Lambert.
On a blustery day complete with
two metre swells and genuine 30
knot westerly winds, Phil outlasted
his fish of a lifetime. After being sling
weighed and photographed, the
39 kilo horse gladly swam off into
the depths to hopefully spawn and
torture more anglers in the future.
Other fisheries are not nearly as
viable with deep water continuing
very poor with shallow water species
only marginally better. Not sure what
the deal is with terakihi and their
cohorts is but they are certainly well
below expectations. To get a feed
one needs to work hard and get
lucky. A few small bluenose in the
deep saves the day.
Ranfurly Bank
Plenty going on here, again
mainly centred around kingis. In
an anticipated move, these prime
fish have finally moved into the
shallows after a no show there all
spring. Some days now resemble a
battlefield on top of the Bank with all
manner of birds wheeling and diving
with kingfish driving bait to the
surface in explosive strikes. While
most are small, there’s a true cross
section of sizes available including
some huge trophy fish. Stickbaits, jigs
and bait are all attracting attention.
With a good number in the 20’s,
some fish stand out.
No less than three 40 kilo fish have
been taken including two matching
46 kilo monsters. Both were sling
weighed and released again. One
of these deserves special mention.
73 year old American angler Walt
Jeffrey came to NZ with the hope
of a fish of his lifetime – he wasn’t
disappointed!
One defining aspect of this catch
was the bait – a lowly yellow eyed
mullet, aka sprat! Ya just never
know!! Not really known as a trophy
fish bait!! Bottom fishing is far less
vibrant and even hard work some
days. Hapuka and bass are on the
small side with few over 20kgs.
Making a mockery of that was one
lonely bass at a stupendous 65k’s
– taken on a jig no less. Noticeably
increased commercial longlining in
the area certainly can’t be helping
the situation.
Back near East Cape the snapper are
going off, sometimes two at a time.
While not big (5kgs max) they are
lovely fish in the prime of their lives.
These one to three kilo average fish
couldn’t be better eating plus give a
good representation of themselves
at the end of the line – taking all
manner of baits and techniques.
Summary
Not far to go to the “official” start
of summer, always a month early as
far as I’m concerned. So nice to feel
some warmth and a distinct lack of
wind. Thinking gamefish? Not yet
to be perfectly honest. Expecting
a little wind over the next few days
after a full week of near perfect
weather. Till next week ...
Warning
Since the introduction of Telecom’s
3G network, we have lost a huge
amount of our former coverage.
In some places it’s in excess of
50% - hard to believe in this age
of technology. In short we’ve been
sold a pup and it’s now a dangerous
situation as far as safety is
concerned. Remember Coastguards
everywhere want you to have three
forms of communication. Heretofore
cell phones were an integral part
of that trio but now makes VHF
radio more important than ever. Will
things improve? We’re flatly told no
– unbelievable! If a viable alternative
shows up there will be a massive
migration away from Telecom.
And finally…. “PURSUIT” has unexpectedly had
two cancellations for its northern/
Three Kings season, both in prime
times. The last five days of April and
May 11-15 are available if anyone
may be interested.
26 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Fishing Video of the Month
DESPITE AN INCREASED awareness
of overfishing, the majority of people
still know very little about the scale
of the destruction being wrought
on the oceans. This film presents
an unquestionable case for why
overfishing needs to end and shows
that there is still an opportunity
for change. Through reform of the
EU‘s Common Fisheries Policy,
fisheries ministers and members of
the European Parliament can end
overfishing.
http://vimeo.com/42619545
And....for something a bit
lighter – check out this Rooster
fish caught from the shore,
somewhere In the States.
VIDEO
www.nzfisher.co.nz 27
regionalREVIEWSNEXTmonth
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f sherIN NEXT MONTH’S NZ FISHER
The best of Summer Snapper fishing• Finishing your new rod• Checking in with the new • Lowrance HDS-7 Touch
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