Game fishers in for top year
Catches of marlin and tuna mount but snapper fishing proves tough going
After a poor season last summer, this year is shaping as a cracker for game fishing. Marlin and tuna are being caught all the way up the coast from the Bay of Plenty to Northland, with water temperatures topping 20C since before Christmas.
But snapper fishing out of popular holiday destinations is typically hard at this time of the summer season, and the start of this new year has been no exception. A snapper of 8.63kg came from the back of Red Mercury Island to win a local fishing contest on the Coromandel coast, but many holidaymakers have found fishing hard. The Firth of Thames side of the Coromandel holds more fish, and when wind allows boats to get out, the fishing is far more productive there.
One solution is to do what some experienced fishermen do and get out on the water before daylight. You don’t have to go far, and those in small boats such as the traditional “12-foot tinny” are finding some hot action. A carpet or sack on the floor softens the noise of dropped sinkers and clumping feet, which can make a big difference in shallow water. And that is where the fish are at that time of day — anywhere from two metres to four metres deep.
Gear must be super light, such as a soft-bait rod and spin reel spooled with 3kg braid line, and the terminal rig that works well is a standard flasher rig, or a ledger rig. Instead of putting a sinker in the loop at the bottom you attach another hook, and the three or four baits provide enough weight to cast it well out from the dinghy. No sinker is needed, and as the baits settle and slowly sink you leave the spool open. If using an overhead reel the drag is set to freespool, so a fish can take out line when it bites and swims away.
Then put the reel in gear, or flick the bail arm over on a spin reel, and wind until you feel the fish. You can use a combination of different baits, from pilchard (a half pillie is good), squid or fresh fish such as mullet or jack mackerel. A good berley trail is also essential. But once the sun has risen and boat traffic increases it is all over. Time to go home.
One young couple took home a dozen good snapper just out from Duders Beach one morning this week. It will work pretty much anywhere from Northland to the Bay of Plenty. In Auckland, Martins Bay, Browns Bay, Kawakawa Bay, the mouth of the Clevedon River and Kaiaua are all good spots for this approach.
On the Hauraki Gulf, those heading out wide have found fish sign but the bite time has been short. The Waitemata Harbour is holding fish and one nice snapper of 6kg was reported coming from off the Chelsea Sugar Works. Surfcasters on the downtown sidewalks are catching snapper. Fishing in the popular channels and spots such as Matiatia is going well and it is still early summer, so next month should see it get even better.
The west coast has been fishing well, and northeasterlies in mid-week helped. Albacore and skipjack tuna are reported off both coasts, so when boats can get out wide plenty of tuna action is likely.
Tuna record approved
The IGFA has officially approved the record application for the 193.68kg (427lb) yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) caught by Guy Yocom on September 28, 2012, while fishing aboard his boat, El Suertudo (The Lucky One).
The boat was captained by Greg DiStefano, who put Yocom on the fish approximately 160km off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Yocom and another angler were chunking to a school of yellowfin, taking turns with the rod and reel, and Yocom just happened to be “the lucky one” who fed the record fish. Fifty minutes later — a relatively short fight for a yellowfin of that size — Yocom had reeled in what would be the world’s next All-Tackle yellowfin tuna record.
“We started hearing about the catch almost as soon as it was back at the docks,” IGFA world records coordinator Jack Vitek said. At the docks in Cabo, Yocom’s fish was weighed on an IWS Scale Master II digital scale that was successfully recertified in San Diego just a few days after the weighing, confirming the accurate reading of 193.68kg.
With the scale certified, line samples and photos submitted and the application completed, all aboard El Suertudo had been eagerly waiting to hear whether their efforts would result in an approved record.
Fresh water
Early morning harling and deep trolling during the day are the best methods for those fishing on the lakes. One trick is to drive the boat in a figure-eight pattern, as the depth and action of the lures and flies vary — slowing on the inside and speeding up on the outside of a turn. And this often attracts the attention of a passing trout. ICE HOCKEY TENNIS