NZ Fishing News

We have all dreamt of catching a 20lb snapper, and for most people growing up, this was the holy grail of fishing. For Alister Arkell, it started with Geoff Thomas’s ‘Snapper Secrets’.

It takes a bit to get veteran angler Mark Kitteridge piscatorially excited these days, but taking a refreshing look at targeting the anchovy workups has seen him chortling like a schoolboy!

As Nick Jones sat at home on a cold day scrutinising the charts for likely looking swordfish spots, his wife Brooke asked him, “When are you going gurnard fishing again?” He almost felt guilty – “How could I have forgotten my humble winter companions?”

Luke Davis is one of New Zealand’s best known game fishermen, and is also well known for his shallow-water snapper and kingfish exploits. So, when his new boat Evo was launched late last year, it attracted a huge amount of attention – not least because he had a huge influence in the design.

We have all heard of the KISS theory, right? Keep It Simple Stupid! Well, Navico’s electronics engineers must have used it as their catchphrase when developing the new SimradNSX chartplotter/fishfinder because it is so simple and easy to use.

Of all the forms of fishing, livebaiting would have to be one of the most productive for targeting big fish, says Adam Clancey.

Scott and Mig are into their 10th season of Fishing & Adventure, and they’re just as laid back and funny as ever. I was lucky enough to spend some time with them via Zoom recently and learn about how two cousins from Hamilton managed to create the most viewed fishing show in NZ.

Gene and Nicole Bryant from Strictly Land-Based look forward to the three coldest months of the year. While other anglers are packing up rods and storing away boats for the winter, they begin gearing up for the land-based snapper season.

Regardless of what the fishing is like, the one guarantee is the warmth of the welcome. Samoans are known for their hospitality. They love their music, food, and a good time, and will always do their best to ensure their guests enjoy the same!

With winter having well and truly arrived, so too have the bluefin! While the fair-weather fishermen have put their rods and reels away for the winter, the brave and adventurous ‘Reel Men’ will be heading off to the east coast in search of the elusive southern bluefin tuna

It’s time to get ready for the southern bluefin tuna run. If they turn up off the East Cape again around July this year, then you will need to be ready at the drop of a hat to head off to Whakatane or Waihau Bay to tackle them.