nz fisher issue 43
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www.nzfisher.co.nz 1
ISSUE 43 January 2015
www.nzfisher.co.nz
Tired of Catching Small Snapper? Getting sorted for offshore Yakking
www.nzfisher.co.nz 3
Contents 6.. Tired of
Catching Small Snapper
10.. Legasea Update January
13.. Video of the Month
14.. Getting Sorted for Off-Shore Yakking
18.. Reader Pics
20.. Obituary: Farewell John Jones
22.. Competitions
ABOUT /Short and sharp, NZ Fisher is a free
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Cover image: Mark Starns with his PB trev (and first on a Slow Pitch)
Cover Image: Alex 8.79 snap on January 15th.
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www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
EditorialHAPPY NEW YEAR New Zealand! 2015 is shaping up like a big year for NZ: The Cricket World cup is just around the corner, the Rugby World Cup later in the year. So, are you planning your fishing trips too? I’ve found that if I don’t make a point of locking in trips, the weekends come and go, leaving me without my fishing fixes.
So, I’ve booked in the Century Beach & Boat − I’ve not previously fished this one − but I like the format they’re planning for the 2015 event. The B&B is the premier ‘snapper’ event in New Zealand, taking over from the traditional Furuno events. If you haven’t seen it already, check out the website. They’re putting more focus on the catch & release aspect of sport fishing and making it very worth-while prizes wise. From what I’ve heard the event is well organised, but in 2015 they’re committed to making the prize giving shorter and more entertaining (considering the winning fish, I hardly believe it needs a rev up!).
As mentioned above, what I like the most is the ability to measure your fish & return it to the sea, utilising a uniquely designed phone app that lets you photograph your catch (with a specially designed ‘unique identifier’) against a measure and send the image via text to enter. You can then decide to release or keep your fish – something you cannot do
if you decide to enter it traditionally.
I can see this system becoming more and more popular, especially as pressure increases on fish stock. Even as perceptions change, bringing greater emphasis to the preservation of stock (even if there isn’t actually pressure on them).
I was pleased to see a picture posted on the web a few days ago of three fish that look a lot like Yellowfin Tuna (or possibly Big Eye) caught wide off Whakatane. I hope they are indeed YFT and a sign that a few more will be seen in the new year too. What’s also been
really positive is the two tagged & release Marlin captured before Christmas. The first was taken in 600m wide of Tutukaka − a bloody long way off shore, but even further when you consider it was landed by a 4.75m tinny!
The weather was sublime and they were well prepared, what a result, the first marlin for the 2014-15 season and the first before Christmas for a few years. Here’s hoping the warmth and gentle easterlies continue and more warm weather is bought close to the coast.
I’m looking forward to blooding the new boat too. We needed to get a bit bigger boat on the water and went with the new Frewza F18 hardtop; not a hard decision after such a good run from the Frewza F16 side-console we recently sold. We paired it with a 100HP Honda − there was never a question over the brand of out-board, they’re just too good!
We’ve had the new Fyran 550 out a few times recently too; it was also supplied with a Honda BF100 so I feel like I’ve been using one for a while. I’m still blown away by the economy − just 13.6L/hour when we’re travelling at 20 knots with three 100kg guys on board.
Until a few weeks ago, fuel costs were the biggest concern every time we headed out. Admittedly the recent fuel price drops reduce the costs, yet I’m so happy with the performance and rate fuel economy so highly − the Honda is again our choice. Hope we see you out there! Enjoy your break, fish hard and
keep safe in 2015!
Derrick
www.nzfisher.co.nz 7
THE FIRST SNAPPER I landed was about
30cm, I threw it back thinking ‘I’ll catch bigger
fish’. Yeah right! Fortunately, my mate landed
another similar sized snapper, otherwise
we would have left empty-handed. I was
disappointed and also slightly frustrated.
Mainly because I knew I screwed up
Instead of writing about what I did wrong
last time, let me write about what I did
yesterday, when I went for a land based
mission in Schooner Bay. When I go fishing,
I expect to land a feed. Period. Anything else
is a disappointment. For the fishing mission
to be a success, a couple decent snapper (40
cm+) have to be caught within 2 hours.
Living on Great Barrier Island enables me
to set such a standard and this is how I go
about achieving it:
By Ben Assado
It can be quite frustrating to land one small (throwback) snapper after another.
Catching a few decent snapper is much more fun than landing heaps of small ones.
Article reproduced with permission of Ben from his Blog www.bensisland.co.nz
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
• Instead of going fishing (potentially
for a long time) when you’ve got time,
make some time to go fishing when
conditions are good
• When good spots are accessible, when
the tides are the way you like them,
when the tidal currents are very strong,
when…. I could go on, fish eat every day!
• It takes me usually less than 2 hours of
fishing time to catch a feed for a couple
of days
• Don’t skimp on the bait; rather spend 10
bucks more and come home with a full
bag of fish than coming home with less
than a feed
• If you don’t want to spend the money
on bait and burley, you must spend the
time to catch, salt down bait or freeze
and to make your own burley and so
forth. This is perfectly doable and also
commendable, but you’ve got to spend
either the money or spend the time!
• If you are sick of landing one throwback
snapper after another and start saying
stuff like: ‘hmm, only small ones here
today…’ focus on catching fresh bait!
Seriously, this is the main advice I can
give. Focus on attracting and catching a
small kahawai, mackerel, mullet, piper
• Especially, when you are fishing with a
mate, don’t both keep doing the same
things. Keep your eyes on the water, put
a small enough hook on your second
rod, have it close by, when that kahawai
rushes through, make sure to catch it
• Take two rods with you! One with your
favourite rig, one with a rig designed to
land bait fish − after fishing a spot a few
times, you’ll know which bait fish are
most likely to appear
• When you’ve landed a small kahawai, cut
its head off, put two hooks through it
and cast it out far on the big rod
• Once you have fresh bait, cut the frozen
bait into small cubes and chuck them
into the water, right next to your feet
• Cut small strips of kahawai flesh and
fish – using the small rod – the water at
your feet
• While the big rod is in the rod holder,
you fish with the small rod the area right
in front of you, where the burley and the
bait cubes are dispensing
LAN
DB
ASE
DFI
SHIN
G “Instead of going fishing (potentially for a long time) when you’ve got time, make some time to go fishing when conditions are good
www.nzfisher.co.nz 9
Essentially, this means that the big bait is
far out and you can safely put the big rod
in the rod holder and just leave it. Chances
of getting snagged on the bottom are much
less when you cast out far.
I actively fish up close and passively fish
out far, I hope that makes sense. You would
be amazed how many big snapper hide
further back and happily eat on the burley
chum, especially on an outgoing tide. At the
same time, you’d amazed by the few big,
unnoticed snapper that are actively feeding
right at your feet.
By fishing the two rods, you are targeting
the aggressive big fish that are so often
not seen right at your feet, and you are
targeting those that are a bit shyer on the
bite. They might merely nibble at your
frozen bait, but can’t resist that bloody,
fresh kahawai bait. I had my first bait in
the water at noon yesterday.
By 12.30pm, more than 3/4 of the burley
had dispensed into the water and I still
didn’t have a solid bite or any sign of
usable bait fish. It was really calm, I was
getting nervous. After 10 more minutes,
the small kahawai appeared and I was
smiling! My bait rod, rigged and baited,
was right next to me and it took me five
minutes to land three small kahawai. Off
came a head and out far it went. It got
hammered before sinking to the ground.
I had a 40cm snapper in the rock pool. Now
I was even smiling more. Second head,
another five minutes and another, slightly
bigger snapper in the pool. I kept cubing the
frozen pilchards and emptied the remainder
of the burley. I can’t even say I was that
surprised to land the fish of the day on the
bait rod right at my feet. It had a dozen
pieces of pilchard in its stomach.
Three decent snapper, then a bigger
kahawai for the dog and it was just
1.30pm. I cast another kahawai head out
and started gutting and cleaning the fish.
Well, the bait got taken but I just didn’t
get the hook up. So I packed in and walked
back home. The outcome could have been
very different though, I could have just
caught throwback snapper. ●
Often you have to catch a small kahawai first to catch those nicer snapper…
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
www.legasea.co.nz
LegaSea
FISH
ERIE
SMA
NA
GEM
ENT
Update January 2015
www.nzfisher.co.nz 11
“WE CAN FISH SMARTER TO
AVOID WASTESINCE LAST YEAR’S rule changes there
has been an increase in the numbers of
gut hooked snapper being released. These
fish will most likely die. This outcome goes
against all notions of conservation and
makes us feel bad when we watch these
wasted fish floating away or being eaten
by birds. However, this is a consequence
of changing the rules without any
meaningful educational initiatives
involving the recreational sector.
As we witness more of this wastage over
summer there is likely to be a greater call
for a process to talk about what we can
do to reduce this waste. There is some
suggestion the 30cm minimum size needs
to return to 27cm, or have no minimum
and land everything.
There are downsides to that approach.
The alternative is to find ways to reduce
the numbers of under 30cm fish being
caught so they can grow and we can
enjoy an abundant snapper fishery in the
future. LegaSea is keen to support the
alternative strategy because there is more
yield from harvesting a mature fish with
decent sized fillets than killing a juvenile
Success for us is a rapid rebuild of the fishery. To achieve that we need to fish smarter to avoid small fish, not rationalising their harvest because “we can’t help catching them”.
12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
FISH
ERIE
SMA
NA
GEM
ENT
LegaSea is the public face of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. The Council has an experienced fisheries management, science, policy and legal team. On behalf of the
Council LegaSea provides public-friendly information about a variety of processes that are important to the sustainable management of fisheries for future generations.
fish. And, as the stock rebuilds, we get a
more productive fishery and the average
fish size increases. We will never get a
high quality fishery if most small fish
do not get the chance to grow. The good
news is it appears the 2007 spawning
season was a cracker and that is one of
the reasons why there are so many small
snapper around this year.
This could be Mother Nature’s way of
trying to rebuild the stock where we
have failed. In a couple of seasons this
year class of snapper will be a better size,
though it may take a few years longer
for resident fish in the Hauraki Gulf to
develop as their growth rate has slowed.
LegaSea encourages fisheries managers
to have a conversation with all fishing
interests about strategies that will rebuild
the fishery and reduce waste over the
next few years.
Success for us is a rapid rebuild of the
fishery. To achieve that we need to
fish smarter to avoid small fish, not
rationalising their harvest because “we
can’t help catching them”.
The ongoing use of indiscriminate bulk
harvesting methods such as trawling
inshore within the 100m contour, amongst
sensitive juvenile habitats and nursery
areas, clearly needs to be addressed as
this has the biggest impact on habitat and
juvenile fish populations. ●
Call 0800 LEGASEA (534 273)
Email us [email protected]
Subscribe at www.legasea.co.nz
Read more at www.facebook.com/legasea
VID
EOO
FTH
EMO
NTH
At a time when we should all be out fishing; here’s a reminder to those stuck
at home/ in the office who can’t be out there doing it. Check out some wicked
Aotea/Great Barrier action here. Or if it’s a more tropical mission you’re after,
let’s go troppo with the Nomad guys – Hold on! And for the underwater guys n
girls? Check this out!
Wicked Great Barrier Action
14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
KAY
AK
FISH
ING
Getting Sorted for Off-Shore Yakking
PROFISH RELOAD IS MY preferred weapon
when planning big days offshore. The Reload
has amazing hull speed and efficiency, the
best deck layout for all that is needed on a
big trip and an incredibly comfortable seat
position making the long hours in the saddle
very achievable. Although I have chosen to
wait for a calmer weather window I know
if I was to get caught out offshore when it
blows up the Reload is the kayak I want to
be riding it out in.
A spare paddle is often over looked in the
safety equipment; picture being 4-kms+
offshore, the wind blows up, and then you
snap your paddle! Lashed up under the bow
bungee the paddle is out of the way…no
excuse really.
Ready for Battle
www.nzfisher.co.nz 15
Spare Paddle
Thigh braces fitted as on this trip my options
for the fastest route to the mackerel grounds
is through the surf and back; thigh braces
make this less daunting and give me greater
control of the kayak in the surf. I have fitted
extra saddles on my Reload to accommodate
the thigh braces. Once through the surf it’s
easy to remove the thigh braces and stow
away until needed again.
Yak Adventure Equipment Australia PFD for comfort and safety
Thigh Straps
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Chill pod loaded with ice to keep bait and
then some Macks cool ready for the ride
home − also good for containing your catch to
keep un-wanted visitors at bay. Letting blood
leak is never a good idea, especially off-shore
where the big biters live.
The Profish Tackle Pod: truly a breakthrough
in fishing kayak essentials. Its trips like this
where you are on the water for many hours
needing to carry essential gear close at hand
that the tackle pod really makes a difference
to comfort. I load tackle, safety gear and food
in mine along with my Lowrance battery.
Railblaza tracport 350 with multiple rod
holders will allow me to set up to three lures
to target different depths and avoid potential
cross overs. I have added swivel ports to the
KAY
AK
FISH
ING
Chill Pod
Blazed
www.nzfisher.co.nz 17
two outer rod holders so I can easily re-
position as required, plus this lifts the rods
slightly higher which is good for the rods with
longer butts.
Without this guy I would be relying on the
birds alone, especially when targeting new
unknown areas the Lowrance sounder is my
best friend to locate fish or areas that may
hold fish at certain times. I take reef fishing
gear out with me so if I spot something on
the Lowrance while trolling I will target it.
The sounder helps you to locate bait balls too,
great if you’re looking for livies or just to hang
with it until the target species arrive.
Lowrance VHF on hand for safety. This goes in
my PFD – never leave home without one!
Here’s something new to my tackle pod this
season is the Railblaza Drink Hold. Great little
deck storage compartment for holding gear
you’re using at the time. Along with holding
your drink of course! ●
Sounder and Cup holder genius
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
REA
DER
PICS
Reader Pics
Matto & the king
Liz Virgo with her new PB - 21lb Snapper landed in the Doubtless Bay Club comp in late 2014
www.nzfisher.co.nz 19
Neil Smart kayaking around bay of islands
Owen with a serious Whangaparaoa King - first fish of the day too!
Paul Philips & friends with a full bag of BIG Aldermans Kings aboard Epic Adventures
Winner!
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
FISH
ING
THEW
OR
KU
PS
JOHN JOINED THE Kingfishers Surfcasters
& Angling Club when he was just 16 years of
age and remained a loyal club member all his
life. He was appointed secretary of the club
in the mid 1980’s and held club positions
ever since. Looking through old material it
was interesting to note that a business called
CB Radio was the major sponsor of ACA
Newsletters around 1984/85.
CB Radio was John! John was elected to the
Executive of the NZACA, from what I can
ascertain, back in the late 1970’s. Certainly
he was there and showing on AGM Minutes
in 1981. John remained part of the Executive
right up until this year when a controversial
change of rules meant that Life Members
were no longer automatic members of that
NZACA Management Committee.
Words in remembrance by Graeme Dawber, friend & long-time NZACA
Executive colleague
Farewell John JonesNZACA Life Member
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
35 years plus − a length of service probably
not equalled by anyone else in NZACA
history. In the mid 1990’s John took over
the administration of the Kiwi Fishing Club
following the death of the club founder,
Derek Flintoff. He held this position with this
NZACA Postal Club until earlier this year. Back
in 2007 when we put together the NZACA
50th booklet, John was the source of a great
deal of the material that we included due to
his keeping of Newsletters, Press cuttings,
articles and other material.
Without that, our 50th booklet would have
been a much leaner publication. I have
inherited much of that material but I am
not sure if I should thank John for that or
not – who do I pass it on to? John’s skills,
abilities and knowledge of the radio and
communications world was put to good use
− for the NZACA with communications at
Nationals and the like. We have a complete
audio transcript of the NZACA Retreat held
in 2011. John was a mainstay of the NZACA
stand at the Auckland Boat Show a number
of years back. I also have videos that John put
together from past Nationals.
So his legacy continues. John was a ‘behind
the scenes’ worker and one who could be
relied upon. However he, with Frances, were
very much to the fore with sausage and food
stalls at a number of Nationals (a task they
performed for a number of organisations
I believe). John was not one to seek office
or status in the NZACA or its Executive, but
when he contributed one listened.
He spoke with the benefit of his extensive
past knowledge, wisdom and basic common
sense. John’s contribution to the NZACA
was recognized in 2011 by the organisation
bestowing on him Life Membership. This
reward was well deserved and maybe should
have been awarded a lot earlier.
Over recent times the NZACA has made a
number of decisions and changes that John
was not fully in agreement with and quietly
made his views known without fanfare or
fuss, but folk knew where he stood and why.
As a flow-on from those decisions a group
of members who have had considerable
experiences in the National Organisation
have formed themselves into a body so that
this knowledge is not lost and others can
make use of such. John was a member of this
group and it has recently affiliated with the
National Body.
John unfortunately could not be present at
the last meeting of the group at which the
NZACA Membership Cards were handed out.
So I now undertake that task and present
John with his membership card.
John rest in peace – knowing you have been
a good and faithful steward to the world of
recreational fishing in this country. ●
22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Com
posite D
evelopments
(NZ) Ltd
3 Piermark Drive, Albany Industrial Estate,
Auckland 0751, New Zealand
PO Box 302 363, NHPC, Albany,
Auckland 0751, New Zealand
P +64 9 415 9915 F +64 9 415 9965
Freefax 0800 SKIN FISH E [email protected]
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2015catalogue
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Composite Developments
(NZ) Ltd
Share an Awesome Photo and Be in to Win!
Share an awesome photo this month andbe in to WIN a $150 Composite Developments Voucher!Share an awesome photo of you with a
fish to our Facebook page, or email it
to [email protected] by ? and
you’ll be in to win an $150 voucher from
Composite Developments to spend on
anything you like from their 2015 catalogue
- click here to view.
This months winner is Owen with his
Whangaparoa King. He has won a $150
Composite Developments voucher, happy
spending Owen ●
CO
MPE
TITI
ON
S Competition!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
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