Winter Steelhead can be fished using many different techniques.  Now-a-days drift fishing a small yarn ball and a light weight from a boat seems to be the most popular.  The idea is to keep the boat and yarn ball moving at the exact same speed as the river current.  The angler must make sure the weight is tapping lightly along the bottom and not dragging the bottom.  If the weight is not tapping lightly along the bottom more weight may be needed.  If the weight is dragging the bottom removing some weight may be necessary. 

 

The yarn ball is the hottest bait on the river for winter steelhead because of its natural looking drift.  We are making our most popular colors which have proven to be very productive for Steelheaders.  These are hand tied yarn balls and are tied up with a number 2 hook on approximately 30 inches of Maxima ultragreen 10 lb test line.  The average size of the yarn balls are approximately the size of a dime in diameter. 

 

 

We are making weights that can be changed in seconds and they’re very popular with people that fish for Steelhead.  The weights come in various sizes 1 shot, 2 shot, 3 shot, 4 shot and 5 shot.  The 2 shot, 3 shot and 4 shot seem to be the most popular sizes, and the staff at TalkFishin recommends the 2 shot, 3 shot and 4 shot for small to mid sized rivers.

 

 

 

The hook is one of the most important pieces of tackle used for fishing.  They must be sharp, the correct size and strong enough to handle the targeted species of fish.  Hooks come in many different sizes and shapes.  When the TalkFishin staff uses the drifting method for Steelhead we use the Brads red Octopus hook in a size 2 .  We tie an eggloop on the hook with approximately 30 inches of 10 lb test Maxima ultra green leader.

 

 

The TalkFishin leaders are Hand-tied with a snap swivel, 3 shot quik change weight and a Brad’s Red Octopus hook size 2 on 10 lb. test Maxima ultra green leader.  The leaders come in packages of 5. The pre-tied eggloop leaders come ready to fish leaving you with just one knot to tie.

 

Below is an example of how to tie up a yarn ball and weight for drift fishing. This rig can be used from a boat or from shore.  Again, the key to successful drift fishing is to keep the yarn ball moving at the exact same speed as the current. The weight should be tapping the bottom very lightly.  Once this presentation is mastered it is irresistible to Steelhead.

 

 

Now that we have covered the weight and bait, we need to talk about a fishing pole.  The pole is a personal choice. A person has the opportunity to spend lots of money or a little money. I like the less expensive choice myself.   I chose the two piece Pro Tourney Medium action, 8’ 6”,  line weight 8-17 Lb with a lure weight capacity of 1/4-3/4 oz.  This is a graphite IM7 structured rod and is made for a spinning reel.

 

We can’t go fishing without a reel.  As with the pole, the reel is also a personal choice.  Again, a person has the opportunity to spend lots of money or a little money.  Again, I like the less expensive choice.   I chose the size 4740 Pflueger Triton GX 7 spinning reel.  It is constructed with 6 stainless steel ball bearings, one way clutch instant anti-reverse, light weight graphite body and rotor, machined aluminum handle and rosewood handle and it has a smooth multi disc front drag system.  It has the strength to hold up to those large winter Steelhead.

 

Line for the reel is like all other fishing equipment it has gotten better and better over the years.  I used to spool up a clear line on my reels.  However, times have changed.   My Steelhead rods are now loaded up with a high vis line.  Izorline is a popular brand for drift fishing.  It is easy to see and easy to follow your line as the weight and bait gently drift down stream.

 

In summary I use a 8 foot 6 inch medium action Pro Tourney fishing rod with a GX7 Pflueger spin reel which is loaded up with 10 lb test Izorline ( Chartreuse color) line, and I cast our quick change drift weights with our yarn balls.

 

All the gear we use is a personal choice and there are many other choices on the market today we hope you find the gear that fits your needs.

 

Fishing videos, pictures & reports from anglers and guides and charters.

 

 

 

Life history, including information on the habitat, growth,feeding, and reproduction of a species, is important because it affects how afishery is managed.

 

Geographic range: In tropical, subtropical, and temperatezones of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

 

Habitat: Temperature is a major determining factor inPacific albacore habitat. Juveniles are often found near oceanic fronts or temperatediscontinuities; adults occur to at least 1,250 feet deep. They will alsoexplore deeper waters in search of prey.

Life span: Maximum of 11-12 years

Food: Pacific albacore are top carnivores. Theyopportunistically prey on schooling stocks, such as sardine, anchovy, andsquid. They eat an enormous amount of food to fuel their high metabolism,sometimes consuming as much as 25% of their own weight every day.

Growth rate: Eggs develop rapidly, hatching within 24 to48 hours. Juveniles grow at an estimated 1.23 inches per month. Growthprogresses more slowly with age.

Maximum size: Grow up to 79 pounds in weight and about 47 inches in length

Reaches reproductive maturity: At roughly 5 to 6 years oldand 33.5 inchesin length

Reproduction: Females have 0.8 to 2.6 million eggs perspawning (100,000 eggs per 2.2 pounds of body weight). They broadcast the eggs in waternear the surface, where they are externally fertilized.

Spawning season: From March to July; there is someevidence that albacore spawn multiple times a year.

Spawning grounds: In subtropical waters in the Pacificcentered around 20 degrees North to 20 degrees South latitude

Migrations: Pacific albacore, particularly juveniles (2-5years old), typically begin an expansive migration in the spring and earlysummer in waters off Japan that continues through the late summer into inshorewaters off the U.S. Pacific coast, and ends in late fall and winter in thewestern Pacific Ocean. The timing and geographic extent of the albacore smigration in a given year is strongly influenced by oceanic conditions.

Predators: Predators of albacore include larger species ofbillfish, tuna, and sharks.

Commercial or recreational interest: Both

Distinguishing characteristics: Pacific albacore aremetallic, dark blue on the back with dusky to silvery white coloration alongthe sides of the belly. They have exceptionally long pectoral fins, which arenearly half the length of their body.

 

Albacore is a warm water fish and like the water temperatureto be at least 60 degrees.. They will cruise and feed along the breaks of thecold water and the clear blue, warm water.

 

Off the coast of Northern California,Oregon and Washingtonusually the best months to fish will start in mid July, August andSeptember.  However, sometimes the warmwater doesn’t move in at all (within 30 miles of shore). Therefore no Albacore fishing.

 

As a sport fisherman we find the warm water by talking tocommercial fishermen, looking at NOAA sea surface temperature charts, Terrafin,and good communication between friends and other Albacore fishermen.

 

The primary way to fish for Albacore is trolling tuna jigson the surface. We like our trolling speed to be at least 7  1/2 miles per hour.  We use a GPS togauge our trolling speed and then maintain that speed by watching the RPM’s ofthe motor.

 

When trolling we use fishing rods and reels. That seems tobe more fun than hand lines. However, make sure you have good equipment whentrolling for Albacore. Just hooking a fish at the speed we troll is hard enoughon the equipment, must less the wear and tear on equipment that these lightningfast fish put on it as well.

 

Our Albacore lure trolling pattern below.

 

 

The jigs shown are just an example . The jigs  and color pattern will change with everyfisherman.

 

 

The staff at TalkFishin like the Lamiglas L 870C 7’medium action 15-30 Lbline, and the Penn Sabre Stroker G270C 7 Pole medium action with a line weight of 15-30 LB line.

 

We feel these are good choices for Albacore because theyhave enough power in the butt section to land very strong fish, and the tipsection is soft enough to have a lot of fun fighting these missiles.

 

The negative...The guides on the Penn seem to be fairlyweak.. If the pole is dropped and the guide is bumped they can break.

 

 

As hard as Albacore strike lures and as fast as they canstrip off a 100 feetof line, a good reel must be strongly considered.  We didn’t want to spend a lot of money butdid want a dependable reel, so we chose the Penn 320 GT2 levelwind.. Thesereels have helped us land many Albacore.

 

We load up the Penn GT2 reels with  150 yards of the high visible green 50 pound test Berkley Trilene Biggame line.  This line is easy to see whentrolling and when making turns.

 

There are more expensive reels on the market of course, butthe GT2 works well for our needs.

 

The Negative..The clickers don’t hold up. Most of them stopclicking after one season of Albacore fishing.

 

 

Most tuna clones are tied with a double hook as shownabove.   Some tuna Clones come pre-tiedwith hooks and some do not.

 

The double hook works well, but a barbless hook is highlyrecommended.  The action can be very fastwhen in a school of fish, and trying to remove a barbed hook from a wigglingalbacore can be very frustrating and dangerous.

 

A 130 Lbtest leader or larger is recommended. When 3 to 4 Albacore are hooked at the same time, it is a lot easier tograb a heavier leader and pull the fish into the boat.

 

 

Most Albacore fishermen use a diver board instead ofweights. The boards are made by Yozi and can handle the trolling speed neededto attract the Albacore.  The diver boardis for hand lines and aren’t commonly used with rod and reel.  When Albacore go deep a vertical type jigscan be used (as shown above) However, the boat must be stopped to use this typeof jig.

 

Most rubber skirt type jigs (Tuna clone shown on right of page)come from the manufacture with weight in the head of the jig and some havechangeable weights in the head.

 

 

A recommended swivel for Albacore would be a size 6coastlock, and the barrel swivel would be a size 5 both swivels should besaltwater type heavy duty.  The coastlockswivel is tied to the main line of the pole and the barrel swivel is tied tothe leader of the lure as shown below.

 

Fishing videos, pictures & reports from anglers andguides and charters.

Halibut like the deep water. It is not uncommon to fish wellover 300 feetdeep for these big boys.

 

 

Halibut will bite on Octopus, Herring, strips of Shad andmany types of big rubber lures.   Sincethe halibut is a deep water fish a glow bead on the leader between the twohooks seems to attract  the halibut tothe bait. If using a rubber bait the glow in the dark rubber bait works well.

 

To help keep the leader from tangling and twisting whiledropping the bait in deep water we recommend a halibut spreader bar. Pre-madeHalibut spreader bars are very common and can be bought from sporting goodsstores along the coast. The weight, hooks and black barrel swivel has to be suppliedby the angler.

 

Below is a typical Halibut spreader setup.

 

 

 

We fish with the Shakespeare ugly stik  Tiger BWC/AD 2202 7’ 0”Medium heavy action with 30 to 60 lbtest line rating.

 

We feel these fishing poles are a great choice for halibut,because they have plenty of power in the butt section to land very large,strong fish from the deep water, and the tip section is soft enough feel alight bite.

 

 

We fish with and recommend the Penn Senator HLW 113. Theseare heavy duty reels and are very dependable for pulling large fish from greatdepths.  They will hold about 400 yards of 80 lb test spider wire braidedline.  The spider wire braided line holdsup well to the pressure that one can put on this line when landing halibut.

 

The Penn Senator 113H is an excellent choice.  Also they will connect to some of theelectric motors to convert these reels into electric reels helping make Halibutfishing a little easier.

 

 

A 10/0 Octopus hook is a good choice for halibut.  They are large enough to hook and hold largebaits.  They are strong enough hook andhold large halibut that is hooked on a rod and reel.

 

Another poplar hook for halibut is called a circlehook.  The point of the hook is turnedinto and pointed toward the shank of the hook. The harder the angler pulls the deeper the hook will twist into the jawof the fish.

 

 

Getting to the bottom of the ocean floor for halibut issometimes a chore.  The idea way to fishhalibut is straight down from the boat. If the wind is blowing the boat acrossthe surface of the ocean, the more weight the angler has to use.

 

Because of the large weights needed a canon ball is a poplarweight type.  The can be bought in manydifferent sizes.  We have and do use 48 oz weights on a regular basis.  So get your arms in shape before the halibutfishing trip.

 

Fishing videos, pictures & reports from anglers andguides and charters.

 

 

 

The best water temperature to fish for Bluegill is in the 70 degree range. Bluegill can be caught on mealworms, small pieces of night-crawler, small Plastic grub worms , small artificial flies or small spinners. The world record Bluegill weighed in at 5 pounds 7 ounces. That fish was caught somewhere in South Carolina. If help is needed buying fishing gear for Bluegill click on one of the links on the left side of the page.  Below is a diagram of a typical Bluegill setup.

 

 

 

 

The Fishing Pole, reel and tackle we mention is only a suggestion.  However, we want you to get started in the right direction. Without the PROPER fishing pole and tackle, your fishing experience can be frustrating.  To save you the frustration we have done some pricing,  and field testing on various brands and types of fishing  equipment. We looked for quality  at a reasonable price.

 

We chose the ShakeSpeare Ugly Stik SPL 1100 utra-lite  4 8" Pole and reel combination. We feel this is a good choice for bluegill and lighter weight fish. These are very durable poles, and if taken care of it should last many years of fishing. The negative… This fishing  pole seems to be a little heavier than comparable poles. 

 

 

We have done some pricing, and field testing on various brands and types of fishing equipment. We looked for quality and a reasonable price.  We chose the ShakeSpeare  Ugly Stik SPL 1100 utralite 4 8" Pole and Shakespeare 2500 spinning reel combination. This pole and reel is sold as a combination. We had new 4 pound test Ande clear line put on the reel at our local sporting goods store. We feel this is a good choice for bluegill and lighter weight fish. These are durable little reels, and if taken care of it should last many years of fishing.

 

 

 

Size does matter !!  The proper fish hook is as important as choosing the correct fishing pole and reel for the targeted species. Bluegill have a small mouth, so in turn a smaller hook should be used. A good hook to start with is called a bait holder hook made by Eagle Claw, and the size we chose to fish Bluegill with is a 8.  The bait holder hook has barbs on the shank to help hold the bait higher on the hook, therefore leaving the point open for better  penetration when setting the hook. (Setting the hook Means pulling back sharply on the pole when getting a bite from a fish).  We do not work for any of the companies or manufacturers on our website. However, we want you to get started in the right direction choosing fishing gear and tackle that will work well for you at a reasonable price. There are many companies that make very good fishing gear that could work just as well.

 

 

The weight is used to hold the bait under water, and when casting it also helps get more distance.  If using a 1 inch float a good weight size to start with is a 1/4 oz. to a 3/8 oz.  Using too much weight can cause the float to submerge under water.  If the float is more than half way submerged try using a lighter weight. Not using enough weight can cause excessive movement of the float on the surface of the water by the wind. If the float is being blown around try a little more weight. Putting on just the right amount of weight is one the anglers biggest challenges so don t feel too badly if that adjustment takes some time.

 

 

 

Bluegill like food that is suspended in the water. Using a float is a common way to hold bait off the bottom. There are many different types and styles of floats. The float we chose is a foam type float. They will not fill with water and seem to be more durable than most plastic types.  All floats  can be adjusted for fishing variable depths of water. Float sizes that work well for Bluegill are the 1 inch or the 1 1/4 inch. They are large enough to be seen on the water, and small enough to reduce movement by the wind.

 

 

 

Anglers use a swivel for several reasons. The swivel helps keep the twist out of the line, tie pieces of line together to make leaders and creates a place to tie the weight. There are many different types and styles of swivels. However, for Bluegill fishing we chose a size 10 interlock barrel swivel. The swivel we are using for this Bluegill setup is made by Laker. Just remember there are a lot of name brands that make the same type of swivel and most are inexpensive. When buying your tackle you don t have to spend a lot of money to get good gear and have an enjoyable fishing experience.

 

Fishing videos, pictures & reports from anglers and guides and charters.

 

http://www.epicadventures.co.nz

Nothing has changed snapper fishing more than SOFTBAIT!!

 

We ve been fishing for snapper out of Tairua and Pauanui for many moons now!  Carl has grown up fishing for snapper around the reefs close to Pauanui and Tairua.  In the good old days, plenty of good old fashioned burley and big bloody baits was the best way to catch BIG fish! 

 

Quite often fishing bait for snapper was limited, especially in summer, to early in the morning or late at night if you wanted to catch a big one. Softbait has changed all of that!

 

Our first introduction to fishing softbait came when the fishing magazine Carl writes for, along with Pure Fishing, arranged for a few complimentary packets of Gulp and a couple of new softbait rods to be sent to Carl to try out. It took a few solo trips to master but the results were pretty awesome! Time to put it to the test with clients!

 

The first trip saw a 20kg kingi landed on a 7 inch Lime Tiger bait, by a client who had never caught a kingi in his life before! Within a stones throw of Tairua beach.

 

Then there was a constant stream of snapper in the 10-25 pound range by first time softbait fishermen, all caught within minutes of Tairua and Pauanui and all caught in the bright light of day.

 

There had to be something in it!

 

Mind due there is a definite knack to fishing softbaits, much the same as flyfishing for trout, but once you have had a wee bit of guidance the results are out of this world.   If you are still grappling with fishing softbaits then you need to put a day aside and spend a day targeting snapper with us!!

 

We ve had some outstanding results of softbaits, so much so that Fishing Coast to Coast magazine has had a series of articles following our success on softbaits.

 

We ve got everything you need on board to get you into softbaiting, or if you have your own gear we can help you get it set up right with the right knots and jig heads and the right baits.

 

If you want to bring your own we recommend:

 

-A specialised reel and rod for softbaiting rated 6-10kg.

 

-Reel filled with braid (Fireline 15pd is ideal)

 

-A range of jig heads from 1/4 up to 1oz, right up to 4oz if we are going to fish deep

 

-Braid scissors

 

-20lb, 30lb and 40lb flurocarbon

 

-The right baits, Lime Tiger, Watermelon, Camo, Nuclear Chicken in 5", 7" and especially Pogy styles work best

 

If there is one thing you can practive prior to coming out it is casting.  A longer, more accurate cast will produce a better run of fish while you are with us, just ask Ken....

 

WHERE WE FISH

 

Quite simply - where the fish are!  The fish move around a lot by the season and conditions.  And the techniques change depending on the season and conditions!  Casting in the shallows, dropping down into the deep, casting into the washes- all require a different approach.  Devote a day to fishing softbaits with us and we ll guide you through it.

 

Any time of year!  That is the beauty of softbait fishing!  It is quite simply one of the most versatile forms of fishing out there and anyone can do it! And the results are out of this world.  Even when the wind is blowing hard we can tuck in close to shore and catch fish you wouldn t dream of on anchor in the shallows.

 

There are plenty of other benefits:

 

-There is no mess!  No bloody stinky bait on your clothes!

 

-It is active!  You are working the baits the whole time

 

-More scenery. We move around a lot so you get to see more spots and more of the coastline

 

-And as the photos tell....a better quality of fish.  These are average size fish on softbaits.

 

http://www.bragnrelease.com/forum/directorypreview.asp?ID=70

http://www.epicadventures.co.nz

Jigging is by far the best way to fish for New Zealand s famous yellowtail kingfish.

 

Nothing has revolutionised the world of sportfishing in recent years more than the technique of jigging.  Once you ve tried jigging, with the right gear and with the right tuition, you ll be hooked!  It s EASY to pick up and the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

 

Catching kingfish on metal lures has always been an effective way to catch kingfish in New Zealand, but advances in fishing rods, reels and tackle in recent years coupled with a new technique out of Japan called mechanical jigging has seen jigging really take off.

 

On a good day catching 50 kingis between four anglers is not out of the question, and our kingfish typically average between 10kg and 20kg! Most of these are released in good condition to fight another day, ensuring we preserve a quality kingfish fishery.

 

Ken is a regular jig fishermen with us and always manages to catch some of the biggest fish each trip.  He jigs with his own Daiwa Expedition reel and Smiths Nirai rod.

 

Only the best gear should be used when jigging for our sportfish like kingis.  You need to minimise any possible weak link in your fishing tackle or the kingis will take you to the cleaners!  Without the right gear jigging can also be very hard on the body and so we have equipped the boat with a range of good rods and reels suitable for the new style of jigging.  We have a Stella and Smiths spinning combo - widely regarded as the best spinning combo available for jigging. 

 

Spinning reels are becoming very popular and often catch the bigger fish.  We have two JigWrex and Tyrnos 10 combos which are nice light combos ideal for first time jiggers and these have caught some whopping fish over 20kg. We also have what is widely regarded as THE overhead combo - an Ocea Jigger and Jigging Master Powerspell 400.  They are all very EASY to jig with

 

Loaded up!  These new jigging rods are just awesome, bending right through the blank and delivering maximum hurt to the fish - not the angler.  Here Rhys Lyon from Sydney tackles a 20kg kingi on our Smiths Rod and Stella reel!  Love the photo!

 

On any given day the kingis can be very fussy on styles of jigs and colours so we have a range of great jigs like Zest Curved Slider, Zest Deep Slim, Broken Arrow, Katch1 spears, YeeHaa pencils, Jigging Master Rockets and plenty more. 

 

We typically use 300gm or 400gm jigs.  These are attached to an assist hook and 100lb flurocarbon leader.

 

Loosing fish is not cool for the fishery when we are out doing it every day so we make sure the tackle is up to the task.

 

Jigging for kingfish usually involves us travelling to the Aldermen Islands out of Tairua.  The islands have a number of pinnacles north, south and east of the islands which hold good populations of hard fighting kingis. These kingis are widely regarded by people who fish right around New Zealand as some of New Zealands hardest fighting kingifsh on jigs.

 

Then it is a matter of locating the schools on the sounder and holding the boat in position over the schools.  We use PE6 and PE8 line which is multicoloured to allow effective targetting of the fish.

 

Getting the hang of jigging for kingis is easy and if it is your first time jigging we ll have you into it in no time at all.

 

The results speak for themselves!

 

Small girl, big fish!  Livvie Wallace with a whopping 20kg kingfish, caught jigging on a green and gold spear jig with us out of Tairua at New Years 09.  Livvie showed the guys up and caught the first good fish of the day on our Jigging Master PS400 and Ocea Jigger.  Go girl!

 

And they just LOVE jigs.  We will typically mix up a days jigging with chasing a few puka as well.  The action is a little different and we are typically working the bottomg part of the water column.  IF there are puka there they will attack a jig with some ferocity!

 

Simon Gooder jigs with us on a regular basis.  He has caught loads of good kingis but was pretty rapt when this 25kg hapuku came to the boat. 

We have everything you need on board, however if you are keen to getting into the sport and want to bring your own gear, we suggest:

 

-A good range of jigs in 300gm and 400gm, blue, pink, black and green/gold are good colours

 

-A well balanced jigging rod and reel - talk to someone live YeeHaa fishing tackle if you are travelling from Auckland or just give Carl a call to find out what works well

 

-Split ring pliers, we have these on board and it means you can swap jigs around quickly

 

-Spare flurocarbon leader, recommended 100lb minimum, or if using mono 150lb minimum.

 

Plenty of water!  People planning to jig the whole day or spend a week with us have been known to see a personal trainer to get in shape prior to the trip!  But seriously regardless of what shape you are in, we ll put you on to some of New Zealand s best fishing!

 

Tuna like jigs too!  Here is a albacore tuna caught on a jig, this summer (09) we ve had heaps of Albies to 10kg hitting jigs while we ve been targetting kingis.  Albies seem to really like the orange and gold jigs like this Broken Arrow.

 

 

The skipper out testing some new gear - check out the shiny new Stella!

 

Carl has written many articles on jigging for Fishing Coast to Coast magazine here in New Zealand.

 

Epic Adventures have taken out many prestigious titles jigging including:

 

-Kingfish champions NZBGFC Nationals 2009 - Most tagged and released kingis for the week - 183 kingfish released

 

-Fishing Website Skipper of the Year 2008

 

We re out there jigging most days and know where the fish are.  We ve been jigging for many years now and have it all well wired - we ll make sure you have a FUN days fishing

 

 

 http://www.bragnrelease.com/forum/directorypreview.asp?ID=70

 

http://www.bayofislandsfishing.com

Mechanical Jigging is a relatively new technique introduced to New Zealand from Japan only in the last few years by Chris Wong.  Mechanical Jigging is now undergoing a huge surge in popularity due to the extreme effectiveness of Mechanical Jigging at targeting Yellowtail Kingfish.  These sections show my introduction to Mechanical Jigging, as well as describing the Mechanical Jigging Technique, and finally how to rig your equipment for Mechanical Jigging

 

 

 

The first time that I witnessed mechanical jigging was in 2007 in front of the Hole In The Rock at Cape Brett in the Bay Of Islands.  I was taking a charter that was entered into the Northpower fishing competition and we were bait fishing when a boat came within 20 meters of us, started drifting.  The two guys at the stern started doing what appeared to be the most spastic jigging motion I had ever witnessed. I was just thinking to myself "well these guys are no threat to the fish" when the first guys rod loaded up and he was pinned to the gunnels calling to their skipper for a gimbal. I steered in disbelief as we were catching a few snapper and other species - my pulse increased a few seconds later when the second guy hooked up and they slowly drifted away playing the fish for the next 10 minutes.  Once they had landed those fish a couple of hundred meters away, back they came and repeated the scene - over and over again.  Just so I don t sound total useless here I should mention that we did follow up with a nice snapper in the mid late teens that one the ladies section of the competition.

 

 

The second time that I witnessed mechanical jigging  was a year later and I had told this story to dozens of people in an attempt to get an understanding of what I had witnessed but was no better enlightened other than they must have been using some super jig.  I was parked up on the southern side of the Dog at Brett again this time with a mate who was a speed jigging expert and we were cranking away like fury resigned to the fact that their were just no fish, when another boat turned up 30 meters away.  I watched closely as the boat had an MSA number on it meaning that it was another charter boat and the fulla would probably know what he was doing.  The first guy dropped his live bait down and the second guy dropped his jig and repeated the same spastic seagull action I had witnessed the year before - crank, crank and wham! He was hooked up - to be followed shortly after by a bust off so as he drifted away and re-tied another jig, we crept into his spot and wound like fury - again to no avail.  The other boat starting coming back so we moved out of the road and the guy dropped his livie over, and then the jig - crank, wham! In around 30 - 40 minutes the guy on the first boat with a live-bait had managed 1 kingie, the guy on the jig around half a dozen and had lost around a dozen ($400 worth) jigs.  He then left to go home - probably ran out of jigs.  I had been watching him intensely over that time and had spoken to him asking him what jig - he said "any - it doesn t matter".  What I did take more notice of this time was the motion.  He appeared to be pumping the rod up and down and winding one revolution on the reel handle for every pump of the rod.  We moved in again and tried to follow what he was doing and would you believe it my mate got one, shortly followed by yours truly hooking up and getting busted - loosing our last jig.  A mechanical jigging fanatic was born.

 

 

Since then I have learnt that what I had witnessed and was attempting to do is called Mechanical Jigging.My kingfish tally has long since become uncountable. Mechanical Jigging can be so effective that some days it is seems impossible to retrieve the jig to the surface without hooking up.  My record drift with my brother in law who works for Top Catch in Whangarei was around 1km on the chart plotter in very light winds and we never missed hooking on a single drop.  The fish come big and small and the comment that people make about getting the bigger ones on live bait probably holds true only if your live bait is over 5 pounds, though I suspect that I live-bait of this size just makes it more difficult for the smaller Kingfish to swallow hence catching less and probably you would catch the big one on a Jig but you would have to work through a lot of 20 kilo fish first.

 

After loosing a lot of jigs and teaching a lot of people how to jig I have now formed some strong opinions on the right and wrong way of doing things.

 

1.Firstly, it is important to start with the right gear, I would suggest a rod rated as a 300, that means it can comfortable handle jigs from 200-400 grams.  I would suggest an over-head reel such as Shimano Ocea Jigger or similar. with a retrieve ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 - spool diameter also comes into play of course as it is the combination of spool diameter and retrieve ratio that determines how much line is retrieved per crank of the reel handle.  Diameter x 3.14 x ratio = distance retrieved per crank -this obviously reduces as you have less line on the spool like in deeper water.

 

2.It is easier to learn the motion in deeper water say in excess of 50 meters and with a 400 gram jig on your 300 rod.  The deeper water is denser and hence creates more resistance against the jig which is transmitted up through the braid and down the rod to you and helps you get a feel for what is happening quicker than starting shallow and light.

 

 

3.Assuming you are a right hander, take your new 5 foot Jig-Master Power-spell 300 rod or similar and place the handle right up under your left armpit and angle the rod tip out over the boat edge and down towards the water.  Your left hand cups the reel on the left side with your first finger on top of the rod in front of the reel, the other 3 fingers under the rod/reel,  and your thumb on the spool to stop an overrun when the jig hits the bottom. Ensure your drag is set reasonably firm but not ridiculous - will get to this later.

 

4.Free spool to the bottom with your left thumb on the spool stopping an overrun. Upon touch down immediately put into gear and put your thumb on the left edge of the reel and crank a few turns to pull the jig away from any snags.  Stop now and get ready.

 

5.Go slow in the beginning and don t try to keep up with more experienced jiggers around you.

6.Ensure your rod tip is low - nearly to the water if the gunnels aren t too high and that the reel handle at this point is at its lowest position.

 

 

7.Slowly but simultaneously crank half a turn on the reel to the vertical position and raise the rod tip around 2 feet to horizontal or maybe just a little below (this is not what you will be doing when you get better but to begin with you need to get some muscle memory going to achieve the coordination needed to make the action most effective). Do not do this too fast and do not lift to high as the rapid movement will cause the jig to bounce upwards and then when you do the next stage you won t retrieve all of the line so that your next upward movement won t actually move the jig up - coz you will just be retrieving the bounced line from the previous pump-crank.

 

8.Your rod should now be horizontal-ish and the reel handle should be its highest position.

9.Simultaneously but slowly crank down to the bottom reel handle position and lower the rod tip back to near the water.

 

10.Repeat the steps 7 -9 over and over again, slowly getting faster and faster but only at a speed that you can manage without breaking coordination.

 

In the end you will find that you will vary the amount of rod lift dependant on the jig you are using, the rod you are using, and the reel you are using. I would suggest targeting the biggest lift movement that you can manage as long as the downwards retrieve movement can retrieve pretty much all of the line - you don t want to be lifting too high and then only retrieving half that line on your downwards stroke because your next upstroke won t start lifting the jig until you are part of the way through your rod lift.  Basically you want to feel resistance through the rod for the whole upwards stroke and then no resistance on the down stroke but timing it so that you don t get slack line on the down stroke.  Starting with a heavier jig in deeper water allows you to more easily feel the resistance on the upstroke to know if you have overshot the previous lift.  In the end the motion should be fluid and requires little energy or effort - though more is required once you start using the heavier gear in deeper water.

 

 

After loosing thousands of dollars worth of jigs I have found the following.

 

1.I tend to use 80lb rainbow braid.  Rainbow braid is highly useful as often you can see what depths the Kingfish are at on the sounder and then concentrate your efforts only on fishing this area of the column of water below you rather than wasting effort fishing above or below the Kingfish.  This dramatically increases your success rate.

 

2.Onto the end of the braid I like to use around 3 outstretched arm lengths plus a little bit - 20 feet - of 80 pound fluoro-carbon.  The fluoro-carbon is expensive and can be substituted with 130 pound mono or heavier but I find the fluoro breaks less probably due to better abrasion resistance qualities.

 

3.The most important thing to remember to do when tying onto the jig is to use some kind of loop protection like a thimble.  Otherwise you will consistently get busted at your jig due to the abrasion between the solid ring and your line. Tie onto the solid ring through your loop protection with either triple uni-knot or crimp.  NB: thinking you can get away without a loop protector just by feeding your leader though twice is going to be an expensive lesson but try if you must.

 

4.Join the braid to the fluoro with a PR knot. This knot almost never fails.  I have tried to make wind-ons and have read and listened to a lot of people but try for the life of me I can t stop the braid breaking above a bimini when I do put the hurt on.  I have read and tried wetting the biminis as I pull it up, 70 turns 10 turns, 20 turns, making the first few winds back down over itself, loose, tight - everything but still can t crack a high performance bimini on braid.  Myself and the brother in law have been playing with the Aussie/offshore plait for this but haven t got any definite results yet.  Their are plenty of people who claim the bimini is fine on braid - but have they actually run a series of tests and tested under shock as well?  All I know is that we were loosing a lot of gear until we went back to PR s which are a pain to tie out in the boat in a moderate conditions with others catching fish around you.  Having the ability to quickly loop on wind on is the obvious solution but tying the double at the end of the braid to cats-paw (loop to loop and through again)  the wind-on to, seems to create a weak point - I guess created by friction either from when the knot is tied or perhaps due to its give under load.

 

5.We used to crank the drags up full and try to stop the kingies taking us to the bottom and wrapping us around a rock.  Now we just back the drag off and let them have a little and then once they have slowed increase the drag a little and slowly work them up.  The exception to this is when the Bronze Whalers sharks are known to be around and we try to get the Kingfish in as quick as possible.  Of course once you have lost one to a shark it generally pays to move or you will just deplete the Kingfish population of your reef by making easy meals of them for the sharks.

 

At the moment I prefer to use my JM terminator 300 with an Ocea Jigger 4000(5:1 retrieve rate) in water up to 100 meters deep with a 370gm pink and blue Zest Deep Slim as my go-to jig.  In deeper water I generally pick up my JM Powerspell 400 with Ocea Jigger 4000P(4:1)retrieve rate and generally either a pink and blue 470gm Zest Deep Slim or an orange jig of some sort.  If it is windy and I am drifting fast I immediately go for the heavier rig even in shallower water.

 

Contact us now at any time if you have any questions or book online or check availability now to book your Bay Of Islands fishing charter or see our Prices & Packages page for great deals.

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The Bay Of Islands in New Zealand has for years and is still known today as one of New Zealand s best fishing areas for Snapper.

 

Snapper abound all year in the Bay Of Islands and there are many charter boats including us that specialize in targeting this species which is New Zealand s most popular eating fish.

 

 

Snapper school to spawn in the Bay Of Islands starting sometime between October and December generally and fishing at this time of the year can produce some spectacular catches - we prefer to exercise Catch & Release on the bigger specimens during this period.

 

Snapper can be caught in a multitude of ways. We predominantly utilize soft baits, stray lining, and ledger rigging, depending on the type of charter and what the customer would like.  Please don t worry if you don t understand the technical jargon below as many of our customers don t. For those that do then we like to let you know that we carry quality equipment and can cater to your needs as well as those who have never been fishing before.

 

When fishing a larger group of people or people who have not fished before we will generally fish ledger rigs and have specialist rods and reels for this on board. With this method we can comfortably fish 8 or even 9 people simultaneously and generally without tangles. Our setup for this is a sinker on the bottom and two circle hooks off separate droppers a short distance up.  We use no swivel but join the mainline to the 20 pound fluorocarbon with a uni to uni knot.  By using fluorocarbon and circle hooks we are able to do away with the heavier trace often used by other fishermen and get more bites as a result. Our fish are more likely hooked in the corner of the mouth hence the snapper aren t likely to bite through the thinner trace we use.  We endeavour to help customers bait hooks as much as possible but are also big believers in teaching people how to tie on the hooks and bait their own lines - if customers are willing. To make life easier we have 4 custom made bait stations - 2 on each side of the boat - that contain bait, bait board, a knife, and spare hooks and sinkers - just in case we can t get to you quick enough due to helping someone else and you want to get your line back in the water quickly.

 

The reels are easy to use bullet proof Shimano Charter Specials which have a level wind and are matched with Ugly Stick rods which are fairly indestructible! The boat is 29 feet long and full walk around hence we can comfortably fish 4 people down each side.  The rods for the windward side of the boat are set with heavier 8kg nylon and lighter sinkers so that they drift further away from the boat and don t tangle with the 4 lines being fished from the other side which feature 6kg line with heavier sinkers to drop directly below the boat.  With this style of fishing we generally drift fish rather than anchoring hence covering more ground.  If we find a particularly hot patch then we motor back around for another drift over.

 

Since the advent of Berkeley Gulp s, soft bait fishing has taken off in New Zealand. Anyone is welcome to soft bait fish on any of our trips but we do need to charge unfortunately for the baits themselves which are around NZ$14 for a packet of 4 + the jig head to go with them - the setups are more expensive and less indestructible than the ledger rig outfits we have and whilst breakages are rare you need to know that you are liable if you cause the damage or loss through mis-handling. Soft bait fishing is great fun and can be more effective on some days than traditional bait fishing. We love introducing new people to this sport and carry 4 soft bait sets - spooled with 10 pound pink fire line braid -which is a comfortable number of people to be fishing simultaneously with this method as casting room is required. For more information on soft bait fishing see our soft bait page under our technical section.

 

For years until the introduction of soft baits, this was my favourite form of Snapper fishing from home just south of the Bay Of Islands at Oakura Bay on the road to Russell. Stray lining is great sport and particularly effective at fishing shallower areas around evening and into the dark though can also produce fantastic results during the daytime.  If you take an overnight charter with us then this is the method of fishing you will use.  We carry 5 stray line setups 1 overhead Daiwa and four fixed spool setups which consist primarily of Shimano bait runner reels spooled with 10kg nylon which is a good line weight to be using around rocks and weed in shallow water. To this we add 6 feet of 30 pound fluorocarbon and a single hook rig generally which the bait is attached to. When stray lining we will use burley when anchored which attracts the fish to the area. The bigger ones are generally shyer and hold further away from the boat and hence require a longer cast.  When stray lining at night we always anchor and sometimes during the daytime we may anchor as well, though there are other times that we still drift fish as well, particularly when the snapper are schooling and often in this situation we will add a small running ball sinker immediately on top of the hook.

 

Contact us now at any time if you have any questions or book online or check availability now to book your Bay Of Islands fishing charter or see our Prices & Packages page for great deals.

 

 

The Florida Keys is home to some of the largest bonefish in the world. They average around 4 to 8 lbs and reach weights of around 15 lbs. An 8 or 9 wt. fly rod with lots of backing on the reel is a good choice. A 10 lb spinning rod with a live shrimp is also very effective. These fish will sizzle a hundred yards or more of line on the first run.

 

 

Permit are known as one of the most challenging fish to catch on a fly. (However they will eat a live crab with reckless abandon). The lower keys is one of the best places to make that happen. Permit range from 10 to 40 lbs on the flats. When hooked they make long powerful runs. We use 9 to 10 wt. rods with crab patterns when fly fishing for these big fish.

 

 

Redfish can be found feeding and tailing in extremely shallow water. They are not as spooky as bonefish and are less sensitive to colder water conditions. The lower Keys are not known for their redfishing, but I have been seeing more and more redfish each year.

 

 

This is an extremely effective fly for bonefish, redfish and permit. If it swims and eats shrimp, it will eat this fly.

 

Hook..... Gamagakatsu SS 15 1,2

Tail......Barred Craft Fur/ Several Strands Of Krystal Flash

Legs......Sili Legs

Body......Body Fur

Eyes......Lead Eyes

 

 

This fly is another variation of many other bone fish flies. The one thing it has in common with the others, is it works.... This is a go to fly for bonefish and redfish when they are in very shallow water tailing. It has a lot of bulk with virtualy no wieght, lands softly and the fish like it..

 

Hook..... Gamagakatsu SS 15 1,2,4

Wing......Barred Craft Fur/ Several Strands Of Krystal Flash

Body......Large Krystal Hackle Bone fish Tan

Eyes......Mono Or Bead Chain Eyes

Weed Guard ....20lb. Fluorocarbon

 

 

 

 

This permit fly was developed by Capt. Jan Isley. It works...

 

Hook..... Gamagakatsu SC 15 Or Tiemco 811S 1/0 1,2

Tail......Maribu And Splayed Ginger Hackles

Legs......White Round Legs

Body......Tan Yarn Coated With Cement And Sprinkled With Yarn Fibers.

Eyes......Lead Eyes

 

 

Moret s Cracked Crab Fly is a very effective fly for permit and bonefish here in the lower Florida Keys. It is a good choice for both permit and bonefish when fly fishing on the lighter bottomed flats.

 

Hook..... Gamagakatsu SC 15 Or Tiemco 811S 1/0 1,2

Tail......Splayed Ginger Hackles

Body......EP Fibers Tied Merkin Style

Eyes......Lead Or Mono Eyes

 

 

A merkin (according to the Oxford Dictionary, 1617) is a pubic wig, originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia to eliminate lice or to disguise the marks of syphilis.

 

The Merkin was one of Del Browns favorite permit flies. The permit like this fly too..

 

Hook..... Gamagakatsu SC 15 Or Tiemco 811S 1/0, 1,2

Tail......Splayed Ginger Hackles

Legs......White Round Legs

Body......Tan And Brown Yarn Combed Out And Trimmed To A Crab Shape

Eyes......Lead Eyes

 

This is an updated version of a classic. The merkin has caught more permit than any other permit fly, also has many permit world records to it s credit. The improved pattern with the jig hook keeps the basic design, but makes the fly dive and crawl over the bottom incredibly well.

 

 

 

The lower keys are famous for the spring tarpon migration. Beginning in early February and lasting into June, Giant Tarpon (75 to 200lbs) travel through the keys by the thousands.

During the peak of the migration it is common to see and cast to hundreds of tarpon a day on the flats. Juvenile tarpon are available year round when the conditions are right.

 

 

This is a very simple and effective tarpon fly. With the rabbit fur you can get a lot of "movement" from the fly with out a lot of forward travel. Dance this in front of a tarpon and you will get the tarpons attention.

 

Hook.....Owner Aki 1, 1/0 Gamagakatsu SC-15 2/0

Tail.......Zonker Bunny Strip

Collar....Cross Cut Bunny Strip

Eye.......Stick on decal eyes

 

 

It is no secret...Tarpon love the Toad Fly. Use maribu or rabbit for the tail.

Hook......Owner AKI 1, 1/0 Gamagakatsu SC-15 2/0

Tail........Maribu or rabbit stip

Body......EP Fibers tied merkin style

Eyes......Mono Eyes

 

 

The gurgler is a killer baby tarpon fly, especialy during a shrimp hatch. This tarpon fly imitates a shrimp and travels just under the surface, long slow strips will result in some explosive hits on top.

 

Hook............Gamagakatsu SPH11-3L3H

Tail............Barred Craft Fur with a couple strands of Krystal Flash

Underbody.......Foam strip

Body............EP Streamer Brush

Thorax..........Foam strip from the under body

Eyes............Mono Eyes

 

 

Hook......Gamagakatsu SC-15 1/0 2/0

Tail......6 Barred Saddle Hackles

Collar....Cross Cut Bunny Strip

Eye.......Stick on decal eyes

 

This has been a good laid up tarpon fly. Very subtle, lands softly. It has been an effective fly when the fish are edgy. Also good in a dark olive.

 

 

Notice the hook. It is an Owner Mutu, designed to catch fish in the corner of the mouth. This fly is a little light for big tarpon, but fine for baby tarpon. Keep the rod tip low, pointed at the tarpon and let him come tight.

 

Hook......Owner Mutu 1, 1/0

Tail......Barred Craft Fur/ Several Strands Of Krystal Flash

Body......Body Fur

Eyes......Mono Eyes

 

 

This is a shrimp pattern that has a spun deer hair head, making it neutrally buoyant. It was created for tarpon but works for ALL saltwater species, including permit. Add lead eyes and you have a bonefish fly.

 

This fly among others can be ordered from Capt. Kevin Guerin

 

Hook......Gamagakatsu SS-15

Tail......Barred Craft Fur/ Several Strands Of Krystal Flash

 

Head......Spun Deer Hair

Eyes......Mono Eyes

 

 

Last season I asked John Arnold if his Arnold s Flats fly could be as effective on the big tarpon as it was on bone fish, red fish and permit. John tied me up some.. It was!! They are easy to cast, land delicately and push water. Try them in white and tan.

 

Hook......Owner Aki 1, 1/0

Tail......Barred Craft Fur/ Several Strands Of Krystal Flash

Legs......Sili Legs

Body......Body Fur

Eyes......Mono Eyes