The Catch

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Article
What’s my line?
In some ways we live in a golden age of fishing, where using all sorts of diverse techniques, a wide...

Article
Article
A damn good fry-up!
As a keen fisherman and cook, I am always looking for interesting and exciting ways to cook my catch...

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Article
Firing up reluctant kingfish
One of the great things about kingfish is that they can be targetted in so many ways – but no matter...

Feature
Feature
Hard or soft for snapper
It’s a common dilemma for many of us:
when should I use a softbait and when is it better to use a ...

The Catch: Let’s put this with that…
Pairing different soft-baits with specific jig-heads can significantly increase your chances of a su...

Exclusive
Exclusive
Fishing gear that multi-tasks
So many different fishing techniques are used on such a wide variety of fish species these days, tha...

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Feature
BYO ‘super bungy lure rig’!
A home-made bungy trolling line is a great addition to any fisher's arsenal, whether chasing fresh b...

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Article
Pillie power!
What is it about pilchards that makes them irresistible to so many fish?

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Gettin’ jiggy with it!
Heavy metal should feature in every angler's bag of tricks, but there's a huge variety of jigs and j...

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Yay for squid!
The most spectacular demonstration of how good a bait squid can be occurred on a trip to the King Ba...

Cover up, buddy!
In addition to the more common freckles, moles and age spots, there are also dry, scaly patches (act...

Just gaff it!
Last issue we looked at using landing nets, which requires less skill – even complete novices can be...

Get The Net!
If the fish is quite modest in size and well hooked, it should be possible to lift it into the boat ...

Chilly fishing
The planet might be warming, but we can still expect several months of cooler weather.
What a drag!
Properly set, a reel's drag system prevents busted lines and lost fish, but too much drag can be har...
Fishing smarter with lures
A typical day’s fishing can cost between $100–200 in bait – expensive when compared to a couple of $...
The Catch: Spare the rod
I have seen lots of rods broken in lots of different ways. The vast majority of breakages were preve...
CYO mackerel
Skyrocketing bait prices could make justifying regular fishing trips more challenging for budget-con...
Deploy the drogue
Dragging a reliable, suitably-sized drogue slows the boat’s drift, making lure presentation easier a...
Go small and soft! (Part 2)
A finesse approach to fishing soft baits can pay dividends, especially in heavily-fished areas with ...
Downsize for more fun
The day I chose to go smaller with my soft-baits turned out to be a turning point in my fishing life...
Leaders in their field Part 3: Rigging baits for Kingfish
Kingfish are an enigma. One day they smash anything remotely edible, baits and lures alike, the next...
Leaders for kingfish –Part II
Catching a decent kingfish is a dream for many anglers – and once you feel that immense power throug...
Treats for kingfish
My intentions were good: to continue with my ‘Leaders in their field’ series, this time for catching...
Leaders in their field (Part 2) Leaders for lures
Whether bait or lure fishing for snapper, a leader’s primary purpose is to protect against line dama...
Festive family fishing essentials
Mark takes a break from his ‘Leaders in their fields’ series to suggest fishing items and techniques...
Leaders in their field (Part 1)
A leader might be just a relatively short length of line, but its diverse roles make leader use esse...
Find those fish (Part 4): Work-ups – a wild gannet chase!
Hovering, fluttering and feeding seabirds often indicate feeding predators.
Find those fish (Part 3) Closer to home
Where to fish, when and why: reading the clues the inshore environment provides.
FIND THOSE FISH (PART 1): Current favourites
Oceanic currents, temperature breaks, structure and concentrations of baitfish are key factors when ...
Calamari time
The cooler months may not suit some anglers, but they signal productive and tasty times ahead for sq...
More fish in the sea
Why aren’t we doing more to breed and release native fish? A simple question with complicated answer...
Wrigglier rubber
My advancing years and a long-time passion for soft-plastic fishing probably qualify me as a ‘vetera...
The power of movement
Finally, an overall recommendation: don’t overdo the strength of your trace: the thinner the trace d...
KNOW YOUR BAITS PART 1 – You got to move it, move it!
Dead baits might not be quite as effective as live baits, but there are ways to impart an illusion o...
Let’s stray-line!
Strayline fishing is perhaps the most effective bait fishing technique, especially for snapper. It’s...
The stray-line rig
Perhaps the simplest and probably the most effective rig for catching snapper, the stray-line rig be...
Deadly dropper rigs
Novice anglers who read last month’s Boating NZ may now be the proud owners of a new spinning outfit...
Let’s get started!
Fishing success – or lack of it – is greatly influenced by an angler’s skill level and choice of fis...












