february

PRESENTED BY OUR FRieND’S AT HUNTING AND FISHING NORTH SHORE

It appears we are experiencing a renaissance of yellowfin tuna this season, and the great fishing just continues with these tasty gamefish being caught in good numbers anywhere north of a line from Hawkes Bay across to Taranaki. Whatever the reason, you’ll hear no complaining from us as we witness anglers ‘topping up’ on tuna specific lures for their spreads.

They will still hit marlin lures but tuna definitely prefer slightly smaller offerings and they find sub surface lures like bibbed minnows hard to resist. Come and see the boys for what works well. We’ll rig these up correctly and show you where to run them. If you are doing any coastal cruising this summer, it would be hard to miss out on catching these stunning table fish, but make sure you are running the right gear and all your tackle is up to the task.

The striped marlin are amongst them as well and have shown up as far south as Cook Straight and even Kaikoura! The fish follow the warm water currents, so it’s obvious that good water has pushed further south this year, and long may it continue!

If you are out on the 1000m line looking for a larger blue marlin you’ll also give yourself a strong shot at catching a bigeye tuna. These are a serious proposition with the fish in all likelihood weighing in at over 100kg. They are starting to show up all around the coast at the moment, so just make sure you have lures in the water!

The West Coast from Taranaki north appears to be the hotspot, with anglers reporting marlin and tuna aplenty, which can be in just 40 metres of murky jade-green water or well out in turquoise 100-metres-plus seas. This may not be the most convenient news for launch owners but there is no denying the fish are there if you find yourself around that side of the island.

As for the table-fish anglers, it’s been a rollercoaster, with some spectacular pilchard work-ups occurring in 40-50 metres out in the Gulf, but with just a few, small snapper below them. In fact, there are usually more decent kingfish present, and I wouldn’t discount yellowfin being here either! We have heard reports of yellowfin being caught at Anchorite so you never know…

Otherwise, look for the anchovy chaos erupting all around the gulf; particularly in close. Most of the predators are kahawai, but there are also plenty of fat snapper, trevally and rat kings, not to mention and some ripper bronze whaler sharks!

Tight Lines everyone. Come and see us if you have any questions

Regards

The team at North Shore Hunting & Fishing

NORTH SHORE HUNTING & FISHING – HERE TO HELP YOU

Please call into North Shore Hunting and Fishing store (1 Holder Place, Rosedale) for any tackle advice, or give me a ring on 0278056056.

If I’m not around, introduce yourself to the fishing staff. The guys have a wealth of Knowledge and decades of experience. The fishing team consists of Mark Kitteridge (famous Kiwi angler and fishing journalist), Justin Russell, Chris Ackerman and Al Mair (who are also very experienced fishermen).

We can also advise you on where to fish and the best techniques to fish for each area. We are always happy to provide you with the latest fishing intel and show you the gear you need to ‘get out there doing it’.