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ISSUE 43 January 2015

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Tired of Catching Small Snapper? Getting sorted for offshore Yakking

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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

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Cover image: Mark Starns with his PB trev (and first on a Slow Pitch)

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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

6 www.nzfisher.co.nz

Tired of Catching Small LA

ND

BA

SED

FISH

ING

Snapper?

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 info@legasea.co.nz

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

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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

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to derrickp@espiremedia.com by ? and

you’ll be in to win an $150 voucher from

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This months winner is Owen with his

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TITI

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www.nzfisher.co.nz 23

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