Next Meeting Wednesday 30th July
At Waiuku Cossie Club
Meeting starts at 7.30pm
You do not need to be a Cossie Club member to attend.
All CSFC members and guests welcome. Why not come early and take advantage of the great food on offer at the Cossie Club.
Important Note: if you intend to have a meal before the meeting it would pay to book to avoid disappointment as the restaurant is very popular and often full.
ShuntersRestaurantPhone 092359131ext5
Counties Sport Fishing Club
We are a family friendly West coast club based in Waiuku, just south of Auckland. With around 1000 members, trailer boats make up the majority of our fleet. Celebrating fishing of all kinds, from the humble Gurnard to the mighty Broadbill. Club waters span from Raglan north head to Kaipara south head and include the Manukau harbour and Waikato river.
To join the club click HERE
COUNTIES
Bits & Bobs
Newsletter Editor
I’ve been doing the newsletters for nearly 8 years now, so it’s probably time for a change and to give someone else a go. I’m planning to stand down at the AGM in August. So if you would like to give it a try just contact anyone on the committee. It doesn’t need to look like it does now, you can do whatever you want to put your own look to it. All the online publishing is done automatically, all you have to do is produce a pdf file of the newsletter and ISSUU takes care of everything else. You can use whatever software you are comfortable with as long as it can create a pdf file.
AGM 2025
This years AGM will be held on the 27th of August at the Cossie club. More details closer to the day, but put the date in your diary.
Biff Ya Shit Out Surfcasting Competition
This years surfcasting competition will run from the end of December through January, which should give everyone a good chance to get out and do some surfcasting during the summer break. The competition will start on the 20th December and run through to the 26th January. Prizegiving will be held at our January club meeting on the 28th January.
Competition Winners
Back in the Classic these lucky guys won the billfish team competition when Matthew Torpey was the last man standing in the draw. Here they are enjoying their prize with High Flier Gamefishing in Kona.
Previous Newsletters
Newsletters, back to January 2018, are available online here. They have been uploaded in higher resolution then the old pdf versions were emailed out in, so the pictures especially should be better quality.
Something for the Newsletter?
We’re always looking for items to include, so if you have a fishing report, some photos, or just a good story to tell please drop me an email on kevin@nzsteele.com
Grunter Hunter
With nearly 400 entries this was another great competition. The weather was pretty good and there was some great kai to be had after a hard days fishing. This was the last year with Smudge heading the Grunter Hunter committee, so a huge thanks to him for everything he’s done to help make the competition what it is today. Don’t worry, he’s set up a great committee to carry on running the competition so next years event will no doubt be another cracker. See you all there.
Bluefin Tuna Guide
As we currently have the Barrel Bash tuna competition running here is some advice from the New Zealand Sports Fishing Council if you are going to go fishing for them.
Southern bluefin tuna in the Eastern Bay of Plenty have rekindled anglers’ interest in tuna fishing. For a number of years there were grave concerns for the species as the stock was assessed at less than 10% of the original unfished biomass. The stock is now rebuilding and this gradual resurgence is a welcome development. It also elevates the need to fish sustainably so this species can flourish in the future. Recording your catch helps monitor fishery performance. Use a catch sheet from a sport fishing club or go to fishcatch.co.nz
Offshore southern bluefin tuna fishing in winter can be challenging BE PREPARED
• Before you go fishing check your fishing and safety gear.
• This includes 2 forms of waterproof communication that will work in remote areas.
• If possible, pair up or be in communication with another vessel on offshore trips.
• Check the weather, forecasts can change. Have a plan if it gets rough.
• Take ice to keep your catch fresh.
• Fish with suitable tackle and line weight to ensure fish can be landed quickly.
• Minimise damage to the fish. Single J hooks are preferred on trolled lures. Straight circle hooks should be used when bait fishing.
• There is a daily bag limit of one bluefin tuna per person, we recommend a voluntary boat limit of one kept bluefin per day.
HANDLING RETAINED FISH
• Bring the fish aboard carefully to avoid bruising.
• Immediately dispatch the fish by administering a spike to the brain, then bleed it by making a shallow cut 3cm behind the base of the pectoral fin on each side of the fish. If you are not intending to weigh the fish, measure the length and girth then remove the gills and organs and pack the body cavity with ice. Storage in an insulated fish bag or ice chest is best. Note an estimate of the fish’s weight (kg) can be determined using the formula: Length (cm) x girth2 (cm) divided by 28922.
• If you are intending to weigh the fish for your club (Note gutted and gilled fish can still be weighed under IGFA and NZSFC rules), and it is not likely to be a record fish it is recommended you gut and gill the fish.
• Reduce wastage by learning how to fillet southern bluefin tuna effectively. There are YouTube clips online. Watch here
• These are valuable fish from a stock that needs to rebuild, so respect each fish.
• Share your catch with the crew and only keep what fish you need.
HANDLING RELEASED FISH
• A South Australian satellite tagging project shows high survival rates of southern bluefin tuna released by recreational fishers.
• To minimise stress and damage it is best not to remove the fish from the water.
• Keep the boat moving forward when the fish is alongside.
• Estimate or measure the size of the fish, this may require two people.
• If you have gamefish tags, these should be placed high on the body (angled back) by the second dorsal fin.
• If the hook can be seen and accessed, remove it with pliers or a de-hooker.
• If the hook can’t be reached cut the line close to the hook.
All the information about IGFA rules can be found in the Sport Fishing Yearbook.
Click on the photo to view it online.
NZSFC Podcast
HERE to listen to the podcasts
Pod and Reel: The NZSFC Podcast
Welcome to the Pod and Reel podcast, presented by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, a national body with over 50 affiliated clubs across New Zealand, and over 37,000 members. Since 1957, NZSFC has focussed on setting standards for responsible fishing practices, collating records, organising events like the Nationals, and supporting its affiliated fishing clubs. This podcast dives deep into the history, the people, and the clubs that make up our fishing community. We’ll explore the highs and lows of fishing and learn from mistakes made, striving to be better, safer, and smarter when we interact with the water. With 15,000 kilometres of coastline, New Zealand’s fishing history is rich with stories of the tussle between us and the sea.
Join us as we delve into these topics and more on the Pod and Reel podcast, your gateway to the world of all things fishing in New Zealand.
President Matthew Douglas
Secretary Barbara Prescott
027 5757411 fishdougie@hotmail.com
027 6938431 15bjpre@gmail.com
Treasurer Nick King 021 02887606 csfcoffice@gmail.com
Vice President Stephen Harper 021 373334 sharperuku@gmail.com
Committee Bob Hilton 027 4880563 Bob.hilton9@gmail.com
Mike Oldfield
020 41079843 biffnmell@gmail.com
Patrick Egan 021 2710533 patrick@eganbricklayers.co.nz
Shane Johnston 027 4889073 shanej@envirowater.co.nz
Bruce Sloane 2357729 027 4061581 bruzasloane@yahoo.co.nz
Phil Nicklin 027 2207775 philandces@gmail.com
Nick Murdoch 02102696635 Nick@apscivil.co.nz
Social Media Polly Eyre 0210 527 604 maizienz@hotmail.com
Fish ‘n Chicks Claire Hull
027 2043151 clairehull1316@gmail.com
Newsletters Kevin Steele 021 2301917 kevin@nzsteele.com
Head Weighmaster Stephen Watts 2352002 021 0335145 teressawatts@slingshot.co.nz
Non Committee
Weighmasters Scott Warrender
021 626076
Pete Sellers 0210 412 943 phsellers@outlook.com
Sarah Parkinson 2356494 021 669944 Sparks.s@xtra.co.nz
Charlie Norton
021 1640300
Michael Parker 021654741
Colin Marriner 0274523991
NZFC Reps Stephen Harper 021 373334 sharperuku@gmail.com
Darin Burns 2356456 027 2224538 Darin.laura@hotmail.com
Merchandise Alvin Pacey 021 544276 allynpace@hotmail.com
Leader Board
Leader Board
LENGTH RECORDS we need a clear photo of the fish on the approved measure, which are available for $25. The photo must be of the whole fish lying on its side with the mouth touching the head of the measure. We will need details of where it was caught and the name of the angler.
