Hooked Up 18

HOOKED ISSUE 18 2019

up

nzsportfishing.co.nz

New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is one of the longest serving incorporated organisations representing recreational anglers.

The NZSFC was formed around the IGFA fishing rules and ethics so that a consistent standard could be set when comparing catches. The NZSFC offers additional records classes for New Zealand records beyond what IGFA offer for juniors and small-fry anglers. We have refined some of the IGFA rules to make them more suitable for our contests.

Our New Zealand based IGFA representatives keep a close liaison between IGFA and (NZSFC) and have regular input into issues that could affect New Zealand anglers. We have promoted valuable marine research that is internationally respected. This includes the game fish tagging programs for marlin, sharks, tuna and kingfish which now has a history of 17 years of information.

The Council created and continues to support the NZ Marine Research Foundation (NZMRF) for the primary purpose of conducting research on fish species benefiting our membership that could not, or will not be financed by government agencies.

Information from research carried out by the NZMRF has been very valuable when justifying our position in species management. All they have to do is remind themselves, that the majority of what the NZSFC does is for the benefit of individual members rather than equal benefits for each club.

More fish in the sea, better access, water quality, individual legal protection, record recognition, research, advocacy, fishing data collection and dissemination are all individual benefits of belonging to the NZSFC.

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CONTENTS 4 6 7 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 26

President's Report EDITOR

Fishing for a Director From the Office

Helen Pastor CONTENT ENQUIRIES Helen Pastor 027 485 3600

Club Marine Newsletter Nationals 2019

secretary@nzsportfishing.org.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Scott Taylor 021 862 579

Hourhora Boat Ramp LegaSea Update

sales@nzfishingnews.co.nz www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

Sustainability Awards Caught a Record Fish Youth Fishing Tournaments Fish Care – Seabirds Lure Lore

COVER SHOT Jackson Baker and his Kingfish

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

WELCOME TO 2019

Here’s hoping you’re all having a productive new year so far! What a start it’s been, the Bay of Plenty / Eastern Coromandel seems to be going really well with the odd good fish showing up in our North Eastern waters, for those fortunate enough to be able to go fishing when the wind isn’t blowing!

What’s really spinning my wheels at the moment is the success of the Junior Angler Tournaments, and the anglers themselves. I’ve lost track of the number of Club, National and IGFA record claims that have resulted for Juniors out of these tournaments. To see the quality of fish being landed, culminating with Madison Ross’s 302kg Blue Marlin on 15kg in the Whangarei Deep Sea Angler’s Club Arthur’s Emporium Junior Tournament.

We’ve got lots to do in the Junior and Youth fishing scene this year. We’re living in a world that is moving away from Club life and into the virtual world of social media. Our Goal needs to be to reconnect our youngsters with the physical reality of fishing in a way that satisfies their need for virtual interaction via social media.

Our opportunity lies beyond our own children but in supporting kids from single parent and possibly less privileged backgrounds. Their journey in a lifetime of sportfishing could be starting with Hiwi the Kiwi visiting their school, then equipping our clubs with the resources they need to support these kids into tournaments comps, mentorship, networks and everything else we’ve all enjoyed from being fishing club members at some stage or another. It’s exciting and complicated all at the same time.

The Minstrel has indicated he’s keen to move into retirement at some stage in the next 1-2 years so we have begun discussions with him about how we go about making sure that Hiwi the Kiwi lives on. He’s got some fantastic ideas for how his replacement can take Hiwi the Kiwi to new levels. So watch this space, and if you know somebody who might be keen to take over, let us know their details.

We also have a few key dates around these activities as well. Sport New Zealand require applications for the 2020 funding round to be submitted by the middle of this year and IGFA will be holding the Inaugural World IGFA Day. Each year, the focus of IGFA Day will be different, but for this first year, it will be focused on youth fishing education, which will be very timely – we have a lot of work to do.

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The website www.nzsportfishing.co.nz is now fully functional. There were a few glitches with device responsiveness (how the site shows up on your phone, iPad, tablet or laptop), the events calendar and the way the ‘Find a club’ page was working, which were fixed before Christmas. Have a look at the ‘Find a Club’ page, there’s a message box there that sends messages directly to your club address. Make sure that you also have all your club events listed on our calendar and event directory as well. Have a look and let us know if anything is missing or not working for you.

As I said in the last edition, we’re beefing up the skill sets of our board by co-opting board members with skills that will help guide us in areas where we don’t have enough experience. We co-opted Dirk Sieling from Whitianga already for his extensive governance and fisheries management advocacy experience.

We’re about to start advertising for our final co-opted Board member, a strategic comms professional.

These roles are particularly appealing for individuals looking to kick-off their career in Governance with a not-for-profit board. The roles are usually unpaid but cover expenses as is the case with all of our board members. We’ll be advertising this role shortly, so if you or somebody you know is a communications professional looking to get their governance career started, please send details to me at president@ nzsportfishing.co.nz Last but not least, who isn’t looking forward to the Nationals? With all this early activity, it’s got to be a doozy of a tournament this year. There’s no sponsor this year, unfortunately. Thank you Simrad and ITM for your generous support. Its all about bragging rights and the pure joy of fishing for up to eight days with friends and family. So get your time booked off and make sure your club has entry forms and everything you need for a great tournament.

Bob Gutsell

Below: Board 2018-2019 with LegaSea Lager

PRESIDENT

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Fishing for a Director with Comms Expertise POSITION DESCRIPTION The NZ Sport Fishing Council (NZSFC), headquartered in Auckland, is looking to ‘reel in’ an experienced director with public relations and communications expertise to join its volunteer board.

The Council is entering a more mature era as an organisation and is ready to ‘charter new waters’.

Its strategic plan includes big goals such as growing membership, building brand profile, lobbying government, encouraging young people into the sport, revitalising and relaunching programmes and clarifying messaging around its charitable and commercial arms.

To tackle these ‘big fish,’ the board believes it needs a governor with excellent strategic communications skills to lend guidance in this important area.

IDEAL CANDIDATE We are seeking a director with: • A passion for sportfishing • Institute of Directors membership and completion of IoD Company Directors Course • Public relations professional experience at a senior level • Experience – either volunteer or professional – in the not-for-profit sector And ideally, you will have an affinity with the sport of fishing at some level.

This is an unpaid position. The applicant is expected to prepare for and attend five, five-hourlong quarterly board meetings per year, the two-day conference in September, and monthly two-hour communications sub-committee teleconferences (up to 50 hours in total annually). Board meetings are held quarterly and in Auckland.

Applicants from across New Zealand are encouraged to apply. All travel and other expenses related to meeting attendance are reimbursed.

ORGANISATION BACKGROUND New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is the oldest incorporated organisation representing recreational anglers. It is a national body consisting of 55 affiliated clubs, who represent 35,000 members nationwide.

The Council also plays an active role in fisheries management and research.

The organisation runs numerous sport fishing events across the country. It also developed and manages a nationwide educational programme for school children known as Hiwi the Kiwi.

The Council’s fundraising and public outreach arm is LegaSea.

APPLY If we’ve managed to ‘lure’ you in with the above description, to ‘hook’ an interview with

our President, please submit a CV with details of governance experience and a covering letter to:

Bob Gutsell (President) President@NZSportfishing.co.nz Ph 021 750 562 for details Applications close on 28 February

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FROM THE OFFICE

After such a wonderful summer it is hard to get back to the computer!. It’s not often you get weather so good that your yacht has to motor all the way to Great Barrier Island with the sun shades up and then all the way home again!! I hope you all had a great Christmas break chasing those elusive fish.

I have now had a year in this position with a complete run-through of most of the jobs involved in the administration of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. I must say that I have been very impressed with the level of commitment and passion our member clubs have to their clubs and the support of the Council. I know it is very hard at times to gather, volunteers, our organisations seem to have a large group of devoted volunteers throughout the country who are committed to their sport and protecting the fishery for the future.

I had my first Nationals competition last February, which was a big couple of weeks, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite initially a large amount of apprehension! Now we are gearing up for another one and I hope you are all ready and keen to join in the fun and be the winning team, that is if the weather will allow it.

All the information and entry forms are on the webpage under our events www.nzsportfishing.co.nz/our-events/2019-nationals Just a reminder to clubs and weighmasters that clubs need to be fully paid up members of NZ Sport Fishing Council if they wish to participate in the Nationals and all club scales need to be certified and evidence forwarded to me prior to the event.

Measure boards are available from the office at cost price or you can purchase them at any Burnsco store for $25.00. Please remember to order your tags in plenty of time so that you will have a good supply for Nationals week.

Could all the clubs please send me their Nationals trophies from last year, prior to the start of this years’ nationals, so that I can have them all sorted and ready to send out as soon as possible after the Tournament. This should avoid clubs having to chase them up.

The Annual General Meeting will be held this year in Wellington hosted by the Mana Cruising Club and Wellington Surfcasting and Angling Club. The dates for the AGM are the 20th and 21st of September 2019. I will be getting information to all the clubs about this shortly, with information about accommodation in the area. We hope to have an AGM booklet again this year for the delegates. I’m looking forward to meeting you all again this year in Wellington.

Hope you all have a great Nationals,

Helen Pastor

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insurance is insurance right?

Generally, the only time you see a real value in your insurance policy is during claim time if you, unfortunately, have an incident or loss. Insurance tends to be a ‘set & forget’ process and more often than not you may not realise what it is you are actually covered for. Like boats & cars etc, insurance can differ in policy offering from insurer to insurer and it is vital that you know what you are buying, imagine paying for a 300hp v8 outboard and getting a 30hp 2 stroke instead!

Club Marine has set out to offer more than just an insurance policy. Aside from covering your vessel Club has recently launched Member Benefits, offering selected discounts to a number of Marine related suppliers and services around Australasia. This offering is automatically available to all members (You’re not a client or policy holder with Club Marine, you are a member of Club) and they are actively adding to the offering as more organisations join.

Club Members automatically receive Club Marine Assist which gives you 24/7 access to help, advice, directions or services while on land or in the water. Want to know where the closest Marina is? Lost your electrics and need to know who the closest repairer is to you? Call the 0800 number free of charge and get access to necessary info right away. Club Marine Assist also provides vehicle and trailer assistance if you get stuck on the side of the road whilst towing your vessel. Jump-starting a flat battery, changing a tyre, providing emergency fuel, or arranging a tow to a place of repair* is all part of this service.

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There are some unique benefits a Club Marine Insurance policy offers, some of these are: Wide Geographical Coverage Your vessel is insured up to 250nm off any coast in New Zealand.

Coverage for your Fishing Gear Automatically includes fishing gear, skiing, and diving equipment on your vessel and whilst in use. Up to $500 per item, and up to $5,000 in total** Lay-up Discounts: If you don’t use your boat over the winter months you can elect certain months ‘lay up’ whilst still having cover from events such as fire and theft when its sitting in the driveway, or whilst towed to a service centre or repairer.

If you change your mind you just need to let us know prior and pay the applicable premium.

Coverage for Loss of Entry Fees Club Marine will also cover you for loss of entry fees that are not refundable and paid by you and your crew up to $1,000 should a claim under the Policy cause you to withdraw from a fishing tournament or yacht racing event. (Note the cover provided by this benefit will only be paid if the loss or damage sustained by your Boat necessitates your withdrawal prior to the commencement of the event, and no Excess will apply for these lost entry fees).

Automatic tender cover for Launches We’ll automatically extend your launch cover to include your tender, including your choice of optional covers like observers’ and water skiers’ cover.

CLUB MARINE & NZ SPORT FISHING Club Marine is delighted to partner with NZSFC again for 2019, which continues to offer a rebate for your local Sport Fishing club when you sign up or renew your cover. You just need to put your local club’s code in the Promo Code field when signing up or renewing your policy online or by phone.

This rebate goes directly to your local club to assist in the ongoing development of the club and future fishing events. The rebate offered is 15% of the total premium for new policies and 10% on renewal thereafter. It is an excellent way for your club to earn extra income to provide new or upgraded facilities, events or support to its members.

To find your local Club’s code please visit the Club Marine page on the NZSFC website via the link below: http://www.nzsportfishing.co.nz/about/member-benefits-club-marine Club Marine is run by boaties for boaties. We are one of NZ’s only dedicated pleasure craft insurer’s and like you, we live and breathe life out on the water and everything that goes with it. Club Marine has been providing insurance in New Zealand for over 30 years and aims to be NZ’s most trusted marine insurer.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLUB MARINE PLEASE VISIT www.clubmarine.co.nz or call 0800 11 CLUB (2582) *

Please visit clubmarine.co.nz/memberbenefits to view the full range of benefits available and any sub limits for certain events. ** Proof of purchase or current photo of the items may be required during a claim.

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2019 sees the running of the 63rd New Zealand Sport Fishing Council National Tournament which starts on the 16th of February and ends on the 23rd of February 2019. Up to 1600 anglers from across New Zealand and internationally, compete, fishing from one end of New Zealand to the other and on boat coasts, for all manner of sport fish from snapper to sharks and marlin.

The tournament runs a point system which gives anglers the opportunity to fish for line weight records but also to tag and release. Last year over 350 fish were tagged and released. The NZ Sport Fishing Council supports tagging to enable us to get a more accurate number of species of fish in our waters and this information is collated by Blue Water Marine Research and our foundation the NZ Marine Research Foundation uses it to support their research.

The tournament starts with most anglers registering and attending a briefing at their Clubs before the tournament, then they’re off with some choosing to do day trips in trailer boats while larger boats will disappear for multiple days until they have a fish to weigh.

Anglers of all ages fish hard for 8 days for 32 National Trophies for teams and individual anglers.

It’s an amazing week of Fishing for New Zealand which results in some outstanding captures and New Zealand records.

One exciting thing about the Nationals Tournament is that it can be run alongside club events.

Often clubs have tournaments organised at the same time as the Nationals, so Anglers have been able to enter both events and fish in the two competitions.

International anglers can enter by contacting their fellow anglers in New Zealand or by contacting the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council.

Fishing recently for large snapper and trevally on the light line classes, bode well for the Nationals in just over 4 weeks’ time.

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NATIONALS

2019 16-23 FEBRUARY

Entry $25 per angler Fish anywhere in NZ NZ Championship awards at stake Enter via your affiliated fishing club.

For full details and terms and conditions visit

www.nzsportfishing.org.nz

Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club

NEW BARRIER ARM ON THE RAMP

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Love it or hate it - the new ramp gate at Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club is up and it is already proving an asset for those boaties launching and retrieving at the club jetty.

The barrier arm has been installed so the club can maintain the boat ramp, jetty and erosion protection area for all users.

For those heading up this way for the holidays, looking to casually use the ramp, you will need gold coins. There is a cost of $5 to launch and $5 to retrieve. There is no eftpos available. Alternatively, you can join the club as a senior member for $70 and tag bond of $20.

Fully paid senior members of the Club who need to access the boat ramp or jetty have an option of entry through the barrier arm using a car windscreen tag label. The “tag” will activate the barrier arm to open automatically when in proximity of the barrier arm scanner. Tags have been designed for members who launch trailer boats or require the use of the jetty to load or unload other marine craft, launches, yachts.

People are still able to enjoy the wharf and jetty via access by the footpath next to the St Johns building.

Conditions for Tag Users: • A bond of $20 per card required is required to cover the purchase price of the tag to the club.

• Only one tag per fully paid senior membership per boat.

• A ll members will be required to register their boat and trailer details with the club prior to receiving a tag pass. To pick up tag please contact the club, 09 4097 7755 or email: fish.houhora@xtra. co.nz • Tags are not available to social members or for junior memberships.

• M embership renewal for 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 financial year and tag card collection will be available from the fishing club unless other arrangements have been made.

• C asual users: Will need to insert $5 of coins to open the barrier arm, no change is given. (Gold coins only) There is no charge to exit the ramp and wharf area, the arm will open automatically when leaving these areas.

BE AWARE SECURITY CAMERAS ARE IN OPERATION AT ALL TIMES 13  www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

LEGASEA UPDATE KAI IKA A WINNER ON MANY LEVELS When two worlds collide the results can be catastrophic when it comes to the Kai Ika project it is an outright success. In just two years over 24,000 kilos of fish parts that were previously wasted have been rescued and shared as food with needy families in South Auckland. Kai Ika is so successful that people and organisations from around Aotearoa are lining up to get on board. LegaSea is celebrating because Kai Ika is utilisation and conservation at its finest. And it’s a winner.

Kai Ika was hatched as part of the broader FishCare scheme to minimise waste and reduce peoples’ impact on the marine environment. In October last year, Kai Ika was nominated as a finalist in the Transforming Food category of the NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards 2018.

At the Awards dinner in November Kai Ika received a commendation award and everyone involved are stoked.

In 2016 LegaSea worked with the Outboard Boating Club of Auckland (OBC) and Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae in Mangere to develop a programme to better use leftover fish parts after club members had removed the fillets. Those parts were destined for the landfill, one skip full at a time.

The OBC now collects and sorts the fish heads, frames, and offal, then Marae volunteers collect and distribute the food to an appreciative South Auckland community.

Since September 2016 over 24,000 kilos of this rangatira kai, or ‘chief’s food’ has been shared.

The offal is not wasted either. It is separated and used as fertiliser in the Marae’s community gardens. The Marae encourages needy families to learn how to grow nourishing food as a substitute for unhealthy fast foods. At least 80,000 kumara and other vegetables have been grown and distributed by the Marae to families, community and church groups.

Two years on and Westhaven, the largest marina in the country, has committed to resourcing filleting and collection stations for returning fishers with unwanted fish parts. LegaSea has engaged Bjorn Battaerd to manage the expansion as the demand has increased beyond our capacity. Fundraising is also underway.

LegaSea is grateful to all the supporters and sponsors of Kai Ika, without whom this project would not be a success. Thanks also to The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation who contributed to the cause by funding a refrigerated truck to transport the rangatira kai from the OBC and donor collection stations to Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae.

Until recently, those involved in Kai Ika were distinctly separate communities struggling on their own to deal with wastage and reducing their environmental impact. By working together on this project, they have proven that taking a step into another man’s world can be beneficial for everyone involved and the environment.

Kai Ika is a masterstroke on many levels and LegaSea appreciates the ongoing support from the NZSFC clubs for this initiative.

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LEGASEA’S SAM WOOLFORD SAYS, LegaSea is proud to be part of this innovative project which recognises the fish heads and frames for what they are – a true delicacy.

Working alongside organisations like OBC, Westhaven Marina and Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae is inspirational.

Their leadership and commitment to The Kai Ika Project and each other gives me confidence that together we can have a positive impact on our marine environment and our community.

THE KAI IKA HEALTHY FOOD AND WASTE MINIMISATION PROJECT WINS COMMENDATION AT NZ’S TOP SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS The Kai Ika food project has won a Commendation at the 2018 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards in the ‘Transforming Food’ category. The initiative sees fish heads and frames from Central Auckland’s Outboard Boating Club (OBC) recreational fishermen being contributed to the Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae Healthy Food Programme in Mangere.

Running for 16 years, these are the pre-eminent sustainability awards in New Zealand. They were presented at a black-tie ceremony on Auckland’s waterfront on Thursday 22 November.

The Kai Ika project is a partnership between the OBC, LegaSea and Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae in Mangere. Since its introduction in 2016, the club’s specially constructed fish filleting facility has provided 21,000kg of fish heads(regarded as Rangatira Kai ‘chiefly food’ by Maori) along with fish frames and offal to the marae for its healthy food programme.

The fish heads and tails are distributed to local families, churches, soup kitchens and other marae in South Auckland while fish offal is used to fertilise the marae’s growing vegetable gardens which include kumara, kale, rocket, beans, chillies and herbs.

OBC Commodore, Bill Berry, says the 2000 members of our club are very proud of their involvement in the Kai Ika project through its fish filleting facilities which are an important part of the club’s sustainability goals. “Our members play a valuable role by filleting fish on site and collecting the heads, frames and offal for distribution to the marae. This provides a winning environmental solution to the disposal of fish waste by turning it into a social benefit.”

Having been run so successfully as a pilot at the OBC, the Kai Ika Project continues to grow and LegaSea, which represents the NZ Sports Fishing Council, plans to expand the Kai Ika project in Auckland through the support of Westhaven Marina and in Wellington through the Mana Cruising Club and local iwi.

We are very proud of this project as it grows from strength to strength. Well done, team.

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SO YOU THINK YOU CAUGHT A RECORD FISH?

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Frequently, on Facebook, I see outstanding catches, some of which are lauded as potential New Zealand or even world records. Sadly, some people prioritise telling everybody about their catch over completing the process required to have it recognised as it deserves to be. Here are some tips on how to make your record claim a success.

Firstly, make sure your gear is compliant with the equipment regulations and that you fish strictly according to the IGFA and NZSFC angling rules. What you see on television frequently does not comply. This is perfectly fine for food and fun fishing of course, but if you want to make a record claim then you must do everything according to the book. If you want to take a record off someone else, then ethically you need to comply with the rules.

NZ Record applications are free to affiliated members of NZSFC but cost $150 for non-members; one of the benefits of belonging to a club. World record applications cost $US50 for IGFA members and $US80 for non-members. Successful World record applications automatically become NZ Records as well once they are advised by IGFA, where both organisations recognise the species concerned.

Remember, the job is not finished until the paperwork is done. Claim forms are available from the NZSFC website or from the clubs themselves, where your fish will most likely be weighed. Club weighmasters and/or officials will be able to assist you in filling out the forms and checking that your gear complies with the requirements. This is another very good reason for belonging to a club in the first place. Club membership also entitles you to a copy of the excellent NZSFC Yearbook, which contains everything you need to know including the rules, a copy of the record application form and a checklist to follow for making a claim.

Once you have completed the claim form, it must be witnessed by a JP or anyone else authorised to witness a statutory declaration, including IGFA Representatives.

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There is a strict time limit for all claims. NZ claims must be received within 60 days to be considered. World record line class claims have three months to be received in the USA if the fish was caught outside that country.

Photographs are required to accompany the claim. These can be printed or in digital form such as a memory stick. The minimum photographic requirements are: one showing the full length of the fish hanging up and one lying flat on its side on the ground, showing all the fins clearly; the fishing gear used to catch the fish; and a photo of the lure used if it is not included with the claim. A photo of the scales used is also required.

In New Zealand, we recognise line class claims for junior anglers, exactly the same as we do for senior anglers. IGFA recognise only all-tackle claims for each species for male and female small-fry and junior anglers. While NZSFC recognises a total of 29 marine sport fish for record purposes, IGFA recognises hundreds, and the logistical challenge of accepting small-fry and junior claims for every line class is simply too big to be possible.

Line samples are required for all claims. The requirements are the same for NZ or World records: 15 metres of the line attached to the trace as used in the capture. Please note that the line sample must be in a form that is easily unwound, either on a piece of cardboard or a spool.

Line that is tangled or cannot be unrolled without tangling may be rejected, along with your claim. You do not have to include the lure if one was used. Cut the trace diagonally at the hook end, and include a photograph of the lure showing the placement of the hook or hooks within the skirt.

Good luck with your fishing!

FOR MORE INFORMATION NZSFC Records Officer 027 4991136 petesaul@xtra.co.nz www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

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junior champions The start of 2019 has shown huge promise for sport fishing in New Zealand with a number of junior tournaments showcasing some amazing albeit small, talent, in stature and age. Two of our Northland clubs had very successful tournaments in the first two weeks of January.

The Bay of Islands Swordfish Club Juniors Tournament was held on the 5th and 6th of January 2019.

The weather pattern for the weekend was perfect, sunshine and no wind for two days. It all started on Friday 4 January with briefing – 23 teams and 66 anglers. Saturday started slowly but at 9:45 Nammu called in their hook up - angler Makenzie Avery (aged 7) tagged and released a striped marlin (est. weight 65kg) after a 30-minute battle. akenzie Avery on the road M aboard NAMMU

Next on the board was Adrenaline, angler Jorja van den Broek was hooked up and eventually landed a shortbill spearfish on 24kg, weighing 17.55kg. Then things started to get busy, with anglers landing kahawai, kingfish and snapper.

The crew from ADRENALINE with one of their catch 20  www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

JUNIOR CHAMPIONS

Special mention must go to team Argo – Ella and Tyler Davey caught a lot of kahawai and snapper on light gear. The team Kraken It - Emma and Nate Peary from Hawkes Bay for a good haul of snapper. The team on Swallow – Aidan and Piper Tervit – caught some great kahawai and kingfish. Just on lunchtime, Polynesian Princess called in a hooked up, after 30 minutes their blue marlin threw the hook.

Ella and Tyler Davey, weigh in their snapper, all caught aboard Argo

Sunday was another fabulous day weather-wise. Fishing started slowly but by 8:00 am the snapper started to bite. Team Chopper called in a hook up, 15 minutes later Zeke Hollister tagged and released a shortbill spearfish (est. weight 18kg). Many more snapper were caught throughout the day. Angler Ella Davey took out lead honours with a pending NZ National small fry record for a 4.5kg snapper on 4kg line.

Z eke and his crewmates with a shortbill spearfish, estimated to weigh 18kg

Two sharks were entered, both of which were tagged and released – Braxton Thomson on Rockstar caught a blue shark (est. weight 50kg on 4kg line), with Aidan Tervit on Swallow tagging and releasing the second shark.

Things went quiet mid-afternoon, so the call went out to all boats that no tuna had been caught!

Brad Rowe on Chopper put out two 8kg setups, soon after the call came in of a double hook up.

Two nice albacore had been landed, the heaviest went to Lindi Rowe with a 5.10kg fish. Samantha Thomas on Odyssey caught 5.25kg mahimahi on 15kg.

All of the small fry and junior anglers had a wonderful weekend catching snapper, kahawai and kingfish. A fantastic effort by all of our youngest anglers.

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Junior anglers at Bay of Islands Swordfish Club

BOISC JUNIORS TOURNAMENT WEIGH COUNT WEIGHED Albacore

2

Kahawai

8

Mahimahi

1

Shortbill spearfish

1

Kingfish

2

Snapper

20 TAG & RELEASE

Albacore

2

Kahawai

1

Mahimahi

1

Shortbill spearfish

1

Kingfish

1

Snapper

34

On the 12th and 13th of January Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club ran their Arthur’s Emporium Tutukaka Junior Tournament.

Once again, this tournament provided a great incentive for the kids to get out there and give fishing a go. The ever-generous key sponsor, Arthurs Emporium, put up not one, but two iPhone 8 Plus smartphones and a quad bike as lead prizes.

Second equal in points-based game/shark section went to small fry angler Alexis Pulham on Tutu Iti and Fraser Donaldson and Taine Donaldson both fishing on Bwana II – all with 90 points. Taking out first place in this section was Blake Hay on Bwana II with a grand total of 180 points for his five tagged mako sharks and one tagged bronze whaler, the latter of which was estimated at 250kg. Blake very happily stepped up to receive his iPhone 8 Plus and latest fish phone cover from Salt Water Connection. for the junior angler most points in the shark section, kindly donated by Arthurs Emporium.

In the tagged yellowtail section (for small fry anglers only) second place was shared between Kye Mackinnon fishing on Tribal and Dylan Bot on TNT, both of whom tagged yellowtail. It was Alexis Pulham fishing with Dad on Tutu Iti who took out first place with three tagged kingfish – an excellent weekend’s fishing for 8-year-old “Lexi” who has been a member of our club since the day she was born!

The shortbill spearfish section saw Cameron Pattison on Lady Jess take out sixth with his 13.80kg fish, fifth went to Dylan Bot on TNT with a 15kg fish (a pending small fry club and NZ record) and fourth place went to older brother Kurtis Bot on GPS with his 17.8kg shortbill

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JUNIOR CHAMPIONS

iley Gibson caught this 173.2kg blue R marlin aboard HOOKED YA

(a pending Junior Club record on 15kg line). Amelia Attwood continued her great fishing weekend coming in third with a 20.4kg fish, runner up was Joel Collinson on Ikanui with a fine 22.2kg specimen (a pending small fry club record) and taking out the first place was Caleb Taylor on Voi with a mighty 26kg shortbill spearfish (a pending junior club record).

The tag and release marlin section was won jointly by junior anglers Jacob Lowther fishing on Ngaio and Layne Collinson on Ikanui – each tagging one striped marlin.

In the heaviest marlin section, fourth place went to small fry angler Lynx Attwood fishing on Keeper with a 78kg stripey while third place went to Kurtis Bot on GPS with a 97kg fish.

Second place belonged to small fry angler Riley Gibson with a beautiful 173.2kg blue marlin caught on 24kg. This fish earned Riley 173.2 points to ride away with the quad bike as the small fry angler with the most points across marlin, shark and yellowtail a big effort, which includes a pending small fry club record.

Another big thanks to Arthurs Emporium for their generous donations. adison Ross’s blue marlin weighed 302kg, M and is a pending club, New Zealand and world record

WHANGAREI DEEP SEA ANGLERS CLUB JUNIORS TOURNAMENT WEIGH COUNT WEIGHED

First place in the heaviest marlin section went to a mighty blue marlin landed by Madison Ross fishing on GPS – a pending junior club, NZ and world record fish no less!

Madison’s fish landed on just 15kg line, weighed in at 302kg. A mighty fish and a mighty effort by 16-year-old Madison who took home the second iPhone 8 Plus for the junior angler with the most points in the marlin section.

Madison was also deservedly awarded the Barbara & Fred Cotterill Trophy for the most meritorious catch.

Yellowtail kingfish

5

Mako shark

11

Bronze whaler

1

Blue shark

3

Shortbill spearfish

6

Striped marlin

2

Blue marlin

2

TAG & RELEASE Striped marlin

2

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FISH CARE

seabirds

are an angler’s best friend It’s often said that a man’s best friend is a dog, but when it comes to fishing nothing beats seabirds. Circling or diving seabirds are good indicators that life is not far below the water’s surface.

Fishers get excited when the birds are “working” and will often head towards the action to join in the marauding.

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FISH CARE

Seabirds use their excellent sense of smell and sharp eyesight to spot “meatballs”- tight swarms of baitfish being driven to the surface by bigger predators such as kahawai and kingfish. In the warmer months, these meatballs can be accompanied by larger hunters such as marlin, tuna and other pelagics.

New Zealand has more types of breeding seabirds than anywhere else in the world, and some of them are rarer than our kiwi. On the east coast of the North Island, it is common practice for fishers to spend a whole day chasing “working birds” and schooling fish. It is this interaction between humans and seabirds that can lead to their demise.

Seabirds can get tangled in fishing line and nets or caught on hooks, and if a breeding adult is injured or killed its chick will die of starvation.

And just like an undersized fish, the way you treat a hooked seabird can make all the difference to its survival. Fortunately, the gear you use to release a seabird is very similar to the gear we use when fishing so it is up to fishers to learn some simple techniques.

Making small changes to the way we all fish can make a big difference to seabird survival rates, and you might catch more fish too.

SEABIRD SURVIVAL TIPS 1. Fish tidy. Clean the decks and put any scraps or bait in a bucket or bins.

2. Fish fast. Use a heavy sinker on your rig to quickly get the bait past diving seabirds.

3. Bait choice is important. Change the size or type of bait, soft baits tend to be less attractive than fleshy baits.

4. Burley well below the birds. Sink burley containers deep, below the birds and closer to the fish.

5. Deter birds from your gear. Create a ‘safe zone’ around your fishing area using streamers or a quick, regular blast of the deck hose.

6. Move on. If the birds are not deterred from your gear take a break or move to another spot.

7. Fish at either end of the day. There are fewer birds around at night or early morning.

8. Be mindful of where you fish. Move away from seabird colonies and their feeding paths.

9. Read the Safe Release Seabird Guidelines issued by Southern Seabird Solutions Trust to learn: a) How to de-hook a captured bird. b) What to do if a bird has swallowed a hook.

Seabirds are nature’s fish finders and a Kiwi anger’s best friend. Let’s do our best to look after our seabirds and marine environment.

MORE INFORMATION www.fishcare.co.nz LegaSea: www.legasea.co.nz 0800 LEGASEA (534 273) Southern Seabirds: www.southernseabirds.org Wildlife emergencies: 0800 DOCHOT (362 468) 25  www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

Lure lore,

LURE-OLOGY 101 What makes a good lure great?

By a JAFA (Just Another Fanatical Angler)

Not all lures are created equal.

Some come from prominent craftsmen with long histories of catching respectable fish, while others are homemade in a man-cave, that have proven their worth after only minutes of being in the water.

With the hundred of lures we fisherman are guilty of buying, there are also those that will never see the light of day, and are left to gather dust in the bottom of your lure bag.

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My partner in this crime was KC, my new cat. She watched me lay the lures our on the floor paying real attention. I could almost hear doctor McKay from Star trek yelling “good god man, do you know what you are doing?”

All game fishing club-areas have their local lure maker, whether it’s a big scale production or small operation. Some lures start out in a local fishery and are spread up and down the coast, either by the travelling anglers or salesmen.

I always check out the local tackle

Cat looking less than amused but watching intently

shops on my travels, sometimes I buy a lure or two depending on what I have read and seen online or at the weigh stations. For a lure to become great or have local legend status conferred upon it, it first must catch the fisherman’s eye, then be allowed to be integrated within the proven lure pattern. Then lastly it must catch many fish from as many local boats as possible for the rumours to start and the legend begins.

These lures have achieved cult status from Whangaroa in the north to Waihau Bay in the east.

One of my favourite lures that has caught fish in all positions on many boats is the ubiquitous “Ghost”. I have many manifestations of this lure from the original to same colours different heads to suit any occasion.

Everything from kingfish, albacore, yellowfin, bigeye to striped blue & black marlin and the unsung hero the short-billed spearfish have been caught on the ghost.

My many ghostly apparitions 27  www.nzsportfishing.co.nz

My bucket list lures

So now your collection is numerous, all proven fish magnets, yet you only run four or five at a time so why do you have a bucket full, just in case you say.

So, you were out there and “wham, bang”, and you’ve lost your lure to a monster fish. Your best lure is gone, but not forgotten. You check the lure bags and find the same head but different skirts, and the right skirts on different heads.

Undressed lure heads oh where do we start.

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The end results

My go bag starters

So, in my day bag I have a Ghost original & Bob Schneider gold under Mrs Palmer skirt, for the long rigger; large tube fruit salad & Joe Yee super plunger for long corner; Broadbill Old Blue mauve baitfish colour & Pakula Mrs Palmer over orange a combo on shotgun; Bonze Argonaut Gay Bob & Black Bart Hawaiian breakfast translucent squid for the short corner; lastly a Bob Schneider large Apollo blue white and a Multistrike blue evil on the short rigger, plus a dozen or so smaller lures 200mm or less. While I was putting my day bag lures away something triggered this response from KC.

By now you come to realise there is no such thing as a bad lure, maybe bad purchases based on hearsay or misplaced loyalty. Any lure on any day may produce that never to be forgotten strike and trophy fish. The only lures that don’t catch fish are dry ones that never see the light of day, another man’s ugly lure will be someone else’s favourite. Just like any team selectors, there will be a rotation policy with just one or two lures subbed out from the spots that don’t regularly catch in the hope of getting the bite. You will never have enough lures as new ones are numerous, with new colours, old models that get re-invented. I have bullets, sprockets, plungers, doorknobs, marlin magic, Jill Grey specials, stealth, trophy, Zucker, swimmers, Rudy’s, pushers, slants, Kona swimmers, old blues, jets, and still more. My oldest lure is from the late 1950s, my newest lure a red gill. And lastly the cricket is over, I have been asked to get them out of the lounge and K.C “what are you still playing with your toys, make your mind up! just sorting out my monster lures for that ever evasive big one”!

Big monsta lures

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happy fishing & goodluck with the season