Marlin on the Catch Fishing Squidwings – he’s done it again!

We knew it was possible, a striped marlin caught on the Catch Fishing Squidwing. Solo angler Espresso showed us how to do it last year, and he’s done it again. This time going one better with two hook ups and one caught marlin last weekend.

Marlin are steadily being caught, and more as they head further south down the North Island to Taranaki for instance. There are lots of competitions around this time of year. Now is the time to try this style of fishing if you haven’t tried it before and want to give it a go. While having all the gear, such as riggers and more can be helpful, keeping it simple can work wonders too. Marlin are within reach whether you’re a Westie or an Eastsider. Some kayakers are also getting into this!

The bite should be very good as soon as this full moon passes and the high winds pass over. All it takes is to be out there simply trolling a lure or two out the back as you cruise along enjoying the scenery at 7kts. All the gear, or keeping it simple, either way a marlin or two is readily achievable on a single day trip from Auckland city for instance. This happened just last week. A jig rod trolling a couple of 200gm Squidwings out Great Barrier way resulted in two marlin hooked up and one caught on a six metre trailerboat. Simple and effective.

Skipjack Tuna

Some of these purple and silver bullets are absolute barrels! Providing thrills and spills and pointing towards bigger gamefish along the coastlines of the North Island. They’re in full on feed and bulk-up mode. The tuna are still patchy out in the Hauraki Gulf and can be very one-eyed with what they will bite a lot of the time. Try and  troll in the same direction as they are travelling, this can help hook up rates. Also have at least one lure – whether a reverse rigged microjig, or the go-to L’ll Squidwings – well out back of the bubble trail if you’re on a boat. If on a kayak, well you’ll probably have the lure out every time you’re travelling along no matter what depth, so that’s sorted.

Kingfish

Great to see so many people focusing on these big beautiful green machines, and getting their fix from their chosen style of fishing. Top water has been on fire, stick baits like the Scythe getting smashed on the first retrieve. Find the kingfish  in usual hangouts like Anchorite and Channel, although the sharks know about these locations too. You’ll also find them among the kahawai schools out from Little Barrier. There seem to be fewer sharks here. Think kingfish if you see surface or even sounder sign of kahawai school! When the kings are biting well it can pay to changeout the 2 x treble hooks that most come with to a single rear hook.

#protip: take the assist hook of a kingfish jig (like the Joker or Double Trouble) which fit and work perfectly on the Scythe. Simple, fast and highly effective.

Sharks are having their fun in the sun, easy pickings from all the obliging anglers out there presenting fish kebabs. Those struggling, restrained fish on a line just ready for eating. These are good times if you’re a sharks. However if you are an angler, be prepared for more than your share of shark tax, such is life.

Snapper

Snapper have been on the menu for many, the inner areas still a great place to snapper fish. Areas providing the goods are out from Bastion Point, Chelsea or the bottom end of Waiheke. Both to small boats and kayakers, who have the advantage of fishing nice and shallow. This is the time of year to fish these areas, and even when it’s too windy out in the gulf, many of these areas are perfectly sheltered ready and waiting. Softbait heaven.

There has been some reasonable snapper fishing out wider in the gulf within a few miles around Anchorite. Fortunately whether you cotton-on to a workup east of the cable zone or not. Great Barrier Island has been consistently providing steady snapper fishing. Out from the Pigeons and around the to Broken Islands, a great place when there’s a NE wind prevailing.

Full moon jitters are subsiding, think fishing, and go!
See you out there getting into it.
Espresso.

Catch Fishing / Wave Dancer / Extreme Boats / Honda Marine New Zealand / Savwinch Drum Winches / Isuzu Utes New Zealand Ltd / Oakley / Musto Australasia / Furuno NZ