"Kiwi Angler" Saltwater Fishing Adventures

Fish Species

Yellowtail Kingfish

Growing to 1.7 metres.
A large fish of northern waters, which moves south in summer months to about Banks Peninsula in the South Island. Its colour is variable in shades of grey-green to blue-green with yellow fins, particularly the tail fin, and there is a yellowish brown stripe along the sides. Its food is mostly other fishes, either bottom or surface kinds. This fantastic sportfish is caught with a variety of techniques including trolling,jigging, livebaiting from shore or boat and flyfishing. Generally the worlds largest kingfish are found in New Zealand and nearly all the world records are held here.

Snapper

Growing to 80 cm
One of the most abundant commercial species in New Zealand. It frequents any kind of bottom to about two hundred metres in depth. Its food includes a wide variety of animals, notably shellfish fastened to rocks and those living in sand and mud. Sea eggs, crabs and other fishes are also taken by Snapper. With a steep head profile, large grasping and crushing teeth, and golden-red colour with blue green spots, make this fish easy to identify. Snapper tends to be New Zealands most sought after recreational and table fish. Snapper may be caught on bait or by jigging with small lures. .

Kahawai

Growing to 80 cm
This is a predominantly northern species wandering south in summer months to Banks Peninsula and beyond. Normally this species moves in shoals of similar-sized individuals, harrying small fishes such as sardines and pilchards, although any small fishes, crabs, shrimps and squids are taken when available. It enters fresh water, at least briefly, and there takes bullies, eels, smelts and other small fish. These fine light-tackle sportfish will take a wide variety of lures and baits, and frequently jump when hooked.

John Dory

These distinctive fish are common in northern waters, and may be found in estuaries and harbours, from the shoreline down to depths of about 150m. They occasionally reach sizes in excess of half a metre in length. These thin, deep bodied predatory fish are weak swimmers, and their normal strategy is to stalk their prey head on before shooting out an incredible extending tube of a mouth to suck in an unwary victim. John dory are delicious eating, and although they fight poorly, are a welcome catch to both shore and boat fishermen. They will sometimes take small cut baits, but are most easily targeted by using any small fish as a livebait fished on the bottom. They may also be caught by jigging, with soft plastic lures particularly successful.

Tarakihi

Growing to 70 cm
Its food is mostly shrimps, small crabs, mud worms and other small animals including brittlestars. It is a silvery white fish with sometimes a brassy flush when alive, and there is a prominent dark "saddle" mark behind the head. The mouth is small, somewhat turned down, and the pectoral fin has one long ray extending back beyond the vent. A popular table species Tarakihi are targeted by boat fishers using small hooks and shellfish, squid and small cut baits. They may be caught over relatively shallow reefs in the north during winter and are also a common catch in more southern waters during the summer.

Big Game Fish

Our main focus in Big Game Fishing is Marlin, (stripped Marlin) around the Northland Coastline. There are Blues as well with the occasional Black caught.

New Zealand's big-game fishery has a worldwide reputation. Species fished include striped marlin, Pacific blue and black marlin, and broadbill swordfish. Kingfish (yellowtail), mako, hammerhead, thresher sharks and yellowfin tuna are also popular catches.