Current Lines 8th January 2013

‘Celebrate Good Times, Come on’, ‘Let the Good Times Roll’. Just a couple of great songs to signify the game fish season has started in earnest this time. With marlin seen West Coast Manukau, Doubtless Bay 240 Knuckle, Whangaroa, Cape Brett 160m, Tutukaka, Whangamata, Tauranga SW Mayor, Raglan 120m, Waihau Bay 150m and Lottin point. Water temperatures are now just over the magical 20 degrees

The first marlin for the 2012-2013 season goes to a tagged marlin – tagged by Steve Angus on the 28^th December 2012 at 10.30 am at Cape Karikari. Steve is a member of the Doubtless Bay Sportfishing Club Inc and had the following comments: “Yes I managed to get lucky this morning and tagged a nice stripy est. 90kg in 240m off Knuckle point. Nice water best temp 21.8 deg, not much life but heaps of bait showing deep, and yes there was a local boat lost a big yellowfin at the boat not more than 1 mile from my fish GPS mark, so worth a look for anyone coming up this way, tried to get the wife out of bed at 6am but was told to go away so I did, and look what I found! Lucky Perhaps?”

And the first marlin weighed was on the 29^th December 2012 and was a Striped Marlin weighed at Waihau Bay at 10.45 am for Jamie Lee, Whangamata Ocean Sports Club member weighing in at 108 kg on 24 kg line from the vessel Strictly Business. Also today a second marlin was tagged from the Enchanter at 07.30 in 150 m of water off Lottin Point.

There was a marlin lost on the 27^th so it is starting to happen with several yellowfin being lost at the boat, one must assume stage fright from those involved.

John Peck from the Mt Maunganui Sportfishing Club, tagged a marlin on the 29^th December at Whangaparaoa, while Great Barrier Island opened their marlin account on the 30^th with a marlin tagged out wide of the needles area, also a good bit of gossip from Port Waikato with a small one weighed.

Tauranga reported their first marlin weighed on the 1^st January 2013, a 114.30 kg Stripey caught by Dallas Numa and Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club has started with a roar. On the 1^st they reported a marlin tagged and released between the Knights and the Chicks, a large area of ocean indeed. On the 2^nd they had two blue marlin reported in. The first was courtesy weighed at Whangaroa caught in 160m of water off Flat Island by angler Simon Noakes weighing 228.7 kg, a good early blue marlin in any waters. Not to be outdone Tutukaka local vessel ‘Bosca’,  the Ngunguru locals the Douglass’s, went out wide for a look, and they found a nice blue marlin in 240 m of water off Elliotts Bay, (North of the Knights by a country mile). With dad on the helm, son Danny fought and landed the 291 kg beast - the pin has been set high.

Raglan has just reported their first marlin for the season, angler Darryn Bennett fishing off the vessel Latitude weighed a respectable 125 kg marlin on the 5^th.

With this season starting and another tropical cyclone on its way, let’s take some time to reflect on last season’s international award winners, in what can only be described as fishing’s high performance athletes Scott and Sue Tindale. The IGFA TOP TEN for the 2012 season is out. Some of the results ...Sue - First place Female Saltwater Angler w/ 40 World records, - First place Female Fly rod Angler w/ 29 World records, - Female Angler of the year with 71 World records total. With husband Scott - First place in Captains/Guides category, - First place Male fly rod Angler w/ 6 World records, - Second place Male Saltwater Angler w/ 15 World records. Well done to the anglers and crew for this exemplary effort.

Editor

NZSFC