Current Lines January 2016 Issue 1

Happy New Year, and they’re off racing down the home straight for the first time, heading to the first bend, it’s Game fishing by a length, with hot summer sun and light sea breezes neck and neck, with thoughts of work bringing up the tail.  Credit card has lost its balance and the jockey is hanging on with little chance of making the winners post.

So we have survived the sticky puds, over eating, heated family discussions, general overspending and made to our holiday destinations in one piece.  The tent is set up, boat is launched and the bungs are in.  Let’s do a brief summary of the first weeks of our summer Game fishing season;

24/12/2015 – weighed in at Doves Bay,  a mighty yellow fin tuna for the “Foxy Lady” team weighing in at 85.5kg a very nice looking fish indeed.

26/12/2015 – Major Tom II on a family fishing trip, a nice yellowfin on stand up gear for Skipper Geoff’s daughter Cat. Weighing 21.05 kg and just 0.25 kg off the club pin. Two other yellowfin were caught on Big Business weighing 30.4 & 21.4 kg. “Shall We” fishing out from the Manukau nailed a 142.4kg Striped marlin, two on board, a good day and a good result. Out from Whakatane a short billed spearfish was caught by Sean Wilson on the boat “L A” A broadbill was weighed by Tony Brown fishing from “In Pursuit” weighing 161.5kg

27/12/2015 – father and son team head out and return with a 203.1kg blue marlin, the boat “J D” did the trick for them. Up and coming junior angler Charlie Rowe weighed in a nice yellowfin tuna weighing 18kg caught on 15kg line.  Charlie is following a fishing family tradition, well done. Far North boat Baru with Vance and Karen from the Mount went out for a trial run and came back into Houhora to courtesy weigh a striped marlin weighing 79.8kg. A yellow fin weighed in at Whangaroa weighed 77kg, still looking for the photos online for this impressive fish. Moet weighed in the first mahimahi this season for the Ahipara club at 5.4kg caught by Jessica Matthews.  She also weighed her first yellow fin at 19.15kg on a family trip aboard “Moet”.

29/12/2015 – from Waihau Bay, our first yellowfin courtesy weighed for the Counties boys fishing on Reel Busy, weighing in at 22.2kg. NZSFC stalwart Richard Baker, went out with son Jackson for an overnighter, hooking up after a short while trolling in the evening before looking for an anchorage for the night.  Jackson caught his first striped marlin on 15 kg line, weighing in at 73.kg the following day at Tutukaka.  Jackson is 11 years young.

30/12/2015 – Waihau bay’s first tag and released striped marlin for the club. Garry Grimes on “Attitude” was the successful combination. Tutukaka – a hectic bite with the radio going mad, t/r striped marlin about 270m between Hen & Chicks and the Knights.  Flying start t/r for toots, Matariki one to weigh at 109.4kg.  12th & 13th yellowfin recorded for the season. Tairua Pauanui – fishing has started with a weighed striped marlin in at 129.6kg

31/12/2015 – another west coast club successful angler, Clive from the Muriwai Sport Fishing Club weighed in a 147.5kg striped marlin, courtesy weighed at the Kaipara Cruising club. And then the weather turned to pudding, I mean custard. The season will be a small window of great fishing with slightly bigger windows of garbage! If you ever go to Gisborne and go out for a jigging session, be warned, a local angler caught a 107kg big eye tuna whilst jigging in 250 m looking for some fish for dinner.

A real up and down the coast report with many fish not mentioned as room ran out!   It just goes to prove there are some bigger early season striped marlin about, some real big tuna about and I still have no idea where to fish this year’s 2016 NZSFC NATIONALS.