There are plenty of skippies and albacore right in close, around 45 meters so you don’t have to go too far to pick up a nice feed.  Albacore are great to eat and out here we are picking up some really nice specimens. Skippies can be immediately bled and iced down to make superb sashimi if you cut out just the light part of the fillets.  Otherwise, of course, they are awesome fresh or frozen baits for just about all bottom feeding species.

On the way home from snapper fishing down Marakopa way, we came across plenty of action, and picked up some fantastic albies up to 9 kgs.

Snapper fishing was outstanding, and we were all done by lunch time with the average size around 6lb, so very good fishing not much by-catch.

We could see albacore tuna swimming under the boat while fishing, picking up any scraps we chucked over.

If you want to catch these on baits I would suggest using fluorocarbon leader small bait and just drift it out slowly as the have very good eye sight and it must look natural.

Even more fun are light slow pitch jigs or even smaller kingfish jigs which the albacore climb all over.

Cheers

Rob

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Rob FitzGerald is owner and skipper of Venturer Fishing Charters, operating out of Kawhia.

Venturer fishing charters

Check Venturer Fishing Charters Kawhia out on Facebook or online - www.venturerfishingcharterskawhia.co.nz

For tackle, tips and charter options contact Rob Fitzgerald.

Ph 07 8711717 or 0272544589 or email robjac@xtra.co.nz

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