I booked a fishing charter with Blackpearl Fishing Charters  as a Christmas present for my sons, aiming to get them onto some fish. We left Mana Marina and decided to head out for a jig for kingfish.

Upon arriving at the location, my son Mike hooked a kingfish on the first drop, which was just legal size and was released. We reset the drift, and I watched my sons try jigging for the first time, coaching them on the technique. I then decided to try out the Catch #pauapower double trouble 200-gram jig on a 7000 reel loaded with 80lb Tasline. On the second deployment, I was hit hard on the way down and reeled in a nice 106cm kingfish.

We decided to keep it as it was a good size to share. As my sons continued fishing, I offered to hook a fish and hand over the rod to them, which they eagerly accepted. Meanwhile, Jules landed a legal-sized fish but released it, and Scott hooked a good-sized fish but lost it. I managed to hook another, which I handed over to Lukah James, who thoroughly enjoyed the fight. Lukah also caught a nice snapper on a 350-gram jig, which we kept.

As our time came to an end, Jules's line screamed off with the last kingfish of the day. Overall, it was a great day out on the Blackpearl, based out of Mana in Wellington. I highly recommend them for all fishing adventures, whether targeting snapper, kingfish, hapuku, tuna, or other species. The skipper lets you choose your target and plan your trip, making for an amazing experience on a fantastic boat.

If you get a chance, give Blackpearl Fishing Charters a try. They are a super professional outfit.

Jason Grimmet.

Giant Trumpeter

The following is from Tim Norris who can be found on Instagram at NZ Wild Boy

"We ventured out to the West Coast, targeting kingfish and trumpeter off Jackson Bay with Catch jigs. Captain Nick, Ollie, Will, and I found a promising spot at a 100m pin."

"Despite a few strong hits, nothing hooked initially. We then decided to try a live bait, and on the second drop, we got a solid hit.

"While I was battling seasickness due to the rough conditions, Will was busy reeling in a tough catch.

"The fight was intense at the bottom, but once our 7000 lifted it off the seabed, it became a dead weight. The fish made several strong runs before breaking the surface, revealing its impressive size – a 15.8kg beauty, measured with guts out."

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