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Whether to use a long trace, a sinker on the bottom, a floating bait or a soft bait; these are the questions facing the snapper fisherman every time he heads out on to the water. Geoff Thomas looks at the different methods and the tackle and when we use them.

You are faced with hiking over a steep hill to reach a rock platform, but what gear should you carry? How do you work the berley and how do you catch bait for livies?

Heading to a new fishing destination can be both daunting and exciting; for a lot of us fisher people it can be easy to keep returning time and time again to the same location where we have had success in the past.

They go by various names, but the humble gurnard rate highly in some fishermen’s eyes. They can be suicidal, and they can be maddeningly fickle. But when winter arrives on the Manukau Harbour the gurnard fishermen get out the light rods and the flasher rigs and prepare for one of the greatest little fishing contests in the country.

Slidebaiting, or sliding, is relatively new to New Zealand. The simplest way to explain what slidebaiting is, is to take the name literally.

I guess whenever you do something for long enough you begin to get a bit stale on it. The initial thrill wears off and the novelty wanes.

Many are quick to dismiss Auckland’s West Coast and the Manukau Harbour but, as Mike Parker explains, there’s hot action to be found. Most fishers opt for the warmer months to go fishing and spring is when many start to think about fishing again.

Hey Swish, how did you get on?” “Bit slow but still got six nice snapper.”

For many anglers the complexities of consistent and productive fishing are a mystery.

A beginner’s guide to achieving legend status amongst your barbeque-enjoying friends.

Live baiting has turned around many a bad day’s fishing

Land-based fishing has become a right of passage for a lot of kiwis

The ins and outs of tackle procurement and how to manage the war office. How much fishing gear do you really need?

Kontiki fishing is gaining more and more popularity in New Zealand every year. Thomas Black attempts to see what all the fuss is about. As the newest member of the NZFW Team and by far the least experienced fisherman, I thought I’d struck gold when I heard my first assignment was to go kontiki fishing.

Snapper can be frustrating fish to chase, particularly when they are in spawning mode during spring. But there are some things the canny fisherman can do to increase the chances of bringing home a good fish. Snapper are our most popular sport and table fish.

Land-based expert Scott Cushman shares some tips for hunting big snapper in the dark of night. The hot bright days of summer are eagerly anticipated after the cold dormancy of winter.

Here in Auckland we are blessed with the Hauraki Gulf, giving us a huge area of reasonably protected water to play in. But for those looking for a bit of adventure there is a group of islands out beyond this protective ring and, like the Greek sirens of old, the Mokohinau Islands beckon. The fishing here can be exceptional, with a mix of deep pinnacles and reefs along with a lot of shallow foul ground and deep weedy gutters.

From marlin to tuna, kahawai, kingfish and snapper; the white specks in the distance are our eyes in the sky. But the fish underneath are not always a cinch to catch, and Editor-at-Large Geoff Thomas looks at how to turn the work-ups to our advantage.Birds – over there!” shouted Graham. We raced over and soon we were circling among shining yellow-headed gannets as they wheeled and dived like Stuka bombers, searing into the water then popping up with a shiny, silver anchovy firmly grasped between their sharp beaks.

As the weather warms, snapper begin to move in closer and, as NZ Fishing World’s Scott Cushman explains, they can become surprisingly fearless around the rocks. It’s interesting how some locations have their own quirks or patterns that don’t seem to follow the same patterns as others. This is true for both rock fishing and out on the water.

Snapper now start to move in close to feed and spawn and this can mean a bonanza for kayak fishos. Jason Walker shares his tactics to help you cash-in at this time of year but not before you get your gear in order. The change in seasons will bring a change in our fishing. Spring sees the shallower waters start to fill up with fish coming in to the shoreline to breed but before they do that they also want to feed themselves up.

Many anglers neglect the mangrove creeks and channels of our mighty natural harbours in favour of heading out wide but, as Paul Walker explains, there’s a world of possibilities to explore. Estuary and small harbour fishing appeals to many anglers yet it is not a form of the sport that is all that common.

The importance for fishos to understand the tides cannot be underestimated. Al McGlashan reveals pointers that are sure to help you catch more. Tides are the single most important factor in dictating bite times. It doesn’t matter what species you’re chasing, from billfish to gurnard, their movements are dictated by the tides.

A region famous for it’s jigging, Aaron Levien shares some top jigging spots to try in the Bay of Plenty. This article looks at general locations to help put you and your mates onto those addictive line-stripping yellowtail kingfish from Mayor Island to White Island.

The equinox wind can be a royal pain in the posterior and cause unwanted disruption to fishing plans, but there are still places to cast a line when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. Spring fishing is often longed for in the Hauraki Gulf after a long, cold and usually wet winter.

Night time kayak fishing can be a bit unnerving for the novice however with careful planning and arranging to fish in a group can open up a whole new world of adventure and success. Kayak fishing is normally thought of as a method reserved for daytime activity only and for the beginner kayak angler it’s a good rule while they learn about their kayak.

Waiheke's bottom end; home to snapper, kingfish and scallops, is a quick run along either the north or south coast of Waiheke Island (depending on the wind and sea state) from the centre of Auckland. Around an hour to an hour and twenty minutes for the average powerboat.

From Farewell Spit in the west to Stephens Island in the east, Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island of New Zealand has it all for the avid fisherman and holiday makers. This is the ultimate family holiday and fishing area in NZ. You can fish one day and if the weather is not so good the next you can go to one of a hundred of local attractions that litter the area; wine tasting, go-karting, markets and wearable arts - Nelson has it all. Let’s take a fishing holiday around the bay starting in the Northwest corner of Golden Bay.

Retired Bay of Islands professional skipper, Graham Clifford, once caught gamefish weighing up to 1000 pounds. Fifty years later his greatest fishing pleasure is with beach longlining, where he is achieving enviable success. In the following notes he shares his how-to secrets…

There are many great jigging spots in the Auckland and Coromandel areas – and they’re easily accessible. Graeme Paterson tells us where to get started and how. Perhaps you’re like me. I like to get out and find my own fish to jig, it’s what defines me from the charter trip junkie who solely relies on someone else to put them onto fish.

We all know that fishing is about the catch, but before the catch happens you have to find the fish – so how do you do that? Jason Walker goes through fishfinders for kayaks. There is a wealth of information floating around to help you find the general area where there are fish: fishing magazines such as this one, fishing clubs, mates (the ones you can trust that is), books giving you GPS spots to paddle to, and of course a huge wealth of information on the Internet.

Squid fishing or ‘Eging’ as it is called, has a technical side to it that may surprise you. Callum McKendry fishes with the experts from Yeehaa tackle to find out how easy it is to catch a calamari. Standing at the water’s edge at the Tamaki Yacht club on a cold winter’s night, I was ‘Eging’ (squid fishing) for the very first time.

Fishing is not a complicated business. Understanding a few basics will go a long way towards ongoing success and enjoyment of the sport. Ados Addicted to Fishing’s Nicky Sinden shares a few good tips to get you rolling. There is a lot to be said for training up your mates in advance of an epic fishing adventure.

Paul from the Hook and the Cook shows us how to cook a whole baked snapper in a salt crust with roasted chilli and capsicum sauce.

Rock fishing is an addictive and often highly productive way to fish. It’s also available just about everywhere in the country.

Sometimes catching fish in all situations means thinking outside the box. Our editor applies some science to lure fishing for those days when conditions are marginal for the techniques success

Proving the best trips come at short notice, Aaron’s crew race to the Ranfurly for an epic day to remember

Seven ways to extract every inch of value from a catch.

Using Whitanga as a base, Northern Coromandel offers some of the best fishing in the country. Tom Black heads over the Kai Mais to test the waters with charter operation Epic Adventures

Matt Lind sharing valuable advice on one of the most important aspects of spearfishing; timing. Like most fishing, timing is everything when spearfishing from the shore…

Auckland isn’t called “The City of Sails” for nothing; one in three household’s owns a boat – the highest rate in the world. But for those of us who don’t have a boat, or a mate with one, the only option is to fish from the hard stuff.

Our coastal seas are teeming with sharks but very few fishers see them as a sport fish. Paul Walker looks at our most common species and how we can target them.

One essential piece of kit for every budding rock fisherman is a rod holder. Tom Lusk suggests a few products to suit every spend-level. There are very few rock spots around NZ with perfect fissures to jam a rod butt into while waiting for a bite. One solution to this problem is to carry a rod holder that will keep your rod secure and at the best angle to keep your bait out of the swell and kelp. Here are a few options...

The fishing hook was once listed in the Forbes top 20 tools in the history of man. Nicky Sinden looks at its design and evolution

The Morning Tide Fishing team with one of their wildest catches yet.

The use of artificial ‘softbait’ lures and current braid line technology, has certainly changed the face of New Zealand sport fishing, and with good reason.

Scallops are a true delicacy of the sea, and one many people consider hard to access direct so instead settling for clean, hassle free, only several days old, supermarket fare. Why not ditch your EFTPOS card in favour of a day on the water instead?

The beautiful kingfish populates New Zealand waters from the Kermadec Islands to Banks Peninsula. A mighty catch, well-deserving of its name, any fisher hoping to land one better be ready for a fight.

A semi local’s guide to kayak fishing the Coromandel’s Matarangi to Matapoua Bay coastline. Planning a fishing trip in December, the one thing that can be guaranteed is that there are no guarantees. Bite times and weather windows are notoriously unpredictable and good ones usually coincide nicely with the busiest time of year, preparing for the silly season.

Anyone can slap a bait on a dropper rig and catch a fish, but there is absolutely no question that some anglers have a lot more success than others. How do they do it? I believe the most important aspect of bait fishing is choosing the right rig for the conditions. How you tie a rig, how you present the bait, the size and quality of your hooks and your choice of sinker size all have an important bearing on the outcome.

A great rod and reel can become a lifelong friend, but only if you look after it…

Kāwhia, on the North Island’s west coast, provides some of New Zealand’s most scenic landscapes and, as writer Tom Black found out. It also boasts one of our most bountiful fisheries...

Summer brings warmer waters, species variety and, of course, demands from the family to fill the table with seafood for Christmas. Here are some tips for divers hoping to catch snapper, kingfish and crayfish this December.

"The west coast of New Zealand is well known for the amount of sharks inhabiting the area. This footage is from a trip where I encountered multiple sharks while fishing for yellow tail kingfish and albacore Tuna. They are awesome creatures and should be treated with utmost respect, it's cool to be up close to them after getting over the initial fright or surprise." - Glen Cox

The Saltwater Assassin Lee Kennedy with his 2015 highlights reel.

Wow! Check out the top 10 best fishing clips from BlacktipH filmed in 2015.

Scott MacDonnell proves you don't have to head far, or have a big boat, to head home with a full bag.

Epic kingfish action at the Ranfurly Banks

It might be easy to buy yourself a bag of bait from your local store but catching baits can yield much better results in deep water

Found throughout New Zealand, but more common in the south, the mighty blue cod is an excellent eating fish, and most anglers are very happy to see one come to the surface. But where will you find them? And what tactics should you use to land a catch? Troy Dando gives us some tips

As Matt Jones discovered, a shared charter with Ultimate Charters on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf left all on board with sore arms, snapper for dinner and plenty of bragging rights.

The best gear, techniques and tips for starting out.

Kingfish have a reputation for being jig-shy, but if you present the right lure in the correct way, your chances of a strike are good, says Troy Dando.

If you’re local to Auckland and looking for a convenient fishing escape off the beaten track, you'll struggle to do better than Mangawhai.

Kiwi angler Neil Gorringe sets national record with 32.5lb (14.75kg) snapper on 8kg line.

Aaron's top summer spots for kingfish, plus techniques to help you reel in the crown.

You’ve seen a big guy and you want him on the hook. what’s your next move?

Is the right to eat your legally caught catch on board your boat at your leisure important to you? Well, don’t be surprised if you lose it.

An awesome weekend kayak fishing from Taemaro Bay, just south of Doubtless Bay on the North Island of New Zealand.

Another awesome video from Breathless addiction, this time from the Beautiful Kingdom of Tonga.

Pan frying fish is easy but there are some little tips to make it really delicious.

Another "epic" trip to White Island with Jason Nuete.

Matt Lind goes back to his fishing roots and fulfils his boyhood dreams with his new camping set up. Nothing is more Kiwi than a summer camping holiday.

Coconut and lemon raw fish made 'island style'. This is a delicious way to eat raw fish, the lemon juice cures the fish, almost cooking it.

Summer doesn't get much better than chilling with your mates and catching kingfish at White Island.

Three epic days diving the Three Kings. Big kings and big trevally.

How to safely release fish like snapper, trevally, kingfish. I have been learning from LeagSea the best ways to handle and release fish. This means a greater chance of survival for the fish which also means helping rebuild our future fishery.

Summer. It’s that marvellous time of year when you don’t need much more than your jandals, a humble dinghy and a set of oars to catch a feed amongst the shallow coastal reefs and harbours of our northernmost island. Summertime fishing in the shallows is the easiest and best value for money fishing you’re likely to find. For most of us above the water the long glorious days of summer (post silly-season), signal BBQs, beach-dwelling and broken New Year's resolutions. But for fish, the warm water signals metabolic overdrive and a burning desire to feed up for the coming winter.

It’s no surprise New Zealand’s most popular holiday destination is also ripe picking for anglers. Aaron Levien takes us on a tour of his slice of paradise. Whangamata lies on the east coast of New Zealand, approximately 100 kilometres north of Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. It has has been voted by Bookabach and NZ Herald as New Zealand’s most popular place to holiday for the last five years running.

Tom Lusk applies some good old-fashioned kiwi ingenuity to fishing with these simple and cost effect DIY fishing hacks.

As headline stories go, last month's 'blue cod fillets in the fridge' piece got the sabres rattling more than most. Filtering the noise out, three lines of opinion seemed most relevant and worthy of further comment.

In a competitive charter fishing market catching skills are important but, as NZ Fishing World discovers, it’s customer service that sets the best apart.

Every year, and for a limited time only, there are silver bullets in the form of skipjack tuna, shooting around the Hauraki Gulf. This is how you catch them.

Sun, Sand, Sea and Snapper, your Nelson holiday destination has it all.

Freediving and spearfishing around the pristine waters of the North Island of New Zealand.

Keen fisherman Tom Black takes a trip with Captain Cam Allen and Grant Bittle to see how the experts fish the Hauraki Gulf. Like a lot of Auckland based fishos, every week I watch Grant Bittle’s Hauraki Gulf video fishing reports with joy and a little jealousy. This week I was lucky enough to head out onboard Wave Dancer with him and captain Cam Allen to see how he does it.

Mike Davis with a simple guide for anyone thinking about going on a live on-board charter. Have you ever looked through fishing magazines and websites and seen the array of huge catches and wondered; how do I catch a fish like that?

Kiwis and tourists spend a billion dollars a year on recreational fishing but the benefits don’t stop at the fish on the end of the line.

Fishing in the 14ft Stabicraft ''Bad Batch'' off the Hen and Chicks, Northland NZ.

If you're in the Auckland area and looking for something fun and free to do with the kids these school holidays then be sure to visit Gulf Harbour marina to feed the fish. As we found out yesterday, they're quite fond of chelsea buns.

How many times have you kicked yourself for doing something hair-brained or idiotic while fishing? I’m just as guilty as anyone for doing it. Here’s a few of the ‘simple’ yet almost deadly mistakes I’ve made along my fishing journeys; I hope that you can learn the same lessons as I did.

EPIC fishing action from Fiorldland, New Zealand. Awesome puka and crayfish!

The art of honing your hunting skills to catch more fish

Great fishing buddies aren’t just born that way, but with enough time, undivided attention and coaching, the young ones can be nurtured into life-long crew.

As an adventure sport, spearfishing can be very safe; but the ocean is an unforgiving environment to the underprepared.

Let’s face it, winter spearfishing can be hard. Good weather days are fewer and further apart, and the thought of climbing into a cold wetsuit isn’t really the most attractive thought as you lie in bed. However, it’s not all bad…

Whatever your experience and circumstances, chartering is always a good alternative.

There’s not much that beats catching fish on a fly you’ve tied yourself, and thankfully it’s not difficult or expensive to get tying and catching. This article will look at the principles behind the saltwater fly and give you some starting guidelines to set you on the path of this addictive pastime.

It’s no surprise New Zealand’s most popular holiday destination is also ripe picking for anglers. Aaron Levien takes us on a tour of his slice of paradise.

"What knot should I use to tie my braid to my leader?" The answer depends on a few things but getting a knot wrong can result in it breaking at less than 50% line strength.

Troy Dando talks to his mate Gavin Williams, about the secrets of catching XOS snapper in the Marlborough Sounds.