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

Taking care of your catch is all about keeping your hard caught bounty in perfect condition for eating. While most articles you’ll read outline how to catch fish, this article aims to deal with how to keep your fish in the best possible condition for eating.

Coromandel is a great destination for winter rock fishing, and not just because of the huge number of fish that reside in its beautiful, craggy coastline. It is the shape of the peninsula that makes it pretty much a sure bet in whatever weather gets thrown at it. The fat kahawai livey on Mikey’s line suddenly leapt straight out of the water, hot on its tail we could see the green and gold flashes of a massive kingfish. With a broadside smack it took the kahawai, busting the line in the process, then it was gone.

A huge and immensely varied fishing destination the Coromandel attracts fishermen of all types. Rock-hoppers worship its remote northern nooks while blue-water hunters plough the back paddocks of the Aldermans and the Mayor. Kingfish jiggers race from pin to pin through the Mercury Islands while snapper snipers snoop the rocky outcrops connecting its numerous glistening beaches. If any spot has something for all it’s the Coromandel Coast.

Ken Miyamoto with a genuine beast off the rocks!

Great White Shark bites air supply and gets stuck in cage at Guadalupe Island

There’s nothing quite like the chance to fish an area completely foreign to you to arouse a spirit of adventure and nervous anticipation.

Right now is a great time to be fishing kabura jigs

Using soft baits from a small inflatable, kayak, or dinghy can be incredibly productive

Check out some awesome action on the Boss lure, and Espresso's hints and tips on how to fish it to get the best results

If you have been using slow pitch jigs without much success, or if you want to know more detail about the right way to fish them then check out this video featuring expert jig master Markus Church from Rod and Reel tackle.

There's more to finding fish than electronics or known spot X's

Soft baits have been around for a while and truly rival natural bait, often beating it, as a method for catching a huge range of species. Here's a video presentation on the basic requirements and methods for giving this type of fishing a go.

Mustad hooks have been a top brand for many years. Check out this video from Daiwa showing you a few ins and outs for using Mustad circle hooks.

Seven of New Zealand’s best trophy fisherman share their trophy fish secrets and stories

Ok, here you go. Get your fish-brain on and think like your quarry. Here's 8 tips to get your head in the fish zone

The less explored north-eastern side of Great Barrier Island, has a wild side that will both feed and inspire the most adventurous angler. While Great Barrier might be one of the ‘great’ places to fish in the Hauraki Gulf, one place that tends to be forgotten is the Barrier’s northeast coast or, as the locals call it - the wild side.

Here's Part 1 with Markus Church taking you through the basics and a bit more on how to rig and fish live baits. In Part 2 we cover gear and technique

This video takes you through rigs, gear and techniques with expert angler Markus Church

Daytime swordfishing is becoming increasingly popular and effective. Here's a good video to help you get set up and have a crack

Bridle rigging a livie should only take a matter of seconds, but for inexperienced anglers it sometimes takes agonising minutes. A bait that is going to be slow trolled, or bigger baits with smaller hooks, are often best rigged with a bridle rather than hooking directly into the baitfish.

Small boats, inflatables and kayaks are great fishing platforms for inshore anglers. They offer incredible convenience on a number of fronts and, as they are highly mobile, they are able to be launched at virtually any shoreline access point.

Landing big snapper from the rocks can be achieved year round with good planning, commitment and preparation. Rock based angling, in New Zealand, is one of the few categories that has not been markedly changed by technology. Radical lure developments, braid lines, and modern rod materials have not quantum changed the land based game nearly as much as they have for the boaties.

Some of best fishing experiences are the easiest and for North Island fishermen, it doesn’t get much easier than casting a lure off a harbour beach. By beach, I mean in sandy estuaries and harbour entrances, spots that provide easy access to fishable water.

Fishing is a sport we can never master, only improve. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest difference as Al McGlashan recently discovered while live baiting. Things were looking good, really good.

Kingfish are a challenge to catch in and of themselves, add a kayak to the equation and the fun doubles.

Holidays in Rarotonga are always going to be fun. You might be on holiday and looking to sneak in a fish, or you might want to go there especially to fish. Here's a brief insight to what it's like on board one of the Marlin Queen charter boats, STRIKE TIME with skippers Brett and Tom. A half day or even full day trip is a great change and an awesome way to see the island, whether you are a casual or experienced fisherman. Watch and enjoy

Stick baiting is an incredibly exciting and visually stimulating way to chase the infamous NZ kingy. Check out Markus' hints and tips in our latest video here and maybe you should think about giving this a go. If you are already familiar with stick baiting Markus may still have a few surprises to help your technique.

Fishing after sunset can often be one of the most productive times. NZ Fishing World’s Mick Hall hit a beach that’s normally packed with people during the day and found it to be a snapper hotspot in the evening.

Most serious rock fishos only feel comfortable when they have a soupy brew fanning out into the depths. Tom Lusk gives us his favourite recipes that the fish will love. The principle is simple: bring the fish from far and wide with delicious oily smells and fragments then get them in the mood to feed, so that when they see your bait drifting along, they won’t be able to resist.

With all the advancements in artificial lures over recent years, many fishers have abandoned their trusty bait gear. But bait fishing is still a great way to catch fish and, as John Durrant discovered, there’s a few advancements in the traditional methods too. Flash lures and scent-infused softbaits are all fishos seem to talk about these days.

When dolphins or whales are pushing baitfish up and churning the ocean into a giant berley trail, gannets and terns will usually be signposting where the action is. Fishing in workups can be frantic, and in the excitement it is often easy to suddenly find yourself with a limit bag in only an hour or so.

Summer months are always fun to fish as the warm water often encourages active aggressive feeding. In these conditions microjigs are a very effective technique and often will get fish moving when all else fails with their enticing, darting action. Here's a hot new range from Berkley that have proven deadly, check out the new Jig Its.

NZ Fishing World contributor Forsyth Thompson has fished the length and breadth of New Zealand. Part One of this series covers some of his best spots in the Coromandel. Opening image: courtesy Aaron Levian

When you talk to people about fishing for kingfish, most will get excited about methods of chasing them by jigging, trolling, livebaiting and the now popular stickbaiting. What they don’t expect is to have someone talk about sight fishing for them with fly rod in hand.

SP - Not a rare single malt but most definitely a refined and productive distraction.

Don't wait for a lotto win before getting into game fishing. Start now

There always seems to be a new and fantastic invention to lure fish to the end of your line.

Don’t let wind and weather scare you – with the right gear and a bit of patience, the West Coast delivers big time. Big snapper, kingfish, tuna, marlin, swordfish, and even tropical species such as mahi mahi can be readily found out in the 'wild wild west'.

In this video, Graeme Heapy and the team from Marine North in Whangarei take you through an introduction to big game fishing from outboard powered trailer boats. Check out the hints and tips and you might consider gearing up to tackle something a little larger than your usual snapper and kingfish.

Dear John …Dory. Nothing personal. It’s not you, it’s me. I am in love with your friends, massive snapper and big kingfish. We can still be friends, hang out, and I know we can enjoy some amazing dinners together every now and then. Please don’t be offended when my heart races at the scream of the reel and bend of the rod when your friends arrive. Yours truly Every fisherman that loves great seafood and bent rods.

If you haven’t tried slow pitch jigging, you should! You will catch more fish, you will have a versatile weapon for deeper conditions and workups, and you will have a great excuse to buy some very stylish new gear.

Workup season has begun, and that means some of the best fishing of the year is happening out in the gulf right now. It’s the time of year that big schools of pilchards start moving in from the north, so the flotilla of boats chasing workups will be heading to the incoming channels around Little Barrier Island, around Horn and Anchorite rocks and eventually deeper into the upper Firth of Thames.

Fishing tight to the shore is highly underrated by boaties as a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the very best our coastline has to offer. Not only is it an area frequented by massive specimens of our favourite target species, such as snapper and kingfish, but it also offers a huge variety of alternative options for the table. One real treat that is becoming far more popular to focus on specifically is the humble squid.

It’s a common misconception that softbaits don’t work in winter and the colder months of early spring. However as you’ll soon find out, just a few subtle changes to your softbaiting technique means you can leave the bait and berley at home this winter.

Understanding drag isn’t a fashion concept referring to men in women’s clothes. Getting deeper into the understanding of rod and reel terminology can help the beginner get the most out of their gear.

Winter is traditionally a time of the year when fishing slows down and many people put the gear away until the warmer weather returns.

When it comes to the quiet approach in shallow bays, kayaks are hard to beat. Jason Walker looks at the techniques that can give the kayak angler the upper hand.

It is darker in the morning, rain seems to be more frequent and I find myself thinking, maybe it’s time to invest in new wet weather gear. These compounding factors mean only one thing to me, winter is well and truly on its way.

Despite being so close to so many people, the Rangitoto Channel still produces great fishing. It doesn’t always fish easily, you have to learn a few tricks to consistently score a feed.

Kingfish are a sensational species for sport fishermen, and we are very lucky that they can be found all over New Zealand, in fantastic numbers and sometimes gear shattering dimensions. The Coromandel peninsular is famous for some stellar kingfish action, so let’s look a bit closer at the many options here.

Check out Yamaha School of Fish chasing kingies with 'Whitiangler' in the magnificent Coromandel

The west coast boasts some of the best fishing in New Zealand, and is within easy reach of most north island boaties. There is a bit of a catch, you have to cross a sometimes angry bar to get to the fishing action. Check out the west coast scenery as we head out off Raglan in search of a feed of snapper

The kabura is undoubtedly one of the most effective lures on the market. It is deadly on just about any fish that eats squid, which is just about everything! It's very simple to fish, so ideal for kids or beginners getting in to lure fishing. It's also nice and heavy so ideal as a prospecting lure when your looking at sign and wondering if it's worth a serious stop. Here's what the kabura is all about in a bit more detail.

Ceviche is one of the healthiest and certainly tastiest ways of preparing fish quickly and easily, and it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser as a main meal or dinner entrée. A knife and a bowl is all you need to create a masterpiece, and it makes a great change from the normal methods of cooking.

You’ve just landed the trophy fish of a lifetime so naturally you’re going to want to get that all-important photo for Facebook – how difficult can that be?

After spending time on a few of charter trips it becomes really clear that these guys know their stuff and are really committed to getting you onto some good fish. Here's a few tips and insights from the best in the business to help you on your next kingfish jigging adventure.

Beer Battered fish is a tasty recipe that isn't very complicated. We have added a couple of delicious sauces to accompany the fish.

Current lure patterns and their various techniques for deployment, are now so effective at catching fish, that many anglers no longer even entertain the idea of using bait. Just about every fishing shop you visit will now be decked with walls full of lure options from all the major manufacturers (and a few boutique players). The patterns and designs often look so good you just have to try them out. Yes, some lures are certainly designed to catch the fisherman, but do they work on the fish? Yep! hard. Any popular lure pattern fished correctly will likely stock your bin, even on tough days.

Mechanical or vertical jigging with metal lures is not a new method of fishing and has been around for many years both in New Zealand and overseas.

Most of us get our first taste of game fishing when hooked up on a kingfish, the speed of these yellow tailed critters gives you such an adrenalin rush you can’t help but want to know what a marlin on the end of your line would feel like.

Kayak fishing is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing water sports with more and more people taking it up every day, and more and more offerings in the market. There are many factors to consider when setting out to buy your first fishing kayak. Here’s a few of the key ones to get you started.

Check out this awesome jigging action on board Epic Charters in the magnificent Coromandel. Using new products from Catch Fishing (a prototype spin-jig rod and 300 gram Double Trouble jigs) Jigging maestro Edward Uhai Lee shows off the best speed jigging technique we have seen anywhere.

Howling reels and big smiles are two things that soft bait fishermen get to enjoy on a regular basis.

Head up north and the Hokianga has it all. Marlin, tuna, hapuka, and some monster kingfish. Check out the action and learn more and fishing this epic destination.

Game fishing in New Zealand is steadily becoming more popular as boat, engine, and tackle technology has completely reinvented the sport, and made it accessible to anyone keen enough to give it a go.

Here's an excellent video that describes the techniques for both mechanical and slow pitch jigging. In particular the use of spinning reels to jig for kingfish, and the technique for slow pitch is well worth a watch

When you are heading out for a fish, doing a little homework and making a plan the night before is often a good idea. If you’re like me, quite often the day ahead is lived over as you try and go to sleep, waking several times as you wait for the 5.00am alarm to arrive. One of the greatest technologies for available for fishing success, does not live in your tackle box, but on your phone.

Even if you think you know it, there is a real benefit to respecting what you catch from the moment it comes on board. Too much salt ice, for example, can actually start to part freeze your catch which reduces its longevity. Legasea's Fishcare programme promotes best practice techniques to help recreational fishers reduce their impact on our inshore fisheries.

Kingfish are an exciting species to target from small craft, and their power and tenacious attitude is all the more appreciated when the fish can literally tow you around. Here's Viking Kayak's Stephen Tapp with a few tips on jigging when you don't have much room to play with.

Although the world seems to have turned to fishing with lures, there are still those among us that just prefer using good old bait! Going into winter is a time where I believe that the good old stink of a bit of fish, the natural food of...well, fish, will do the job as good or better than anything else. Here's a few tips to putting more fish in the bin.

Every year we all think, 'Wow! I would see myself in that'. Well this year the grand gate prize for the 2018 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show is certainly the thing every fisherman's dreams are made of. Here's the details from the show's organisers.

There are a number of good reels available from any brand now, that will serve you well and perform the task at hand effectively when it comes to anything from slow pitch and light jigging, right through to chasing the bluefin out of Waihau Bay. Not all reels are created equal, and each have their strengths and weaknesses depending on the price point parameters you are working within.

To hell with the diet, there are times when fresh fish just screams for a light, crunchy beer batter. If you are looking for a fool-proof, instant, mouth-watering golden batter that cracks like a potato chip, makes you look like a master chef and pleases any crowd, then get yourself down to your nearest supermarket and pick up a packet of Fogdog.

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it is the newest addition to the Catch Fishing ‘Livies’ stable of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) wriggling goodies.

Welcome to NZ Fishing World’s How-to guide updated for 2019. You'll find a summary of pretty much every technique, for every fish. It’s literally all you need to know to catch New Zealand’s favourite fish.

There are few fish that taste as good and yield so much flaky fillet as the Hapuka (That's groper anywhere outside New Zealand) They are a challenge to target but can provide great reward and certainly a serious workout if you don’t have the inclination to use electric reels. One of the best things about Hapuka fishing, is that you can guarantee it is worth a go anywhere in New Zealand, at any time of year.

Targeting Hapuka, bluenose, bass, gemfish and other deep water species traditionally means plunging a big dropper rig loaded, with various lumps of squid or bait fillets, into anywhere from 100 to 500 metres attempting to hit sign identified on the trusty sounder. More often than not these days, with an electric reel (see powered winch) of some sort. It’s a reasonably effective way to fish, with good results common to those that know what they are doing.

Yamaha School of Fish presents snapper fishing in the Marlborough sounds with Outdoors and Marine Blenheim. Check out some banger snapper action right here...

For a lot of fishos, land-based fishing in Wellington is thought of as being just cold weather, high winds and nothing but red cod, kahawai and sharks.

Sailfish are an amazing species, beautiful, fast, and a prized target on many anglers bucket lists. They take to the air, strip line and are easy to handle once you get them boat side.

According to Al Brown, we don't seem to bake fish much in New Zealand. Baking is not only easy but can also be a very healthy and tasty way of preparing a lot of the species we normally throw in the pan. Check out the simple video recipe from Freshcatch with Al Brown

You’ll hook more fish, and enjoy a few other benefits to boot. How so you say? Believe it or not, barbless hooks are a better option in many ways for almost every type of rod and reel sport fishing.

Hapuka is an amazing table fish, but it is a big flakey lump of flesh that can easily be over cooked and become rather tough if you don't get it right.

The Catch Fishing pro team, including master kayak angler Stephen Tapp show us how it's done chasing big fish from kayaks

One of the most underrated, and under-utilised lures available to fishermen really does come in a small package. Although the old saying ‘big bait – big fish’ will often hold true, it was a long time ago, from well-respected fishing legend Rick Pollock, that I heard the opposing argument ‘elephants eat peanuts’.