The big kingfish are out there off the Northland coast with a vengeance. Winter has always been time to get the big yellowtails, and this year has proved more than true to form.

Bay of Islands, offering great winter fishing

The Bay of Island’s Swordfish Club holds an annual yellowtail competition, and the tag and release section says a lot about sensible conservation in our waters.

The recent four-day event proved a winner for Shane Shepherd, skippering Splash, a 36-footer operating out of Paihia for Eddie Brooks’ Blue Seas Charters operation, and his charter party from across the ditch, who make an annual pilgrimage to the event.

The yellowtails pretty much run from the Bay of Plenty northwards at this time of the year and are in prime condition in the colder winter seas.

“It has been very good up in the Bay of Islands for kingfish and if any proof is needed, Shane really smashed last year’s tag and release competition record,” Eddie told Northern Farming Lifestyles.

“Splash recorded a tally of 64 kingfish and they generally ranged in weights from eight to 14 kilos. This is compared to the 58 fish that were caught in last year’s contest.

“Splash had a team of four keen fishermen from Australia on board for the four days, fishing on 8kg lines, and they went home pretty happy chaps.”

Apart from the kingfish, there have been good hapuka catches when the weather has been considerate enough — 10 to 12 knots is good — to allow the boats out to the good grounds beyond the Hole in the Rock.

But most fishers report that snapper have been few and far between.

This applies also to the west coast harbour waters with the Kaipara Harbour’s Gravy Boat skipper, Gary Greaves, saying his recreational outings have almost exclusively returned with kahawai and gurnard.

“The snapper seem to be running true to form and giving the Kaipara a big winter swerve,” he said. “Maybe it might be timely to carry a live bait rig out towards the heads for a stray kingfish though.”

There has been much discussion about the best way to boat a big kingfish and the consensus seems to be that live baits will generally attract the biggest.

Jigging has proved itself time and again but an early start to get live bait in the tank is always good insurance.

Just about all the international records for kingfish are held in New Zealand, and most of these have been winter-caught fish.

Eddie reports that things are relatively quiet on the coast, which is to be expected as cool temperatures keep many fishers occupied in warmer activities.

But the message right now seems to be to throw on an extra layer and head out for some great yellowtail action.

And while there might be a dearth of snapper on the east coast and in the Kaipara, Andy Morrogh at Ahipara has a different story.

His Wildcat Charters took a party of eight out last week off Tauroa Point and they caught their quota.

“They were good fish, nothing huge, around two to three kilos. However, charter work has been quiet as we have been commercial fishing during this time of the year.”