Game Fishing

Big Game Fishing with Blue Ocean Charters

New Zealand big game fishing is world renowned. During New Zealand's summer months, anglers travel to the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel from far afield.

Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty and Whangamata in the Coromandel are both great places to base a Gamefishing escape. A large number of gamefish come to the Bay during the season which runs from December (depending on water temperatures) to the end of April.These can be of very good size, and offer a real challenge to the most experienced angler. Most fishing is by trolling artificial lures or livebaiting. Species present in the same waters through the summer and months are blue marlin, black marlin, broad bill swordfish, mako shark, dolphin fish (mahimahi), yellowfin and bigeye tuna, albacore tuna as well as the occasional shortbilled spearfish. These species are all available from December through April in the waters from North Cape to East Cape. Southern Yellowtail kingfish run to world record sizes around the coast of the North Island. Livebait fishing using small mackerel is the best way to catch these tough fish. Speed jigging and popper fishing are other effective fishing methods for kingfish. These fish are usually found and fished for near deep rocky shores, offshore reefs and islands. Average fish run ten kilos and can be found in big schools. Larger fish up to fifty kilos are usually loners or travel in small groups.

Yellowtail Kingfish

Yellowtail kingfish is a large fish of northern waters, which moves south in summer months to about Banks Peninsula, it is also known in Australia. Its colour is variable in shades of grey-green to blue-green with yellow fins, particularly the tail fin, and there is a yellowish brown stripe along the sides. The large head, streamlined form and short low first dorsal fin are readily-observed features. Its food is mostly other fishes, either bottom or surface kinds. Piper or garfish is a surface species commonly taken. This sought-after sportfish is taken with a wide range of techniques including trolling, livebaiting from shore or boat, jigging, and flyfishing. The worlds largest kingfish are found in New Zealand and most world records are held here.

Yellowfin Tuna

This is a warm water, cosompolitan species which in our area wanders south to only to about Hawkes Bay and outer Taranaki Bight. It is similar to southern tuna but has a longer pectoral fin and an angular check plate. In larger examples the second dorsal fin and its opposite member become long and pointed and may reach to the tail fin. General colour is similar to the other tunas, with brighter yellow fins and with vertical white lines and spots along the sides. Colour fades quickly after capture. Food is mostly surface fishes of open water. A very popular sportfish, particularly in the Bay of Plenty in the summer. It is usually fished for with trolled lures or in a meatball situation where the tuna herd up schools of baitfish. Here, livebaits or cubes (chunks) are used. Average size is around 30 kilograms with fish over seventy kilos taken each year.

Skipjack Tuna

Skipjack tuna are small, highly migratory tuna are caught to about 10kg in New Zealand waters, and are easily identified by a series of longitudinal dark stripes on the belly. They make their first appearance off northern NZ coasts in December, lingering until May, when cooling waters see their departure. Skipjack are a popular light tackle sportfish, particularly in the Bay of Plenty, and are a sought after bait species, being primarily used for strip baits. Usually caught by trolling small skirted lures, but also by spin-fishing with metal lures, small live baits, and flyfishing.

Albacore

Albacore are another cosomopolitan species of cool tropical warm temperate seas. It is often called the 'chicken of the sea" because of its tasty, white flesh. It has a long, strap-like pectoral fin. Colour is blue-black above and silvery-white below. Examples up to about five kilos have oblique stripes on the hinder body. Food taken is similar to other tuna (i.e other surface fishes) but swimming crabs and large shrimps are also taken. This white-fleshed tuna is a popular recreational species and is caught on trolled lures, jigs, flies and baits. During the winter months there is a run of large specimens, often exceeding 20 kilos, in the Bay of Plenty. During summer months albacore are regularly caught offshore in many parts of the country

Blue Marlin

Blue marlin are one of the largest of the marlins, blues are a sought after summer visitor in New Zealand's primarily striped marlin fishery. The easiest diagnostic difference between NZ's large striped marlin and blue marlin is that the blue has a dorsal fin one half to two-thirds the body depth at that point, where the striped marlin has a dorsal fin height about the same as its body depth. Blue marlin are primarily caught around the north eastern NZ coasts in high summer (February-March), these fish average around 200kg, with the largest rod-and-reel capture listed at 461.3kg. Captures of these powerful and dynamic fish have increased in recent seasons, with more boats working further offshore in the blue marlin's favoured deep water habitat. Trolling large skirted lures is the usual fishing technique.

Broadbill swordfish

Broadbill swordfish are a cosmopolitan oceanic species, more abundant in temperate than tropical seas which is found throughout our area. The long flat sword, short dorsal fin and the single keel near the tail fin immediately distinguish this species from marlins. Colour is dark blue and silver, often with a bronze flush which may obscure the basic colour pattern or change the blue to a purplish shade. Other fishes, sometimes of considerable size, are taken as food. Although New Zealand anglers have a long history of broadbill captures, these were infrequent until a decade ago when American techniques using light-sticks were tried here. They were immediately successful and broadbill are now taken on a regular basis. Broadbill of over 200 kilos have been recorded in recent years.

Striped Marlin

There are three marlins in New Zealand waters and all are wide-ranging in tropical Pacific waters. The striped marlin is most abundant here. Its colour is dark blue above with pale blue stripes. Its food is mostly other fishes large and small and includes bottom as well as surface fishes. The slender bill, high dorsal lobe and straight rear edge of the pectoral fin are distinguishing features. New Zealand striped marlin are the largest in the world and most world records are held in this country. The most popular fishing system is lure-trolling which has taken over from the previous favourite trolling dead baits such as kahawai. Since the introduction of a moratorium on the commercial capture and sale of marlin, numbers have dramatically increased. Over the last five years recreational captures are the highest on record. Typically, fish weigh ninety to one hundred kilos. About seventy-five percent of marlin are tagged and released.

Black Marlin

The black marlin is a heavy, thick set marlin of warm Indo-Pacific oceans which reaches our northern coasts in summer months wandering south at least to East Cape. The short, thick spear, low dorsal lobe and fixed pectoral fin are features which immediately distinguish this species from the more abundant striped marlin. Colour is blue-black above, greyish-white below, and an overall bronze flush is sometimes present. Stripes are often present but may fade quickly after capture. Any other fishes are taken as food. Black marlin are most regularly encountered around shallow reef structures. Captures of this species have dwindled in recent years, largely because of the swing towards lure fishing. Specialists targeting black marlin with large live-baits continue to have success.