Angler's Planet Author

A 4WD adventure down the remote coast from Dargaville to the Kaipara Harbour entrance showed how good the beach fishing can be when fishermen are prepared to get off the beaten track. But a few tricks can make all the difference when it comes to hooking snapper in the surf.

We are all familiar with the application of braid line for deep water fishing and for casting soft baits and jigs. But this unique line has the potential to revolutionise our approach in many more areas, from live baiting for kingfish to straylining for snapper.

When fishing for kingfish from the rocks or in the boat, fresh live baits are always welcomed as the best offering for the kings. But the kahawai, piper or mackerel that are favoured do not always play ball and can prove frustrating to catch. There are some tricks that will help put the livie on the end of your kingfish tackle.

The most important part of stickbaiting is how to swim a stickbait. If you can do that well you will get lots of strikes and catch lots of fish. Here I go into details of stickbait techniques for swimming these lures. This video is aimed at beginner to intermediate fishermen who are getting into stickbaiting. This is part 2 of a series on how to stickbait for kingfish, see part 1 for info on gear to use.

How the Moon and Tides affect bite times for fish like snapper, trevally and kingfish.

Southern’s most popular boat blends alloy and fibreglass elements to offer a craft that satisfies the fisherman and the family man. It was a clear calm Monday morning when we met up with Peter Carlson from Southern Boats to review his popular Southern XP746 model with latest upgrades.

Rod and reel maintenance is an activity seldom loved by fishermen however it can save you money and heart ache if something fails on a monster fish.

Take the humble bucket and turn it into a tool that can dramatically improve your berley’s performance from the rocks.

This may come as a shock, but in the days before jigs, fishermen would use bait. Not highly sophisticated but still effective were ledger and strayline rigs adorned with pilchards

Spring and Summer work-ups are one phenomena that not only get nature's participants excited but fishermen as well. As the water warms up in springtime, snapper start to move into the gulf, usually from a northerly to southerly direction.

Unprepared fishermen are often left with shaking hands after hooking an unstoppable green torpedo – the kingfish is a powerful and intimidating fish to hook.

The Rodney area north of Auckland has some little gems when it comes to fishing. There are bays, ledges, estuaries, islands and rock stacks which are all places of interest for the fisherman.

The live mackerel was getting nervous and the float darting under the surface indicated he was trying to hide in the kelp from imminent danger.

There are tried and true methods for targeting kingfish but every once in a while it’s worth throwing out the rule book.

Kahawai are a common kingfish live bait choice, but delicate piper can sometimes be the winning option. Find out how to better fish these fragile little live baits.

Fishing new areas for the first time or looking again at a seldom-fished ledge to fish it better calls into play our powers of observation.

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?

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.

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.