Author Topic: Chasing Kings in NZ (Read 13029 times)

Timothy Scriven · « **on:** February 09, 2017, 02:56:45 AM »

I have been in NZ now for close on a year and most of the time has been fishing off the rocks and jetties catching everything from 1kg Squid to Snapper and several interesting species.
So finally after just three outings on the new boat, we have started to tussle with NZ Kings.
Now by no means large by the local standards and with the legal size limit being 75cm, the first lot have been 2cm short.

These brutes fight hard and even at this size, snap 15 kg floro.
We have been chasing down the surface action and throwing Mccarthy Paddle Tails at them that I still have from Basil Manning.
Great fun on light tackle but I am now hooked and will start chasing bigger units soon.

Just a few pics from our last two outings.

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2017, 02:57:52 AM »

a few more pics

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2017, 02:59:27 AM »

more ..

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2017, 03:00:15 AM »

lastly..

Plugger · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2017, 06:39:03 AM »

Cape yellow tail ?

REEFMAN · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2017, 06:54:30 AM »

Great stuff Tim! Looks awesome!
Plugger: The NZers call our Yellowtail - Kingfish.
Ranfurly Bank has monsters. There is a DVD by Jigstar called the 3 Kings of Ranfurly?

http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php?topic=7931.msg116388#msg116388

Here's Chris Wong....!!

Plugger · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2017, 06:58:39 AM »

Thanks Reefs I was getting a bit confused there. Nice fish ,That harbor looks a bit different from SA launch sites.

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2017, 08:49:53 AM »

Lekker report!!!!!

FishStyx · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2017, 05:41:55 PM »

Lovely stuff Tim... keep us posted.

Mal Hannes · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2017, 09:38:11 AM »

Nice stuff.

Where are you fishing in NZ

I have been trying to understand the NZ laws

My confused understanding is: when they are small they are called Yellow tail with no restrictions and when they are bigger they are Kingfish with a minimum size of 75 cm.

If you can clarify please do.

Again Nice stuff well done,

Prego · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2017, 10:20:47 AM »

Lovely stuff Tim, looks like a promising area.

Looks like you have gone full circle in a new country in a short space of time bud

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2017, 01:55:21 AM »

Hey MH.

What SA calls "Yellow Tail", the kiwis call "Kingfish". Small ones are referred to a "rats".
The size limit is 75cm and nobody keeps undersized fish at all as fines empozed are pretty steep.
.. the way it should be. When you think that these fish grow to 2m here and weigh 40+ kg.

We fish mainly off of Half Moon Bay.

Visenvryheid · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2017, 09:58:01 AM »

:) The way it should be..Here in SA the guys were catching and keeping their limit and more of these 800g-1kg jobbies the last time I was in the cape as they "eat so lekker". But can you blame them, you'd better get your piece of the pie before they are commercially netted off the beaches in complete shoals..What a lag the mackeral we were catching in the bay were bigger! Thank goodness the stock is so resilient as we do our best to hammer it, I wish more from the nursery in cape town could grow up to be adults..the only reason we have a stock is the stopping of purse seining of them in days gone by, we nearly wiped them out apparently and they are still coming back from that now.. Thanks for posting. Good stuff..

DownUnder · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2017, 07:07:52 AM »

Ranfurly Kings!
The stuff of dreams.
Definitely on my list.

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #14 on:** February 15, 2017, 05:35:48 AM »

I am a bit embarrassed to post the below link but for the love and utter benefit of my fishing brothers, have a look at what real Kingfish look like.
...and then don't look at my photos to compare.

http://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/the-three-kings_topic123273_page1.html

Visenvryheid · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2017, 08:50:13 AM »

Yup, those are proper fish :) Nice!

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #16 on:** April 09, 2017, 05:18:03 AM »

We launched last weekend to find that the weather man had called the bad weather, a few days too soon.
We were one of a very few boats on the water and intended to only fish a few hours.
Due to the great day we had, we decided to stay a little longer and were treated to great fish.
Many more were released and I managed my PB so far of 50cm.

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #17 on:** April 09, 2017, 05:25:30 AM »

We launched in the dark much to the dismay of our guest angler.
He could not imagine why we would not rather launch "at a decent hour like 09:00"
Until he saw the sunrise and how the fish came on the bite as the sun rose.

Next weekend, we will be chasing Kings again.

Lenny · « **Reply #18 on:** April 09, 2017, 11:55:24 AM »

Wow . Thanks for some pics and reports .
Seen some epic epic YouTube videos of some serious yellowtail in NZ ranfurly anscanother place , I , think 3 kings island or something .

For a matter of interest , the largest yellowtail this season in Struis , was a couple over 20 kg .
Trail landed the largest one 24 or 25 kgs . We often get tons of fish in the 8 to 13 kg , but nothing like those buggers .

Defo a bucket list mission to make , one day .

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #19 on:** April 10, 2017, 07:54:29 AM »

Awesome stuff bru!