The team behind popular fishing brand EDGE, designs and tests heaps of new gear every year. As soon as the conditions are right, they’re out there putting the latest products through their paces. So, who better to answer your questions about all things saltwater fishing?

I would love to catch a hapuku (groper), what is the best rig and bait? Max, Napier

Hapuku are one the most sought-after table fish and can be found all around NZ from the deep south to the far north. Hapuku can be found in quite shallow 80m reefs in more remote areas, right through to 300m and everywhere in between. When fishing in deep water, a heavy duty ledger rig is your go to. Typically these rigs are made with a minimum of 200lb mono but the deeper you fish the more heavy duty the rig should be. When fishing at these depths, self-hooking circle hooks are best in a 14/0 or 16/0 size.

Sinker size recommendation for various depths: 100m/12oz, 200m/20oz & 300m/32oz. Hot Tip – Use water activated flashing fishing lights tied to your rig as an attractor. One of the easiest and best baits is whole squid, but any fresh baits such as barracouta/ sea perch work well and these are often caught as bycatch.

If you want to target XOS sized hapuku, use live baits such as jack mackerel - when using live baits often kingfish will be caught. Other good eating table fish caught when fishing depths over 200m are bluenose, bass and jemfish.

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Tight Lines!

  - The Team at EDGE Fishing