Whangaroa Gamefishing Update

Not too bad a week; 13 marlin fell to the lures of recreational anglers, and 1 yellowfin tuna. The 39.7kg tuna was fooled by a black lure trolled out of the back of Stephenson’s Island. Black seems to be the colour lately with 2 marlin on black & purple, 1 on black & pink, 1 on purple and 1 on a Jellybean ( a kind of duller fruit salad).

Five fish came from the King Bank in conditions not so flat as they have been up there, and with an average weight of about 100kg which is on a par with the local fish who must have fattened up through the season.

There was a report of a monster striped marlin tagged & released on the King Bank estimated at 160kg by 2 experienced skippers which would have been a pin fish for the Whangaroa Gamefish Club had it been landed.

Locally the marlin are still being caught in scattered locations from Cape Brett to Matai Bay, with a good starting place to be trolling at around the 200m line.

Sandra Moore
(Recorder)