Hey Everyone, I came across your forum after learning I will be going/coming to New Zealand in mid-January. I hope to do some (a lot of) fishing while I’m there and I’ll probably try to pick your brains for techniques and tackle. We will be in the Gisborne Mahia area and hope to fish the saltwater as much as possible.

A little about myself and our fishing here in Southern California. My name is Erik and I’ve been fishing over 5 decades (grouchy old grey hair now). Mostly saltwater as I grew up on the coast in the small town of Seal Beach south of LA but north of Surf City, Huntington Beach. The shore, jetties, marinas and piers were my playground after school growing up. Surf fishing included perch, croakers and the elusive halibut. In the summers the bonito (small tuna) and yellowtail (you call them kingfish) would show up to provide some fun and excitement. The party boats, we call them cattle boats, would pack in 50 anglers to get outside for the bigger pelagic fish with a guaranteed tangle mess while shoulder to shoulder. The longer range boats, day and a half or more, would head out for the real tuna, yellowfin and Bluefin and bigger yellowtail, and head out to the fishing grounds. On those trips you would flyline a sardine or anchovy or throw jigs to entice them. I finally got the hang of the inshore halibut fishing and became quite successful. Using surf smelt for bait ‘Carolina rigged’ (hook with a sliding egg sinker) and kept it moving on the bottom proved to be the secret to hooking up and landing keepers (22 inches or 56 cm. minimum size).

So, once in NZ I hope to fish the shore for the many fish you have there and see what I can catch. I hope to learn what I can for you all and pass on some of what we do/use here for some good fishing and enjoyment. Thanks in advance for the info I’ve already gained and I look forward to meeting a fishing with you next month.