1 x striped marlin Hokianga west coast 25/01/11 116kg

Yeop this will be Intereeeeeeeeeeeesssssting !!

Broadbill, Wanganella Banks, May 2006 - 2 x Frostfish, 1 x scampi

How long after the fish was hooked were the stomach contents looked at?

The blue we caught on 4th jan this year was full chocka with Alberts, according to Dave the weigh master/fish smoker in Paihia

Awesome thread, this is gonna make some great reading, great idea Kezza and thanks Ilex

During the HIBT the PORF scientists get together to do talks about recent findings and do research on fish during the tournaments. A number of talks in the years I went from 1989 research on stomach contents were part of the agendas.

I recall Julian Pepperal and either Barbara Bloch or the tattooed scientist from Tahiti were right into it. One of the impediments in getting good results is that apex predators and scavengers have very strong acid in their stomachs that dissolves things quickly when the fish / sharks are alive and continues to dissolve things after death until the acid is neutralised which is why it's often the case that fish that have been dead for whatever time only have large food items remaining in their stomachs which is still certainly great information, but not the whole picture.

Thanks Chris & welcome 

Venture wrote: This will be my first post on this web site i think i owe it you guys because i have read most reports for the areas Tutukaka north over the past couple of years  to see were the bite is happing. This Topic is a favourite of mine as we cut up all our fish ourselfs, we have taken two fish of the west this year First was 85kg stripey it was empty fish hooked at 9.15am  second fish 140 kg stripey hooked at 12.15 had a very decomposed gut of squid, and what we think was a jack mac or two, and just to note  neither fish was very aggresive when they came into the gear

Gd effort on 2 in da bag this early in da season skuz..  nice work - when ya say non aggresive - were ya having to drop back da lures or turn to get da bite..

yeah it was of glinks m8 and ya for boat name