Yellowfin
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=138941
Printed Date: 28 Jan 2026 at 12:47am
Topic: Yellowfin
Posted By: Tonto2
Subject: Yellowfin
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 1:03pm
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No i havent caught one in the Manukau. With so many catches being reported and every day i get older, i am tempted to go and try my luck. Never tried before except years ago at Whakatane after they had stopped visiting. Question is where is the best place to target them from a 6 mtere boat. Seems they have been close in to Paihia lately. I am more familiar with bream bay . Or maybe whiti? Any intel greatly appreciated. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Replies:
Posted By: Kevin.S
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 4:19pm
| One of our club members weighed one in a couple of weeks ago caught off the West coast out from the Manukau, so you might not be as far off as you think. It was a 50kg fish. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 5:06pm
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My bucket list fish. I remember wanting to catch one at 6 years old. Keep dreaming Smudgie! ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 7:28pm
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I dont do the Manukau bar. I have been boating pretty all my life but not bar crossings. I think i might try an east coast mission , the fish seem pretty close at paihia , was hoping someone might have intel , semi retired now so also a bucket list fish for me. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 8:48pm
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Got a couple of mates pulling them over whitianga, lots of fish around. Whitianga has good boat ramps and plenty of places to go in a 6.0 mtr boat. |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 10:59pm
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How far out Kerry? ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2024 at 11:13pm
------------- "Times up" |
Tonto2 wrote:Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2024 at 6:45am
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I went out yesterday. Fish were caught from the Aldies to south of Tauranga. That was on the radio channel I was on, so there will be more. Few Mahi and about 4 or 5 marlin caught too. It's cranking all along the coast here. I suspect the old Whakatane grounds will be probably the best as it traditionally was, by the end of season. I'd suggest out of either Tauranga or Whakatane. Tauranga doesn't have a bar to contend with.
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Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2024 at 6:55am
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Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2024 at 4:20pm
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Whakatane has been landing some big YF for several weeks now. And they are off Gisborne. If you are willing to travel to the E coast, you should find some - without having to cross a bar. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2024 at 5:01pm
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Thanks guys, just looking for weather window now, Sunday might be a go ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2024 at 8:26pm
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Good luck. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 5:09am
| The area either side of mayor has been fishing well the last few days. 200-400m has been the money. Where ever you decide, good luck. |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 4:06pm
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Oki doki ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2024 at 7:02pm
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Weather looks average ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2025 at 8:26pm
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Finally managed to get out today from Tauranga to have a go at a yellowfin .....and then we came home.😅. We did see gannets going in hard and separately a big pod of dolphins but no tuna. We trekked out to Mayor and put a good 5 hours in south and south east but nada. Still a good day though. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2025 at 7:06am
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At least you had a crack at it Tonto, am hoping to go out west later in the week.
------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2025 at 3:32pm
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Thats what people always say when you fail eh Mike , at least you had a go. �£�£�£. I always tell my grandkids you cant catch them sitting on the couch. Good luck on the west coast gamefish. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2025 at 4:54pm
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Exactly - you don't catch fish on the verandah. You need lines in the water. You will get your YF if you perservere - guaranteed. For what it is worth, it helps to have the lures a bit further back than you would normally troll - since you are specifically fishing for YF. Or at least run a long shotgun (middle ) lure. Maybe 30m back. Good luck Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2025 at 8:09pm
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Cheers Alan ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2025 at 4:28am
| For what it's worth the 80 to 90m has been fishing really well out of Whangamata. If you make it back soon, let me know and I can let you know what I've heard down here. Channel 3 is the fishing chat channel. It's worth listening too, as it gives you a feeling on what's going on. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2025 at 6:22am
Yeah we had a crack at SBT's last year. Nothing for two days but at least we tried instead of thinking 'why didn't we do that'  ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2025 at 12:30pm
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Went out on Saturday from Whangamata to have a crack at the yellowfin, not very successful, but we did boat a 87kg stripey! No idea what we were doing.. ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2025 at 9:43pm
Well it would appear to me that you did know! ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2025 at 6:09pm
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No teasers, no outriggers, just two borrowed rods and lures, out flopping around amongst the big flash boats.. ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2025 at 9:27pm
| Just the basics and ya cracked it ..😃😃 shows you don't need all the flash gears.. just some trying |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2025 at 9:47pm
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Agree, well done Big Dave. We got the first marlin on our boat 90 mins into our game fishing adventure. The lure was a $7 Doorknob from a bargain bin at The Warehouse. Heaviest marlin (110kg) from the west coast for our One Base and 3rd overall. We were beaten into 2nd by a 110.7kg fish. You got one, just like we did. Be proud! ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2025 at 12:41am
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👍👊👊👍 ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2025 at 2:01pm
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The hunt is on again. I tried last year but no cigar. If anyone has any intel of tuna close in i would appreciate a heads up. Not exact marks of course but any info greatly appreciated. A yellowfiin is a fish on top of my bucket list. Cheers guys ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: MJ
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2025 at 2:12pm
| Watching this thread with interest. I'm with you Tonto - 6m alloy boat and very interested in targeting YF. One suggestion - maybe launch at Mangawhai (bar is fine if you follow the rules - been over there several times no issue) and try outside the Hen and Chicks? |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2025 at 4:29pm
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Yeah i am in a 6.2 so closer in the better. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2025 at 8:35pm
| Last weekend there were quite a few caught between the kumera Patch and the V. I haven't heard anything since though. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2025 at 6:23am
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Not \heard of any Westie YFT's yet this yearoff the Manukau but with marlin caught down New Plymouth and one at least lost up here then there's a fair chance we're in for a treat. At this stage there are very big swells coming through Wednesday but Saturday is almost looking doable. ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 8:21pm
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Well 2 more beautiful days chasing yellowfin at Tauranga. Chasing being the word as we trolled for 2 days without laying eyes on a tuna. We did catch trevally, kingis, blue macks and many other species over some of the pins and had some awesome sushimi but alas still no tuna. Ah well pretty lucky to fish for 2 days in exceptional weather. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 8:52pm
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Did you have any intel as to what was happening in your area? If the fish were around, you might have expected to nail some. They are catching at Gisborne and Mahia right now. Waiting for them to drift a bit further south. Hopefully they are a week or more away yet. Still finsihing off an outrigger set up and a bunch of other jobs. I am not quite organised for them yet. But some intel will help - a hot bite in some location. Were you working off something - SSTs, currents etc. Around here, I never go blind trolling. I am always aiming for some spot(s) Good luck, A 'bad' days fishing is still better than a 'good' days work. Thats my theory anyway. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 9:56pm
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Cheers Alan, yes we had some tip offs to troll from Mayor down towards WHale but the action just didn’t materialise. Monday we went from towards the Aldies also on a tipoff but yeahnah. Still great to be out on the water after a long absence. I will keep trying. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 10:32pm
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Having never caught a YFT I reckon I'm the right guy to start handing out advise Martyn! I know they are at 85m off the Manukau. try some surface lures and some Rapalas. I was talking to a guy (yeah that guy) who told me that there were plenty around on Sunday but weren't interested in their lures. He has a wealth of knowledge on the west coast off the Manukau as an ex commercial fisherman T and says they are more likely to bite if there's a bit of chop. The weapon of choice is Rapalas in Raro and they get plenty over there. 30m behind the boat. Alan L will know more about it than me because he has actually caught them! ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 10:33pm
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Monday next week is looking good at this stage ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tonto2
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 10:37pm
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👍 thanks Mike. We been trolling 2 nomad bibbed lures and 3 skirted lures. Pretty sure we just didnt find them though. ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 5:42pm
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Yep some diver lures are a must and some medium skirts. Run them back a bit more than usual. The more chop the better - for tuna. When it is too rough to fish, then the bite is really on. Glassy flat days make the job a lot harder. Near inpossible. If you find a bust up, fish jumping, and they won't take a lure, switch to poppers. Deadly. Prob caught most of mine on poppers. They wil also work when the fish are around but the bite is dead. ie - you know you are over YF - maybe (hopefully) marking them on the sounder. But nothing is working. Time to drag out the popper. I am going to be running 3 lures. At least 1 will be a diver. Some big YF and big eye being caught off Gissy and Mahia now. (100+kg). Last pic I saw was off a rapala. If you want a bit of advice - Laser pros are excellent forYF . I have checked and you can get them here. If you have one bibbed lure get a blue laser pro. Good luck Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 5:54pm
 This will get you going - but earlier this yr, grad daughter and BF came over to Vtu for a few days. They both had a 21st withing a week of each other. His present from Lil was a trip on Nambas - my charter mate's boat. He just charged gas money.We got about 6 I think. But at least 5 were on laser pros, one (the biggest) was on a popper when the bite went quiet.  ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 7:21pm
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Awesome intel Alan!
------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Hightower
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2025 at 8:33pm
| We put in some hours today, chasing the yellowfin off the Manukau. Heaps of bait from about 50m out, heaps of birds diving(especially 70-85m) not much action on the lures. We did see a couple of yellowfin (one small, one really good size) and had one hookup which came off as we cleared the other gear 😞 Won't forget the sight of a big barrel launching out of the water only a few meters away from the boat |
Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2025 at 9:07am
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Wow! this thread has got me thinking about having a crack at this trolling thing (I've got a lot to learn). A mates teenage daughter got a nice YFT out the back of the Aldermans around 3 weeks ago (He hasn't got one yet - but he was skipper). |