MB wrote: Reel Deal wrote: what do you do with your big snaps MB. When they unfortunately can’t be released. Do you smoke? Double fillet lengthwise each side. Cook whole and flake? This particular fish was filleted as normal. The top loins were brined and smoked whole. Lower loins cut in to fish bites across the grain. Frame will be dusted in salt/flour and fried. Wings were skinned and will be deep fried. I don't think big snapper deserve their reputation for poor eating. I believe it stems from trying to cook a big fat fillet in the same way as a fillet from a pannie which inevitably results in some part over or undercooked. Cutting across the grain also helps to tenderise the final product. As a point of interest, we had a "bad" snapper recently. We've eaten hundreds, if not thousands of snapper and all have been good. The fish in question was iki'ed, iced and filleted within a few hours of capture. It tasted very fishy. In retrospect, it had a thick blood line and this was the source of the bad taste. Unfortunately, we turned the whole lot in to breaded fish bites for my son and he won't touch them! We are now plodding through it ourselves. Most of it ends up in Japanese curries. With the latest big fish, I removed the blood line just to be on the safe side and it tastes great!

Well first time out this year in boat . Mate rang friday night to see if i wanted to go for a harbor fish so thought yeah wy not. met at the obc at 9 and picked a spot over takahiwai way which i thought would be good this time of year and tide . Had anchor down by round 9.30 and with bite time from 10.30 = 12.30 and low bout 12.45 sat back and waited. Put a burley down bout 10.15 and rigged up another rod , so had one with a 5 mtr trace below a 5oz weight and another two hook ledger with a 5 oz on bottom. Only using squid for bait.. Well from 10.30 till 12.00 it was alll go , no undersize fish but we were releasing a lot in anticipation for bigger . We finished with 14 all around 38 - 40 cm . When the currant was strong the long trace was the one but as it slowed the ledger was working better . I  have four ready in brine for smoker tomorrow , and two  for fresh cooking. Yum !

Trip out from Tutukaka fishing in close.  Rare bait and berley trip for me.  Some smallish stuff plus one of 56, 82, 72 and 60 cm.  Nice condition fish - my first over 20lb I reckon: nothign to some of you guys but we all have to lose our virginity sometime.

Any sign of the work ups that often happen this time of year off ruakaka?

Ahh bugga was thinking I might come up for a weekend

Well it finally happened after 40 years fishing I only came home with 2 small fish. TWICE! Brother in law turned up after travelling from the train at 4am. Off we went tried it all. Every trick we had and it took 2 hours to get one bite. Be=even burly bomb deployed soft baits jigs stray lines dropper rigs at various spots. Finally snagged 2 fish first day and after drowning our sorrows went out latter next day and same result. Never had such bad fishing. Even when others don’t catch we are always binning trying not to sound smug but no doubt all on here have a high level of skill and produce ….10%s. Just scratching our heads. We caught 5a or so fish each day but small. Due to 20knot winds and rough conditions didn’t get deeper than 40m 

First fish for ages today . Caught 2 nice snaps off onerahi wharf , and 1 off tamaterau beach . Gave one away at wharf , dropped one to me mum , and will have fish 4 tea tomorrow . All full of crabs and the small black Mussels.

For me it's not about limits , it's about relaxing, having a beer and sharing anything i may catch with those who aren't able to catch their own

So many fish around at the moment. The only times I've struggled is when I've pushed out to deep water only to come and catch fish back in the shallows. I will say that average size is down compared to previous years, but no complaints about numbers. 

Nice One Reel Deal, it's always feels good to take out someone young or old , if they don't get out much,  because they get a real buzz out of it . Cheers