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Gear
Z Man DarterZ soft bait bodies
I’m a big fan of Z Man soft bait bodies.
I’ve used them for many years and found that they are usually my go-to choice, and I’m not alone.
The other option is GULP, which are an entirely different proposition, and more recently, Catch and Daiwa entering the market with a very similarly based product to Z Man. That is, a tough, but very stretchy elastomer material in a range of tasty colours.

Deep-water
How to make groper rigs
Check out the deluxe groper rigs full how-to video from Mark Cotton.

Gear
Catch Rainbow Warrior Double Trouble
The Catch Double Trouble is one of their very best jig patterns. We've caught everything from snapper and kingfish, to albacore tuna and exotic species overseas on this versatile slow pitch/mechanical crossover lure. Here's Espresso talking about a hot new colour out for this season, the Rainbow Warrior.

Deep-water
Deepwater fishing for hapuku, bass and bluenose. Pete Lamb Special
Big, fat fish that are awesome to eat! Deepwater species make up a staple target for fishermen all over New Zealand, particularly in the colder months when snapper and game fish take a winter break. The catch is often made up of fish that are large in size, where sometimes just one fish can fill the freezer and provide food for a month. It can be very rewarding, exciting, and certainly provides a solid work session if you are not using electric reels.
It also means that these giants of the deep will be making a one-way trip, there is no returning fish that are pulled up from that depth, as they are ‘blown’ from the massive change in water pressure and usually float to the surface for the last 50 metres once you have them up that far. Here’s where sensible catch management is required for the respect of the fishery and the protection of your own spot X’s for next time. ‘Deep’ water, means anything over 100 metres, and commonly down to 350 metres or even more. This means specialist tackle and techniques are required.
Pete Lamb operates long term Wellington store Pete Lamb Fishing, and has been operating charters that prospect the deep for many years. Here’s a really comprehensive article on deep water fishing with specific focus on some of the Wellington region areas, but all the other information is relevant to fishing these species all around the coastlines of New Zealand.

Techniques
How to fish soft baits with Rob Fort
Get a full run down on the basics of soft bait and soft plastic fishing, including the techniques explained to help you go out and be successful with this style. Learn about sink rates and staying in touch during the decent plus more with pro angler Rob Fort.

Techniques
Japanese micro jigging techniques
The Japanese invented micro jigs, and have also developed some specific techniques for fishing them. These little lures are deadly in NZ waters, particularly on snapper.
Check out this great technique instruction, it's in Japanese but has full subtitles.

Techniques
Top water kingfish action and tips
Join Adan Clancy from Fishy Business and Ben Pokaia for top tips for jigging and top water fishing for Bay Of Plenty Kingfish.

Japanese
High detail slow pitch jig techniques explained
English subtitles: Watch and learn the subtleties and actions, and the reasoning behind them in this instructional video. There's a lot to be applied here to slow pitch jigging for snapper and kingfish here in NZ.