Fishing with live bait part 2

The ability to bridle rig and deploy a healthy skipjack tuna live bait is an essential skill for any serious game fisherman.

Jigging is an effective method for targeting kingfish, but for sheer adrenaline value, targeting top water kingfish has that extra bit of visual excitement.

For me, chasing kingfish on jigs is where my craze and passion for fishing started.

This may come as a shock, but in the days before jigs, fishermen would use bait. Not highly sophisticated but still effective were ledger and strayline rigs adorned with pilchards

Spring and Summer work-ups are one phenomena that not only get nature's participants excited but fishermen as well. As the water warms up in springtime, snapper start to move into the gulf, usually from a northerly to southerly direction.

Here's a great demo of how to properly fillet gurnard and sole from Knifetech NZ

The Deep V is a versatile lure for catching kingfish, XXL snapper and many other species. It combines several design features to present a lure that is irresistible.Here's a slow pitch jig that can either be mechanically jigged or slow pitch fished to save your energy. Check out the new Catch Deep V

To hell with the diet, there are times when fresh fish just screams for a light, crunchy beer batter. If you are looking for a fool-proof, instant, mouth-watering golden batter that cracks like a potato chip, makes you look like a master chef and pleases any crowd, then get yourself down to your nearest supermarket and pick up a packet of Fogdog.

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it is the newest addition to the Catch Fishing ‘Livies’ stable of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) wriggling goodies.

There’s been a real growth in the stick bait and surface lure department this year, with so many anglers enjoying great action getting ripped by the local kingfish population. Fishing sticks around opportunistic boilups, reef structure, or marker buoys etc, is without doubt totally thrilling to see, and the gear is so much fun to fight fish on.

If throwing soft baits, saltwater flies, or stick baits is your bag, then take a second look at this. NZ Fishing World recently spent a bit of time with fledgeling boat manufacturer Innovision, based in Whangarei, filming and enjoying a day on board a couple of their smaller model offerings, including the very handy 515 centre console.

Should you buy a specialist casting braid? Cut to the chase…yes, you should, and here’s why.