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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.

Here's a complete step-by-step guide to using micro jigs. Learn the techniques to be successful at catching fish with four methods explained in detail including easy to follow instructional diagrams.

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.

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

It was chaos! the pack of Kingfish erupted on the surface splaying froth and panicking baitfish in every direction. Words can’t even describe the sight as I grabbed my topwater gear and belted a quick cast into the riot. Fish were flying all over the surface and after a couple of winds ‘booom’! As line peeled off the wailing Stella all I could do was watch and hang on. With 15kgs of drag locked on it was one of those moments where the sheer excitement was overriding the pain of every muscle screaming to hold fast. After a tough, twenty-minute tug-o-war the fish finally turned, and I was able to coax him up. Kingfish are brutal on any gear, but on the longer topwater rods they have a leverage advantage and as an angler, you get to feel every bit of the fight even more than on normal jigging gear. When the fish appeared it was as much a relief as anything, and I knew this was around a 30kg PB straight away. Such a magnificent fish deserved to go back to get even bigger, so after a few snaps he was back over the side leaving me with that exhausted and elated feeling. Did that really happen?

Watch now: Grant 'Espresso' Bittle and Catch pro angler Edward Uhai Lee share some expert knowledge with hints, tips and technique advice to help you with your artificial bait game. Recorded live at the 2019 Hutchwilco Boat Show. Enjoy.

The boys find themselves in the right place at the right time. Gannets diving have given away a pack of hunting kingfish

Suzuki powered and fully loaded. Here's the latest on the Lateral Line boat build

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.

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.

Here's a great look at all the key factors before planning a fishing trip courtesy of ol mate Briggsy from Aus. In this educational fishing series we look at time of day, tide, moon phase, current, and weather.

In this video we take a look at an epic free diving spot North of Auckland in New Zealand. Goat Island is a marine reserve that has a unique biome and completely tame snapper. Snapper are very difficult to catch while spearfishing at the best of times, but the fish have become tame over decades of protection in the marine reserve. They will happily follow divers around and it makes for an excellent free diving location being that it is sheltered and often reasonably clean.