Daily Blog
My name is Captain Ross Hunter, having fished these amazing waters for over three decades I am convinced that this magnificently picturesque place is one of the most productive marlin fisheries in the world and for us lucky New south Welshman, it's right on our door step.
Imagine catches of 16,18 and 21 marlin in a day or 248 for a season, that is world class by anyone's standards. The average size of a Pt Stephens striped is around 80kg and these double figure, per day numbers are achieved by the charter fleet every season from January to late April. Each summer season there are many charter boats that travel from as far as Cairns to the north and Batemans Bay to the south to join us locals at Pt Stephens.
These boats target the abundant stocks of blacks; blues (and the most predominant marlin) the striped on all types of tackle, be-it fly fishing, spear fishing or conventional tackle.(P) Many of my long time friends are in this regime,very experienced skippers and the most respected marlin captains in the world, all turn up on que- Captains Glenn Hunter on Billfisher, Jim Dalling on Reel Chase, Tim Dean Calypso, Scott Thorington Freedom, Bill Billson Viking 11, Brian Felton Inya Dreams Cory Hard Maunakia, Bob Jones Fascination 11, Paul Whelan Devil's Pride, Sparrow Denham Square Bear, Biggles on his boat and yours truly on Broadbill we all drift in and out for the season.
Us Captains love the place, not just for its beauty in landscape but also for its camaraderie. The charter industry works well in this Port, there is a lot of harmony between skippers and that always works well, no petty jealousies, just a bunch of likeminded skippers wanting to catch fish, many of us not seeing each other for most of the year then catching up for a couple of months doin' what we do best and that's catching marlin..
In the long run "Happy customers,smiles on dials …that’s what I'm talkin' about". And we get that from catching marlin and we do work together to achieve that end result.
I recall Jim Dalling calling me up and saying from his vantage point on the tower of "Reel Chase" "Come over here Roscoe there's a bunch of stripes on a bait ball'. We caught several fish in a couple of hours, both of us going backwards chasing a hot fish, most of the time.
However it is not just the brilliant marlin fishing, it is also the superb scenery of the place that I never get sick of looking at, it really is a breathtaking port to leave from and then come home to after a busy days fishing.
The heads, that are made up of Headlands and Islands are remnants of an extinct volcano from a long forgotten dinosaur era. The highest mountain to the south Tomaree forms an embattlement that protects the mariners from bad weather, making the port a most safe passage for our boats.
To the north Yaccabah with its picturesque, almost vertical mountainous slopes and giant wind eroded gorges that the sea pounds into with great force sending plumes of spray forever skyward., a most spectacular sight as we steam to the bait grounds at first light. The colours of these beautiful steeped cliffs changes constantly with sunlight, depending on the light of the day.
Then there's Cabbage Tree Island with its western rain forest and gorges full of cabbage trees, home of the tiny Goulds Petrel and a resident family of white bellied sea eagles, Little Island and Boondelbah Island they all form the breathtaking oceanic entrance to the Port.
Over the years there have been many milestones, Broadbill's twenty one marlin in a day in February 2005. A day when a bait ball was found with an estimated 80 striped marlin working it up all day, all we had to do was to back up to it and throw two live baits in and immediately hook two 80 to 120kg stripes up.
There also has been many World and Australian records on all kinds of tackle all caught from this world class fishery. The area constantly produces record catches of stripes and juvenile black marlin (fish to 150kg) and some "honker" blue marlin up to 350kg But there are other species that are targeted and they are mahis, yellowfin and cobia and they come in XXXOS size as well.
Pt. Stephens hosts the largest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere 'The NSW Interclub" 250 boats turn up and fill the port in February each year. To compete in this extremely well organised event.is a busy and exciting affair. Local boat "Born Free" winning in '07 with Captain Tim Dean at the helm It is a most spectacular sight when all these boats from 6 metre trailer boats to 50metre fuel guzzling battle wagons gather together to fish these waters.
If it is a fisherman's holiday you want and you also wouldn't mind coming back with "Your arms dangling like those of an ape from the stretching they'll get during your stay" then visit us at
PT.STEPHENS you will not be disappointed.
Samoa is located east of the international dateline and south of the equator 4400 klms from Sydney, Australia. There are ten islands in the group, the two larger islands Upolu and Savaii and eight smaller islands. Approximately 180,000 people inhabit Samoa. Along with its idyllic location, Samoa also has another wonderful attribute - its fishing!
The Samoa Ports Authority has taken up a new challenge in its strive to promote tourism especially Fishing and Yachting in Samoa with its new development the Apia Marina, ideal for the cruising Yachtsman or Charter Fishing operators. The Apia Marina is divided into 2 phases, phase 1 is the completion of the 50 berth facility for yachts, phase 2 the construction of Samoan design Mall for lease offering the Marina as a one stop place of convenience.
Phase 2 will also see the extension of the marina to berth another 32 yachts and further , Apia Marina will not only offer beautiful surroundings but a secure berthing area for boat owners.
Apia Marina’s phase 1 opened on the 22nd August to coincide with the South Pacific Games 2007, SPA was also a proud sponsor of the Games. There was 22 Flags flown on the Marina Breakwater to acknowledge the 22 countries who participated in the games. Samoa’s first ever floating restaurant was moored next to the Marina during the games and offered a romantic dining setting while enjoying the Sunset.
You really had to be there to believe it.
Contact: Samoa Ports Authority Phone: +685 64400 email: spa@spasamoa.ws
Website: www.spasamoa.ws
The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands within an area of some 2 million square kilometres of the South Pacific Ocean. The most well known and most populated island is Rarotonga in the Southern Group. Rarotonga has a resident population of around 9,000 and an annual influx of some 92,000 tourists. Lots of tourists will also visit Aitutaki - a stunningly beautiful island 220 kms north of Rarotonga with a beautiful large lagoon.
Rarotonga has six well equipped game fishing boats that offer 1/2 day or full day charters. Deep water suitable for game fishing is only a matter of 300 metres outside the harbour, so fishing commences within 5 minutes from leaving the marina. Around 1 km out from the island it is 1 km deep. No long time wasted on trips to the fishing grounds. Wahoo season runs from mid-June to mid-October. The wahoo in the Cook Islands are big. During the main season an average fish is around 20 odd kgs with plenty caught in the 30 plus kgs. The largest wahoo weighed in last year was 63 kg. You can catch wahoo year round, but outside the main season the size of the fish is more around 10 kg to 15 kg.
Mahi mahi are one of of the most spectacular fish caught in the Cook Islands. Mahi mahi are often found around any floating debris in the ocean. Both Rarotonga and Aitutaki have several Fish Aggregation Devices (FAD'S) usually about 1km - 2km offshore and moored in approximately 1200 metres of water. FAD's are constructed and deployed with the sole purpose of attracting fish. They are like an artificial reef in the middle of the ocean and initially they will attract bait fish ,which in turn will bring the bigger fish like mahi mahi, tuna and marlin. Most boats will troll around the FAD's, but sometimes, especially if trolling is not producing results, some fishermen will down line or jig. Tuna will bite better early morning or late afternoon, so the down lining, or jigging is done more during the middle of the day. Marlin season usually runs from early November to end of March early April. Blue marlin are the most common but we catch blacks and stripeys. Several years ago we caught a tagged black. It had been caught and tagged just north of Cairns and 212 days later it succumed to one of our lures. It had travelled a straight line distance of 5600 kms.
Reef and lagoon fishing is especially rewarding at Aitutaki. The lagoon is about 5 km's long and 3 km's wide. There are lots of trevally, coral trout and many other tropical fish in the lagoon. Also that is where the much sought after bonefish is found - so for the serious light tackle fisherman this is the place to be. Outside the reef the giant trevally or "G.T." can be found.
Both Rarotonga and Aitutaki have game fishing clubs both affiliated with the I.G.F.A. These are a great place to go and swap fishing stories and have a cold beer or two. Local fishing competitions are held regularly.
During the months of June to October, if you are on a fishing trip, the chances are that while you are out there you will also have an encounter with Humpback whales. These incredible creatures migrate from Antarctic waters to the warmer waters of the tropics to calve and breed.
Contact: Pacific Marine Charters Phone: +68221237
Email: pacmarine@cookislands.co.ck
Website: http://www.pacificmarinecharters.co.ck
Fishing the Tutukaka and Whangarei Coast in New Zealand
Spring in the Tutukaka Coast/Whangarei area is a time when sport fishing depends mainly on snapper and yellowtail kingfish. As the water begins to warm, plankton discolours the sea near the coast and schooling fish such as trevally, kahawai and slimy mackerel begin feasting on the surface. Snapper begin to aggregate in the bays and shallow coastal water prior to spawning, which can occur any time between November and January. Schools aggregate both on reefs and over sand bottoms, forming distinctive beehive-shaped marks on the sounder. During this time they feed voraciously on almost anything they can catch.
Most anglers use bait such as whole pilchards, although freshly-caught mullet or jack mackerel work well for bigger fish. The new soft baits are also very effective and have the major advantage that they require no cold storage. Schooling snapper range in size from 2kg to 8kg with larger individuals up to around 12kg. Even though schooling snapper will feed irregularly throughout the day, the best times are – as always – dawn and dusk, when the bite will often be frantic. Berley bombs that are almost a necessity during most of the year are often unnecessary during the school season, and can even be counter-productive if predatory barracouta are in the neighbourhood. Generally, however, barracouta are only a problem when the water depth exceeds 30 metres or so.
As smaller bait fish like pilchards also school up close to shore during this period, they are often attended by yellowtail kings. Kingfish, as they are generally known in New Zealand, are found in a variety of locations in this area. The size of these fish varies from school fish “rats” right up to big old green-backs of 30kg and more. The entrance to Whangarei Harbour is one popular location that is easily accessible. Here, kingfish school around and under the navigation bouys that guide container ships and oil tankers into the harbour. They respond well to poppers, trolled lures and live baits. Further from port, exposed headlands, submerged reefs and rock stacks are likely spots for kingfish encounters. Offshore, the Hen and Chicken Islands, Sail Rock and the more distant Mokohinau group are well known kingfish hot spots. kingfish of 40kg can be encountered at the Mokohinaus.
The once popular and very productive spots close in around the Poor Knights Islands, off Tutukaka, are now unavailable as they form part of the marine reserve there, but some submerged reefs and pinnacles nearby remain very popular, particularly for jigging of medium sized fish. Prime spot amongst these is North Reef, a mile from the top of the Poor Knights. This pinnacle, rising from 130m to 40m, remains one of the best fishing locations anywhere on this stretch of coast. Even though it is heavily fished it continues to provide excellent catches of kingfish, snapper, trevally, red snapper and groper. By December, it will begin to attract some of the big pelagics like mako sharks, striped marlin and yellowfin tuna. Schools of skipjack tuna will also begin to show, providing light tackle fun and prime bait for snappper and most other benthic species.
Come over and fish one of the great fishing areas of New Zealand.
Article courtesy Peter Saul of Lady Jess Charters, Whangarei
Ph: +64 (0) 9 434-3758
Email: pete@igrin.co.nz
Prepare for the fight of your life - sport fishing in the Northern Territory is not for the faint hearted.
The Northern Territory's blue water is home to some of the most aggressive predators and gutsy fighters in the sea. Sport fishing targets bigger fish that favour deeper water and these fish are tireless fighters. The goal of sport fishing is to catch them using tackle that is light enough to give the fish a chance to escape unharmed - increasing the challenge for the angler.
The Northern Territory's Timor and Arafura Seas are hot spots for this type of fishing. From Darwin anglers can launch their boat or join a fishing tour to places like Bynoe Harbour, where giant trevally (GT), queenfish, tuna and mackerel are some of the targeted species. One of the Northern Territory's best sports fishing destinations is remote Arnhem Land. Fishing charters are the best way to experience this region and they leave from Gove Peninsula in North East Arnhem Land, the Cobourg Peninsula and Maningrida.
Off the coast of Gove Peninsula anglers can catch barracuda, sailfish and marlin - the ultimate sports fish that put up a thrilling fight. Queenfish, mackerel, trevally and cobia are some of the other angling challenges for sport fishers in this area.
The Cobourg Peninsula, including Croker Island, is also another hot spot as are Groote Eylandt and throughout the Gulf of Carpentaria.
