Dear Paul

I was interested to read your article in the NZ Fishing News regarding kite fishing over foul ground.

The following theory came to mind as another option for dropper rigs

A line is attached to the rear of the line that holds the traces, and it extends up to a second plastic milk bottle on the surface of the sea.

As a variation on the above, while the kite is being released offshore, the two weights could be held up against their respective bottles with Lifesaver lollies cats-pawed to the lines, just below the sinkers, which are attached by Sea-Harvester clips, as described in your magazine article.

I would appreciate hearing from you as to whether the theory would work in practice. If so, feel free to pass on the concept to others.

Yours sincerely

Alistair Morine

Editors note : I think this would also work. I have posted the "Fishing News" article on site with detailed diagrams. It gives good information on kitefishing in difficult areas with dropper rigs. Go to Running Float Dropper Rig to read the full article.

The Kite Fishing Club had their club day last Sunday at Te Arai Point. The day started off very still and the kites were finally launched around 10am. While waiting for the wind to pick up David Billings checked out what the surfcasters on the beach were catching - they all seemed to be bringing in kahawai.

David took his 65kg Dropper Rig and set it around 800m offshore. Using a Delta Force Kite and Large Skyhook he put out 10 hooks on each set. Mindful of the light winds David even cut down the size of the baits he was using to ensure the gear got out to the desired distance offshore. The wind reached a maximum of 12 knots during the day.

Fishing the northern side of Te Arai Point, David put out two sets. The first was baited with mullet and returned one kahawai. Determined to catch a snapper, he cut the fresh kahawai into pieces and reset the gear with the kahawai head on the back trace of the hook section.

His strategy worked and the second set was brought in with a 5.2kg snapper on the back trace. This fish took the club prize for the day. Other members of the Kite Fishing Club landed kahawai from the northern side of Te Arai Point, fishing between 900 to 1000 metres offshore.

Tim Gerard decided to fish the southern side of Te Arai Point with his Flexiwing Rig and landed kahawai and a good-sized gurnard.

It was a fun day out for the club members and it's great to know there are still some good snapper around. Understandably David is very keen to get out kitefishing again this coming weekend.

Coromandel

Peter at the Papa Aroha Holiday Park specializes in catering for fishing parties. He reports the numbers of kingfish being landed from the shore has slowed down but the snapper fishing is still going strong.

Squid and pilchards are the baits that are working; bonito seems to have gone off the menu for now. Peter also reports there are still lots of small fish about, so use the Target Hooks if you are fishing in this area and give those fish a good chance of survival. Peter has the Target Hooks in stock.

Three locals fishing in a dinghy this week landed limit bags of snapper up to 4kg fishing in close.

Surfcasters fishing from the beach have been landing some good snapper as well; one such fisher landed six snapper earlier on in the week. This is good news for anyone with a kite looking to head to the Coromandel.

Photo Contest

Be In To Win $600.00

A reminder to all you budding photographers out there to take your cameras to the beach when you go kitefishing. Our annual Photo Contest is underway with $600.00 worth of kitefishing gear up for grabs for the best kitefishing photo sent in to us by March 2003.

Remember to include the kite in the photo, preferably have the sea in the background and happy faces. See newsletter 5 for the full details.

Monthly Photo Prize

Paul's Fishing Kites are offering a $30.00 gift voucher for the best photo of the month that makes it into the kitefishing report in the NZ Fishing News magazine or onto our website. The prize is available for photos of catches taken on one of our kitefishing rigs or with our Target Hooks. There is no limit on entries so you can send in as many pics as you like.

April Winner

Our April monthly prize winner is Geoff Preston from Mokau. His winning shot is of some snapper taken from his favourite ledge using a kite powered Bottom Longline Rig. Check out the winning photo in newsletter 7. Well done Geoff. (Due to a recent system crash we have lost your email address, could you please contact us at fishing reports so we can arrange to get your voucher to you.)

May Winner

The winning pic for the month of May is from Denver Diedericks of Kelston, Auckland. An Anzac day special. Fishing at Kariotahi Beach Denver landed a great haul of fish from three sets of 10 hooks. The pic is of the best fish of the day. See the photo in newsletter 11. A $30.00 voucher is on the way to you. (Due to a recent system crash we have lost your email address, could you please contact us at fishing reports so we can arrange to get your voucher to you.)

June Winner

The prize for June goes to Robbie Cullen of Maungaturoto, for his photo taken at Uretiti Beach. It is an excellent shot showing his rig, kite, the catch for the day and a person smiling and having fun. See it in newsletter 18. This pic really deserves the monthly prize and is a definite entry for the annual photo contest. A great effort Robbie, send us more.

Photos are so much better when they are taken on the beach or in a boat so don't forget the camera next time you head out. Remember to wash off sand and blood from your fish before taking the photo and be creative. Most of all show us you are having fun. We generally take four of five different shots of the catch to ensure we get a good pic.

You can either email or post the pics to us. Please remember to include some details i.e. where, when, peoples names, bait, tide, how many sets and any other information that would be helpful for the readers.

Please provide a return address if you would like the photos returned to you. Check out newsletter 5 for the full details of what you can win in money and prizes.

DISGRUNTELED KITEFISHERMAN

I am appalled at the lack of respect of the boatie we witnessed on Monday the 15th July at Te Arai Point at 4.30 pm. We were kite fishing there and had just put the kite out when along comes a boat that looked like a commercial fisherman in close to shore approxamately 50 - 60 mtrs off shore (illegal we think).

The boat was a tinnie about 18 - 20 ft long with black writing, didn't catch the name and wish we had.

We tried to wave him out by waving a bright blue sleeping bag and my husband pointing up at the kite for 10 mins or so, with no consideration he went over it and cut it, loosing all my husbands birthday gift.

Approx 20 mins later he came back close to shore again and again I tried to wave him down to go out and get our kite still flying and drifting out further but he still didn't even wish to stop to see what we wanted, even if he was unaware of his actions.

We feel he knew and slowed down looking back after passing. I was so ropeable, swearing and yelling while my husband was more upset with the fish he would have lost and quite calm.

I think he was hiding his hurt of loss. Nows he's turning back to surfcasting for a while untill we can afford to get another kite and line etc over $200 down the drain. So please, if anyone has found a superkite and skyhook floating around would appreciate the return as I brought it for my husband as a early birthday present and I am angry he hasn't got it for his birthday on friday and can't afford to replace it.

So our keen new sport is on hold for awhile. If found please contact Kerry or Steve on (09)813-2442. Hope there's not a next time, but we have learnt and would do things differently. The Burtons (ANGRY WIFE)

After watching Geoff's Outdoor show, "Fishing for Gurnard in the Manukau", and with a southwesterly sweeping across Auckland Sunday 14th July, I got inspired to head out to Awhitu Reserve (Manukau Heads) and get some Gurnard.

At ground level the wind was non-existent, but taking Paul's advice, I sent my daughter, with the kite, 100m or so down the beach. She held the kite above her head, I spun the reel and up the kite went, heading across the Manukau.

A couple of minutes beforehand an old timer had commented,"pity about the wind", he went away scratching his head and doing a good impression of that Toyota ad.

As I have a 100kg bottom-longline, I had to tack the kite with a small weight to get straight out as there are oyster beds at either end of the beach.

First set:

Tacked 60degrees, northerly direction, had to go to the southern end of the beach to avoid the oysters and only let out 500m of line. I left it for 30 mins (baited with bonito and salted mullet), it had taken about the same time to get it out and I found on reeling it back in, a number of hooks were dragging cockle shells.

Catch: Two 3-4 lb kahawai

Second set:

Tacked 90 degrees, easy run of line 1000m. Left the set for 45 mins, no fish, no gurnard, no shells.

Interestingly the bait was generally untouched in both sets, fresh bait may be the answer, although crabs and sea lice would take its toll. As I've found out with netted fish in this area.

Must thank Paul for his advice at the Boat Show and his staff at the shop, got rid of my imitation kite for a nighthawk, without the nighthawk the sun would truly have set on the day.

As it was, had a great outing with my daughters and have thought up some strategy for my next trip, although any pointers would be appreciated.

As an aside: we kiters always attract local and foreign interest in what we doing, but one Aussie woman from Sydney takes the cake. I had hung the kahawai in a pohutukawa after bleeding and gutting the fish and while talking to her mate, she asked me if they were still alive!

I'm sure there was a reason for it , after all she was a middle-aged trout and blonde, anyway her mate looked as though he wanted to throw her back.

Regards John Taplin

Editors Note

It is quite risky running a bottom longline rig inside the Manukau harbour or near the heads as there are a few snags where the strong currents erode the banks down to the bedrock. The strong rips probably kept the line midwater on your second set hence no shells and bait not touched. Dropper Rigs are really the only safe way to kitefish in harbours and I always limit the distance I set the gear out to where I can keep the line out of the water in these places.