I caught this 10Kg snapper at South Kaipara Head on Anzac day.

A 20 knot southerly was blowing and we managed to get 25 hooks out with the bottom longline.

We caught a total of 9 snapper and a bronze whaler shark, which we released.

We were stoked!!!

Mark Honning

Weymouth Boating Club had it's May competition on Sunday. I fished with a tiny rod and spinning reel and 5kg mono.

My tackle was a two hook rig and big fresh mullet baits. The top hook holds the bait straight and the bottom hook with target wire is the catching hook. Most of the fish liked the light gear.

My mate Harold caught our heaviest kahawai on a regular boat rod.

We were just off the money in most catagories with my snapper being only 16 grams too light for first prize.

It was all good fun though.

Paul Major, Weymouth Boating Club

Release System by Alister Tompkins.

Here is a much better way to use candy and a float to get the line out. This method works equally well with drop and bottom lines and any size weights you want to use.

The clips can be made out of sea harvester clips or stainless steel wire. Make sure that there no sharp ends to catch the fabric. I solder where the loop joins - DUZALL flux solders stainless just like copper - or wrap the wire round at the joint.

The inside diameter of the loop is 6mm, bend it around a 6mm drill. The fabric I use is panty hose (get your own). The set-up shown, 6mm loop and barley sugar takes about 30 minutes to release the float and is fully reliable.

The time can be varied of course by using a bigger loop for a shorter time or different types of candy for a longer time.

This float system allows the use of heavy weights because all the kite has to drag is the bottle through the water. It is a good way to get the line up away from the crabs, the bait benefits hugely from not being dragged along the bottom, and it is a big help in light winds as the drag is so much reduced.

Be aware of course that you could float the line out over rocks and not get it back.

Instead of clips I have used pieces of plastic with a hole to thread the fabric through, the clips though are just so convenient. If you wish to save the float, tie it with a loop to the main line on the kite side of the sinker, and when it releases it will slide along to the bottle that holds the kite down.

Good fishing Alister Tompkins.

Port Taranaki Report from Wayne Thomas

On the 27 April it was a light south westerly wind so we set our 65kg dropper rig handspool from our kayak as the wind direction was not really in a fishable direction for the kites.

We left the gear set for an hour and a half and caught three kahawai and one gurnard

Wayne Thomas

Muriwai Beach by Jhonathon Appleby

Hello again to you all.

Around 1100hrs on Wednesday the wind just started to rise and a mate came around to see if I wanted to go fishing. He had just 2 weeks earlier purchased a 65kg dropper rig from Paul's Fishing Kites and was keen to get into the action.

So we loaded up and off we went just to the Golf road beach access and fished either side of the creek. We only had time for 2 sets, the wind was extremely light when we got out there.

First haul, nothing, second haul a couple of nice pan sized snapper right on dusk.

We also went out on Thursday...same story only even less wind although we did manage a couple of sets but only caught one shark. Looks like there might be a few sharks out there as my mate caught one also....along with a couple of Kahawai.

Our Two Kite Pulley Rig

There was a big rip running up the beach and if the mainline sagged into the water it would get dragged up the beach. To overcome the rip I used a second kite to lift the main line clear of the waves and rip. This made a huge difference in getting the line to set at 1000 meters offshore instead of a couple of hundred meters with a huge bow in the line from the rip.

I noticed on Thursday another fisherman trying to using two kites. He sent his second kite out behind the first whereas I left my second kite staked to the beach on about 140 metres of line.

I had my main line running through a ring fitting attached at about 100 meters above the beach. Which "system" is right I wonder, as I saw his first kite dive into the ocean about 300 meters out. Must have been hell trying to haul in 2 kites...one of which was in the drink.

Cheers all Jhonathon Appleby

Ed:

Running the mainline up 100 metres then through a pulley supported by the second kite is far and away the safest way of running two kites. Running the line through a ring as you are doing, instead of a pulley may eventually scuff the mainline and is less efficient because of the friction between the line and ring.

Ronstan make some very light pulleys perfect for this application. I see from your beach report you have photos, can you please email or send your photos in.