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Gamefishing is yet to hit its peak but all the signs are that it will be a good season.
Water temperatures off both coasts of the top of the North Island have climbed close to 22C and schools of albacore and skipjack tuna are thick and prolific.
The experts expect the few catches of marlin and the tentative bites and quick dropping of lures and baits to progress to aggressive feeding and multiple hook-ups any day now.
Off the west coast, the Hokianga Big Game and Sportsfishing Club's first striped marlin of 109kg was landed by club secretary Linda Pattinson at the 160m mark. One fish has been landed at Raglan, several sighted surface-feeding or tail-walking, and there have been lots of hook-ups and drops from Glinks Gully down to Port Waikato. The offshore temperature is between 21.6-22.2C.
The best yellowfin tuna for the Hokianga club so far is 23.8kg and the Whakatane Sportfishing Club's best is a decent 64.8kg to Greg Wrackham.
A 70kg fish was weighed for a visitor from Tauranga. The club has just completed its juniors' tournament with local Andrew Wilde landing a 40.2kg yellowfin, which was the best of 10 caught by the small fry.
Maddy Herlihy took top kingfish prize with a 28.8kg fish, and sister Leah has a New Zealand juniors' record claim in for a 5.45kg trevally on 8kg line taken aboard Enchanter.
Club manager Kevin McCracken said there were lots of baby hammerheads in the Bay of Plenty. Terakihi are still on inshore reefs.
Several boats have reported billfish hook-ups and bust-offs. The club's annual tuna tournament starting on January 23 is just about booked to its 600-entrant capacity.
At the Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club, easterly winds have slowed fishing, with just seven marlin recorded so far this season. Yellowfin catches have been regular but fish size poor, most just over 20kg.
At Whangaroa a blue marlin estimated at 150kg was brought to the boat and tagged but as the anglers tried to bring it aboard it escaped.
Another blue marlin estimated at 150kg was tagged and released by Mark Tolbedetto fishing on Addiction out of Paihia.
Five marlin have been tagged and released so far this season, two from Major Tom II fishing near the Ninepin. One boat reported a "huge" black marlin brought to the boat then lost before tagging.
The easterlies continue to provide a bonanza for west coast boat and kite fishers. Big snapper are at the 50m mark, with gurnard to 2kg straight out from the Manukau Harbour and off Piha.
Dave Vare of Sunset Kites at Waiuku reports similar fishing off Karioitahi and Port Waikato for kite fishers, numerous snapper to 10kg and big gurnard from 35m out.
In the Far North, big snapper have been caught around the Rangunu Harbour and Doubtless Bay.
The smaller fish averaging 2kg are prolific just behind surf lines at the long sandy beaches like Puheke and Tokerau. Use big, messy fresh baits morning and night from the beaches or rocks or in deeper water from boats during the day to land the trophy fish.
Around Auckland fishing is frenetic and avoiding the juveniles is the main aim.
Pilchards are picked clean in seconds so use tougher baits including fresh jack mackerel, mullet or kahawai, squid, salted bonito, mussels tied on with bait elastic. Berley is not usually necessary but current is - it will have a dramatic effect on the size of your catch. The lowest tides of around 1.2m are hardly worth fishing. The biggest of 3.8m will produce the biggest fish.
There are still large schools of snapper throughout the Hauraki Gulf and the bigger tides still produce good fish in the Motuihe and Rangitoto Channels, said Alan Viskovich of Cobalt Charters.
Alternatively, when fishing is slow or the biters are all small, head to the 40m mark and find structure or worm beds, Viskovich advises, with both baited flasher rigs and soft plastics producing fish.
There are still few kingfish around, probably because there are few kahawai and most of those are small.
More on fishing and boating, Weekend Marine back of section C
