Fishing: Chomping on a 95kg snack

It took a while, but the prolonged spell of good weather has meant game-fishing has been going off on both coasts, with Northland's west coast the real hot-spot.

More than 70 billfish have been brought in at Hokianga in the past three weeks.

Best, and believed to be the season's biggest, striped marlin so far was a 147.5kg fish, the first for James McAllister from Auckland fishing on Westerberg I.

The Hokianga Big Game and Sportsfishing Club has weighed 32 marlin for members, 30 for boats from east coast clubs and a further 23 fish have been tagged and released. The bar was flat for 20 days consecutively and anglers took good advantage, also landing several big yellowfin tuna.

The marlin fishing has been hot right down to New Plymouth. Another first-time game-fisher, Rob Wood from West Auckland Marine, came home with a good story but less of his first marlin catch than he'd have liked.

Off Baylys Beach on Des Green's boat Adrenaline, Wood had played a striped marlin, thought to be about 95kg, for nearly an hour.

It was spent, floating on its side and about to be brought to the boat when the best part of it was taken in one gulp by a white pointer that Green estimated at 5m long.

"It didn't even shake its head - just came up and went 'chomp'. The rod didn't even twitch," Green said.

"The impressive thing was how big it was across the middle. I've never seen an animal like that before. It was magnificent."

The shark circled the 6.5m Adrenaline a few times, but "we were so gobsmacked we forgot to get a photograph".

Green's 15-year-old daughter, Lana, caught three striped marlin in three days off the Kaipara Harbour.

The Muriwai Fishing Club has recorded 11 billfish so far, the best a 120.6kg stripey. Charter operator Eugen de Bruyn has tagged three marlin off the Manukau Harbour in the last week and two yellowfin were caught from a trailer boat launched from Piha during the week.

Off the east coast, fish are starting to turn up in big numbers from Houhora to East Cape. Up north, pack-attacks have been common in recent days but more fish have been dropped than landed, suggesting they are still yet to feed at their most aggressive.

But marlin have been caught off Stephensons Island in about 30m and lots have been seen out to the 150m mark, said Geoff Stone on Major Tom II.

He has a world record claim in for a bronze whaler - 214.2kg on 8kg line to angler Rolf Masfen of Auckland.

Rumour has it that a charter party including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa landed a black marlin from Jeff Strang's boat Independence, but Strang refused all comment.

The barracouta have gone from the Bay of Islands area and kingfish are arriving.

The water is 22C in close and turquoise, with locals predicting a great season.

Kahawai are around in numbers. Gary Morris from Bay Rod and Reel may have invented a new form of fishing for them - by remote control.

He tied a lure to a mate's radio-controlled yacht and landed two in front of amused diners at a local waterfront restaurant.

The Whakatane Sportfishing Club has a New Zealand record claim in for Marie Brown for her 30.6kg shortbill spearfish, which was just 2kg short of the world record.

Brown caught the fish in the annual Ladies' Tournament, which was won by Michelle Goodhew with a 175.6kg blue marlin.

The club's year began slowly but picked up from the start of the contest season, with 13-year-old Lauren Armstrong getting a 66.4kg yellowfin tuna to win the juniors' event and Jeff Bakalich taking the annual Tuna Tournament with a 75.2kg fish.

Peter Rowling won the "unluckiest" prize because his eight-hour fight to land a 117.6kg big-eye tuna ended just after the contest closed.

The contest season continues apace, with the Nationals out of clubs from next Saturday and for the following eight days.

The Westcoaster tournament out of Little Huia on the Manukau Harbour covers the same days and the Northland Big Game and Sportfishing tournament runs Monday, February 28 and Tuesday, March 1, out of Paihia.

Around Auckland, the snapper fishing has been patchy.

The Motuihe Channel is best on the outgoing tide, with pilchard or squid working and good results using fresh-caught jack mackerel, said Lance Paniora on Smokin' Reels.

There are few kahawai but numbers of "rat" kings. He has been getting fish in the 3kg range consistently but the bigger ones appear to have moved out.

De Bruyn recommends drift-fishing in about 15m at the south end of the Firth of Thames, where snapper are schooling.

On the Manukau, there are lots of small snapper, with the odd pan-size one. The kingfish are prevalent, chasing schools of piper.