The man who put a Hawke's Bay fisherman through a lie detector test over disputed catch stands by the results but admits the test isn't perfect.

All four men aboard the fishing boat are adamant they caught the fish and should be handed the $48,000 prize, but the event promoter is so far standing firm. David Baty from OddsOn Promotions said former police detective Dean Young, who says he hauled in the 136.6kg catch, failed the polygraph test "terribly".

Details have emerged about how an angler allegedly failed a lie detector test after reeling in a huge marlin.

Snapper are proving a challenge to most anglers at the moment, and while there are plenty of fish around, the larger specimens can be hard to hook.

What is so amazing is that the marlin took a bait on a flasher rig which was aimed at snapper.

While snapper fishing is proving patchy at best, game fish are keeping anglers occupied.

John Key has downplayed the likelihood of a strict reporting regime for recreational fishers.

Recreational fishers may be required to report their catch in some of New Zealand's most popular fishing spots.

Kings are common from North Cape to the Marlborough Sounds, and have been caught off Christchurch, and spotted by divers in Fiordland and at the Chatham Islands.

Sam Judd writes, "Today I thought that a story about how awesome the New Zealand coastline is would be appropriate, because what is not to love out here?"

When the weather is kind, the Hauraki Gulf teems with runabouts filled with fishers hoping for a catch.

The Government's proposals for revamping our marine protection legislation are long overdue. It is now 45 years since the Marine Reserves Act 1971 came into force, writes Raewyn Peart.

If commercial fishing is prohibited inside the boundaries of Recreational Fishing Parks, the displaced fishing effort will simply increase pressure on fish stocks outside the park boundaries, writes Jeremy Helson.

Hopefully the creation of these parks may shift the debate from who should get what, to what is holding back the fisheries to be more abundant, writes Katherine Short.

But Government plans to banish commercial operators from catching fish that are popular with recreational fishers.

Details of a controversial new marine park for recreational fishing that will banish commercial operators from the inner Hauraki Gulf will be released today.

Fishing has taken off and the summer season looks like being a bumper one.

Having hung up their boots for summer - or for good - rugby's world champions went fishing.

Looks like Matt had one hell of a time with the AB's. Courtesy: ITM Fishing Show

Hapuku are slow growing fish and resident populations can be easily decimated by fishing pressure, which is why they are regarded as a deepwater species.

The channels are starting to fish well, but the most consistent results are in the Hauraki Gulf in 42-45m of water.

One Auckland fisherman who fishes out of Half Moon Bay, reported his first 20 pound snapper of the summer season last weekend.

Anglers dusting off their rod and reel for the new trout season have been assured that access to their favourite fishing spots won't be blocked by new health and safety laws.

It would be nice to think the Webb Ellis trophy will be on the aircraft when the All Blacks leave London to return home early in November.

If you had to pick one month of the year that is bad for fishing, August would have to take the prize.

A simple glove could make a difference, Finn Ross reckons. A decent fishing rod would be a game changer.

The whitebait season opened today, and whitebaiters will be out on the river banks at Port Waikato, the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki looking for their first catch.

Late afternoon and evening are the best times to catch a fish in early August, writes Geoff Thomas.