Long line of fishing boats leave Whanganui on January 1

Malcolm Cammock (aboard) is all set to take his new boat out to fish the Whanganui coastline, with Ross Field and Pam Cammock. Photos / Lewis Gardner

The Whanganui coast has some of the best fishing in New Zealand and skipper Malcolm Cammock was all set to enjoy it on a sparkling New Year's Day morning.

He and three others had towed his new Game King Extreme aluminium fishing boat, Reel Deal, all the way from Dannevirke to catch the incoming tide.

The four planned to head south to a North Ridge position 24km off Turakina for their day's fishing. Cammock has fished from Whanganui for the past five years, but it was his first attempt in this new boat.

Getting out there will be worth the 1.5-hour drive from Dannevirke, he said.

"We have had some brilliant catches here before. We have hit our limit here, with four of us. It's one of the best places to fish in New Zealand."

The group was after snapper, gurnard, cod "and a kingy [kingfish] if we are lucky", they said. They have caught grouper and kingfish off the Whanganui coast in the past.

They use the SwellMap boating forecast to inform them of conditions, and an electric motor to hold the boat in an exact GPS position while they fish.

They expected to be back onshore by 3pm, after a picnic lunch on the briny.

"There'll be a cup of tea too. We have got the works," Pam Cammock said.

Boat after boat leaves Wharf St for a day fishing. Photo / Lewis Gardner

The Wharf St car park was nearly full by 9am on New Year's Day, and a continuous stream of boats was putting out to sea through the river mouth, then heading off in all directions.

Fishers were making the most of the day after a "pretty miserable" spring fishing season, Coastguard radio operator Jonathan Seagers said. Mostly there have only been 10 to 15 boats a day heading out from Wharf St.

There haven't been many days with good conditions. December 30 was an exception, with 80 boats out.

Conditions were good - there was no swell and the tide had been coming in since 6am.

Fishers don't usually tell radio operators about their catches but Seagers has heard of one kingfish of record size caught recently.

He reminds boaties about the lifejacket swap that will take place at Wharf St from 9am until noon on January 9. People handing in old lifejackets then will get discounts on new ones.