Raglan Kingfish

[Jimi]

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I have seen




and the fishing is great also.
Raglan New Zealand is on the west coast below Auckland. It has a poupulation of 3,000 and two places two launch from. Manu Bay ramp or from the small harbor. Both places can be dangerous on the wrong tide mixed with the right swell. Unlike La Jolla launch, when you roll you lose more than your pride. They lose a few boats every year and everyone in town will tell you one horror story after another. It seems to have worked because the fishing here is the best I have seen. There are no charters so I had to hitch a ride with some locals. I was telling them about my jig I really wanted to try on some kingfish. They were going to troll for marlin all day but when we stopped for some bait on Jacksons reef we would give it a go. The reef is about the same distance from the shores to Wind and Sea about a half mile off shore. It goes from 40 meters to 18 on top and is easy to find with the cray pots on it. When we pulled up on it it took just a couple minutes watching the screen to find the school. My first cast got bumped after a few cranks and then hammered.

I guess my excitement was contagious because one of the guys starting dropping a butterfly jig. We caught a dozen fish real fast, the bigger ones down deep. These guys were only slightly interested in catching kingfish and even less interested in keeping them. After the first few went back I humbly asked if I could keep one for dinner. They have to be 75cm from the inside of the fork. I measured the next one and it was 6 inches longer than the ruler the fish and game hands out. I had to laugh because as soon as I was done packing this fish up they ask "are you ready to do some fishing?". As we pulled away from the reef I was wondering what a big bait would produce. We trolled for marlin the rest of the day about 10k from the shore only catching a small albie and see one marlin jump. All day trolling only used 20 liters of fuel. It is really a beautiful place and there are very few people here. I am going to Matauri Bay this week to try to do some fishing from the kayak. The east coast is more protected and easier to launch from. I really have not missed La Jolla untill the other day when I checked the site and saw the fish that have been caught recently. I am going to see if can find a similar place here.

[Dennis]

JIMI,
Nice fish! Hope everything is well... Looks like it is.
-D

[Dan]

Jimi!!!!! Nice King! If you're a goofy footer, you are even more stoked!!! Keep em coming.

[Ryan The Sealion]

jimi sounds like a bitchin place man, but we need ya to come back and get the WSB bite started again ok!>?

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Great to hear from you Jimi, I have always wanted to go there and now you have me even more eager to go.
Can't wait to see more reports from you