Captain
Darren Knapping
Member since August 2017
Paihia, New Zealand
- Background
- Capt. Darren has fished around the world for years before coming back to the Bay of Islands. Growing up around these waters, Darren learned a great deal about the local fisheries in the ocean and the marine life. While serving in the New Zealand Navy for 5 and a half years, Darren traveled the world and then got his captain’s license. He later engaged in commercial Tuna fishing. Eventually, Capt. Darren has come back to his native fisheries and now runs charter fishing trips. He has accommodated many repeat customers. His vessel is one of the finest in the area. Capt. Darren will work to put you on fish and make your trip an enjoyable adventure.
- Techniques
- With salt in my veins, I like to try several different methods to catch either inshore or offshore fish. It's the live bait we catch on the way out that can mean the difference. Our Snapper, which are an all-year-round fish, can be caught with jigs/soft plastics or cut bait. Having a full walk around it's a breeze to target these Fish. The best way to catch them is with a nice big live bait slowly feeding down a burly trail and waiting for the pickup and run! For the mighty Yellowtail Kingfish, there are many different types and ways to target this hard-fighting fish. From catching your live bait and slow trolling down to deep diving lures, to using the surface popper that gives you the thrill of seeing these fish climb all over the lure [my fav]. And with the introduction of soft plastics and slow jigging, fishing has jumped up a level. So every day out is different. Let's go fishing!
Hey, I'm Captain Darren Knapping
Paihia, New Zealand
- Background
- Capt. Darren has fished around the world for years before coming back to the Bay of Islands. Growing up around these waters, Darren learned a great deal about the local fisheries in the ocean and the marine life. While serving in the New Zealand Navy for 5 and a half years, Darren traveled the world and then got his captain’s license. He later engaged in commercial Tuna fishing. Eventually, Capt. Darren has come back to his native fisheries and now runs charter fishing trips. He has accommodated many repeat customers. His vessel is one of the finest in the area. Capt. Darren will work to put you on fish and make your trip an enjoyable adventure.
- Techniques
- With salt in my veins, I like to try several different methods to catch either inshore or offshore fish. It's the live bait we catch on the way out that can mean the difference. Our Snapper, which are an all-year-round fish, can be caught with jigs/soft plastics or cut bait. Having a full walk around it's a breeze to target these Fish. The best way to catch them is with a nice big live bait slowly feeding down a burly trail and waiting for the pickup and run! For the mighty Yellowtail Kingfish, there are many different types and ways to target this hard-fighting fish. From catching your live bait and slow trolling down to deep diving lures, to using the surface popper that gives you the thrill of seeing these fish climb all over the lure [my fav]. And with the introduction of soft plastics and slow jigging, fishing has jumped up a level. So every day out is different. Let's go fishing!
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