Big kingfish in the 11th hour!!
February 22, 2024 Tairua 1 photo

Trip Summary

Will Barnett from San Diego USA only had time for a short half day morning trip but his dream was to catch a 40-50 pound yellowtail kingfish. Bait was a little hard to catch but we manzged to secure about a dozen jack mackerel before hesding to a reef that holds some nice kingfish at times. Sure enough 1st bait in the water nails a nice little 15 pnd king that grts returned quickly back home. Next bait hooks a monster of a kingfish that steamrolls Will into the reef leaving us dussapointed but also excited. Next bait again hooks a large kingfish and as the fish comes into view a 400pnd bronze whaler shark comes out of the depths to engulf our kingfish before our eyes! Running low on baits and time we move to a spot 2 mins from the boat ramp and upon putting the bait in the water it immediately gets monstered by a yet unseen fish. Lucky we were still over a sandy bottom with no chance of getting reefed so after a battle of 15 mins the huge kingfish comes into view and what a monster it was! Making the decision to keep this one fish we hauled it aboard. The smile says it all! Well done Will!
Jason Harris
Tairua, New Zealand
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StrikeZone Sportfishing Charters is the premium charter operation out of Tairua, New Zealand. You’re in for a fun day on the water, whether you’re a novice angler or a hardcore fisherman. With the year-long fishing season for juicy table fare,...

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