Bay of Islands - June 2010

Great marlin and broadhill catches

Jerry Garrett's 266kg broadbill was boated after a seven-hour, 20-min battle.

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Northland

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The end of the game fishing season is traditionally a time of large striped marlin and broadbill; this season has been no different.

Guy Jacobsen, fishing on his specially-designed launch Hookin’ Bull, skippered by light-tackle specialist John Batterton, landed a pending world record striped marlin of 173kg on 3kg tackle. Primetime weighed-in a 204kg striped marlin at Whangaroa, and 72-year-old Jerry Garrett landed a 266kg broadbill from Major Tom II after a seven-hour, 20-minute battle.

Larger marlin are better equipped to withstand cooler water and will hang around longer, stocking up on food before their migration north for spawning. Broadbill are at home in cooler, very deep water, and may only surface occasionally to feed as bait schools rise to the surface. The broadbill will remain off Northland’s east coast until at least August and remain a viable target species in June, when very few marlin remain.

June is also a traditional time to target large kingfish, with both Whangaroa and the Bay of Islands clubs holding their light-tackle tournaments in early June. Given the continuing good results from kingie fishing trips over recent months, both these tournaments should be bonanzas. At Rocky Point and Whale Rock, anglers still have to share their catches with bronze whalers, but with good fish at most of the reef areas, there are plenty of other fishing options.

Hapuku have been hard work over the last few years, but some good fish have been showing at Main Rock and Queens Buoy over the last month. The fish are in very good pre-spawning condition and will form tight schools over the next month. Targeting hapuku is a bit hit and miss, but once a school is found, multiple hook-ups can be the order of the day.

Big snapper have been scarce over the last few months, but bigger fish are now moving onto the cockle and worm beds in shallower water. Good fish will also appear on deeper reefs, and tarakihi should begin their aggregation around Onslow Rock and off the rock fringe out from Deep Water Cove.

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