Tuesday 19th July 2016
I only had 25 minutes to fish before dark and before the tide came in too much so I had to be quick. I put half a pillie on my line and cast it out into the swell. I cut up some chunks and threw them in as berley. My bait got hit and I pulled in a large kahawai. Every line was getting hit and I went home happy with two big kahawai. Loads of kahawai everywhere.
Aidan
Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Saturday, 16 July 2016
Eeling Tips
July 2016
Now that it's winter and the fishing in the harbour isn't so good, I've been doing quite a bit of eeling in nearby rivers and creeks. The good thing about eeling over fishing is that it doesn't matter what time of year you do it. Around New Zealand there are two types of freshwater eel; the silverbelly longfin and the shortfin. The more commonly caught is the silverbelly longfin but their numbers are slowly declining due to commercial eelers and dams which stops them from getting to the sea to breed. The shortfins are more unusual to catch but are at least concern. The way to tell the two species apart is the longfins have a longer dorsal fin and their skin wrinkles once it begins to die or is dead. Also the shortfins are a more olivey green colour and are smaller than the longfin. The way to catch them is to get a bit of bait, ( meat is best ), just put it on a plain hook, ( circle hook is best because that will stop some of the eels from swallowing it ). If there is current you may want a little sinker but it can get stuck in rocks and logs so that is the only negative side of using a sinker. You just need a little handline or rod and it will work. Pour coarse salt on the eel to humanely kill it.
My next post will be on where to find eels and what to do when you spot one. ( for people who have never eeled before ).
Now that it's winter and the fishing in the harbour isn't so good, I've been doing quite a bit of eeling in nearby rivers and creeks. The good thing about eeling over fishing is that it doesn't matter what time of year you do it. Around New Zealand there are two types of freshwater eel; the silverbelly longfin and the shortfin. The more commonly caught is the silverbelly longfin but their numbers are slowly declining due to commercial eelers and dams which stops them from getting to the sea to breed. The shortfins are more unusual to catch but are at least concern. The way to tell the two species apart is the longfins have a longer dorsal fin and their skin wrinkles once it begins to die or is dead. Also the shortfins are a more olivey green colour and are smaller than the longfin. The way to catch them is to get a bit of bait, ( meat is best ), just put it on a plain hook, ( circle hook is best because that will stop some of the eels from swallowing it ). If there is current you may want a little sinker but it can get stuck in rocks and logs so that is the only negative side of using a sinker. You just need a little handline or rod and it will work. Pour coarse salt on the eel to humanely kill it.
My next post will be on where to find eels and what to do when you spot one. ( for people who have never eeled before ).
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