Top Catch by John Eichelsheim

Author:John Eichelsheim [John Eichelsheim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781869796945
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

SOFT PLASTIC BAITS

Most of the kingfish I’ve caught on soft plastics (soft baits) were caught by accident when fishing for snapper. Kingfish regularly take the small soft plastics anglers use to such good effect to catch snapper, but for the most part, they are small fish. To reliably catch big kingfish on soft plastics, you need to use large plastic baits.

There is a variety of suitable baits, ranging from quite large — 7 inches (18 cm) or so — to 12 inches (30 cm) or more. Some are proper, pre-rigged trolling baits, which in other countries might be used to target sailfish, mahi-mahi, tuna and marlin. Trolled in suitable locations around the New Zealand coast, they will hook kingfish, too.

Others can be fished on more conventional soft-bait tackle, though usually beefed up a bit in deference to the size and power of kingfish. Large unweighted or lightly weighted soft baits can be retrieved quickly at or near the surface for good results. Heavily weighted soft baits can be sunk deep and either worked at a particular depth or retrieved towards the surface at speed. Long, slim, vaguely fish-shaped profiles work particularly well in both these scenarios, but maxi grub tails — soft plastic lures that resemble oversized huhu grubs with a curly tail — are also good.

I’ve enjoyed good success with kingfish fishing deeply sunk soft baits in much the same way I used to fish a ‘speed jig’, giving it a few lifts after it touches bottom and then retrieving it as fast as I can. Strikes can occur anywhere between the bottom and the surface.

Jig heads large enough to fish such oversized baits (and to get down to the bottom in 150 m of water) are hard to find in New Zealand, but are available overseas on the internet. Another option is to rig an extra-strong worm hook or conventional hook (preferably straight rather than curved) with a heavy ball, bean, barrel or bullet head sinker on the trace above it (I pin mine so they don’t slide up the line). You can adjust the weight to suit. Tungsten bullet weights are available from some good tackle stores, and in the largest sizes, they’re ideal for this style of fishing.

Another option is to rig a drop-shot-style or even a dropper rig using a large worm hook baited with soft plastic bait. Drop it to the bottom and work it vigorously in the strike zone. It works well, though I’ve never taken a kingfish over 15 kg using a drop-shot.

The tackle I use for deep-water soft bait-fishing for kingfish (and hapuku) is either light game gear or a mechanical jigging outfit. I prefer GSP line, and it’s imperative that the jig head (when used) or hook is strong, since you’ll need to apply maximum pressure to stop a hooked kingfish finding the reef below. Most worm hooks I’ve tried bend straight under the pressure.

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