After Flying to Noumea, Matt and the team board the sportfishing ‘dream-boat' Ultimate Lady and travel 480 nautical miles to visit an uninhabited group of atolls and reefs that are loaded with fish. The fishing in this episode is phenomenal - even the experienced team on Ultimate Lady were left in awe of the incredible dogtooth tuna. The underwater footage captured is equally as impressive as the huge power fish
We are fishing out of Tairua on the Coromandel this week, where we are mixing it up with the local kingfish population employing all manner of techniques from shallow water live baiting to deep water mechanical jigging. Lots of good laughs and action along the way
We wrap up the Tairua leg of The Great New Zealand Fishing Road Trip with a shot at the local marlin population and a dive. Then it's back on the trail to Whakatane where the ITM Team is joined by a mad Scotsman and his band of merry men aboard the Oracle; where we head out in search of kingies, bluenose, puka and even the odd shark at the legendary Ranfurly Banks
Gannet Man makes a welcome return to NZ screens this week as the Great New Zealand Fishing Road Trip continues. 50km off the Bay Of Plenty coast, high winds create absolute mayhem aboard the Oracle after dark when a barrage of Flying Fish launch an aerial assault on all aboard. Meanwhile, White Island's biggest baddest Kingfish come out to play and teach us a lesson or two.
On route back to Whakatane for the final leg of the Great New Zealand Fishing Road Trip, the team aboard the Oracle bag a freezer full of Albacore before making the long haul South to the Capital to experience some deep sea fishing in the ever unpredictable Cook Strait. Plenty of classic characters and good laughs along the way.
In this episode of ITM Fishing, Matt Watson sets out to go top water fishing and jigging for kingfish, but some Bluefin Tuna crash the party, literally. The ocean was alive with baitfish, and the big predators were there, thresher sharks, blue sharks and big kingfish kept Matt and the team busy, until a Giant Bluefin Tuna was hooked right by the rocks and things get crazy. You have never seen Matt Watson get so nervous, as the giant tuna gets closer and closer.
Right now there is an early run of Yellowfin tuna that are inside the bay, where the spring snapper are usually caught. They are easily accessible and easy to catch so Matt Watson shot out with his mate Sweens and got a couple and give a great demonstration on what to do with your tuna that you catch.
From the first cast, big Dogtooth tuna, Giant trevally, jobfish and super-sized barracuda were crashing onto the topwater lures. A passing sailboat had come across an uncharted reef 60 miles off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, and gave the marks to Matt after a chance meeting at the dock. It was a big call to run 60 miles, but it paid off with not only some incredible top water action, but the bottom fishing was also good and in the tradition of ITM Fishing, Matt Watson and the team brought a range of fish back for a cook-off and blind taste test to decide which is the best tasting fish in the ocean.
I love fishing in this comp. You can win by catching snapper or by catching marlin. But the best way is to catch a variety of Kingfish, Snapper, Trevally, John Dory, Gurnard, Hapuku, Bass, and then get more points by catching the big game fish. The Weather was a bit rubbish for this year's ITM Trade Fishing Comp, but all the same awesome guys showed up, and we gave it a crack.