Kiwi

No pontoons at Terrigal. But the ramp is a lot steeper so the boat is in a good depth before the car needs to get wet wheels. A set of steps go down to the sand on the right hand of the ramp looking to sea. The cross ramp swell will still be an issue.

I was off Crackneck on Sunday. Drifting in 40m. Ended up with 10 snapper a couple of mowong and my son fought a 70kg thresher that ate a livie 2metres under the boat. Fought it for an hour before the hook pulled.

Hi Scratchie. I was out but only local with my son. Got a nice bag of snapper. He had a ball fighting a 70kg thresher that he fed a livie 6 feet under the boat for an hour until the hook pulled. Sunday was an afternoon bite. One boat got a 15 to 20kg dollie. Another tagged a 100kg blue. Some bait but scattered. Most pulled plastic. I heard about 15 shots during the day from sched reports.

Yesterday 3 striped marlin were tagged in the carpark area. Today lots of action. One boat went 5 3 3. Another had a 100kg blue come up backwards. 24 degree water and good bait.

Charter boats in nz run an unofficial minimum size of 1 metre short length. The kings off Terrigal have been hammered by the commercial blokes taking 400kg a day using a 25 hook drop line. Pulling up 9 or so each drop or 20 minutes. Nothing illegal and well within their rights. But does make it hard for the recreational bloke.

I have used Everdure. Water some down with turps. 50/50. Cover with heaps and let soak in. Leave until dry. Will take longer in this weather. Then light sand. Then 2 or 3 coats of full strength.

Some boys off the central coast got a 76kg earlier in the week. But found it very rough today once past the shelf in 1300m

In the last week there have been multiple shots of the small blacks off Little Isl just off Port Stephens. Lures until the bait comes up. A couple of boats tagged 10m each before the storm hit.

Wait until dark net plenty of prawns and use them live. I've been getting plenty of whiting, flatties and est perch around the bridge at dark.

Carpark is full of big slimies. I have heard of at least 5 marlin-striped that have been released from there over the last 2 weeks.

A nice striped marly was tagged last week at the carpark. Reports of good schools of slimies and big striped tuna.

My son 11 y/o 95cm Flatty 5kg on 4lb mono with no trace and 1/0 hook last July. Me 30lb snapper 6lb braid, 20lb trace single 9/0 gamagatsu last Sept.

Hi Joel, Check your pm. I am a kiwi ex Auckland charter skipper. I can point you in the better directions if you like. Cheers Rowan

Big question is "Light game?" What do you intend to chase? Yellow fin then 15 kg line with TLD 30-50 or 30/30w Tiagras with suitable rods. You can get these reasonably cheaply second hand. Marlin then with less than full experience then TLD 50 or Tiagras in 50 (15kg line) or 50w with 24 kg line. These reels are expensive but will last a life time with a good maintenance and cleaning system. You can get cheaper reels and even top line spinning reels but if you look at the top boats around check what gear they run and ask them why. I believe the new Penn Makaira are getting good reviews but I have not had any experience with them or spoken first hand with someone that uses them. I have 50w and 80w tiagras but have not been using them as the boat I fish on has a good cabinet of reels running line from 10 kg to 24 kg. We fish 24 kg on tiagra 50 reels and have not had any issues on line capacity on the general run of Striped and Black marlin. Cheers Rowan

Gibber is starting to fire as well. But smaller area and more pressure