Fishing: Getting to know you better

New Zealand fisheries researchers have achieved a world first with feedback just received from satellite tags attached to striped marlin.

Five fish had two types of tracking tag attached - one of an existing style that detaches and then sends information in a burst and a second, newer transmitter that gives more precise detail and sends it every time the fish surfaces.

Four marlin were tagged off Whangamata in February and one off Tutukaka last week. Already one is around Raoul Island, about 1000km north-east of Auckland. The others remain closer to where they were caught, but heading north.

The research may provide information that expands or conflicts with accepted theory on marlin migration. Most anglers believe the fish come south to feed, stay while the water is warm and leave when the food does as winter arrives.

But it may be that even greater numbers than thought are moving rapidly in and out of New Zealand waters, says John Holdsworth of Blue Water Marine Research.

Accepted practice has them feeding only during the day but the new tags show they are surfacing and may be feeding at night; perhaps they can be caught after dark on fluoro lures?

For the past few gamefish seasons the NZ Big Game Fishing Council has backed a project by Blue Water and Massey University to attach "Pop-off Transmitting Archival Tags" or PAT tags to fish; they record water temperature, sunlight intensity and the depth the fish travels for three weeks and are set to then detach and send data.

The new "Smart Position and Temperature" tags are designed to send more accurate detail on the fish movement.

The tag is attached to the upper sweep of the marlin's tail and transmits every time the tail and tag are out of water.

Fish 1 - Name: Thissle. Caught near Whangamata but headed to Lottin Point off East Cape and some problems have been experienced with data transmissions.

Fish 2 - Name: NZBGFC. Caught between Mayor Island and Whangamata. An 85kg, this juvenile quickly swam 200 nautical miles north of North Cape.

Fish 3 - Name: Whangamata. Swam 96nm northeast in 41 hours and was quickly to within 80nm of Raoul Island.

Fish 4 - Name: Tauranga. Tagged last week near Slipper Is and has moved offshore from Whitianga but remains in the area and satellite hits are being received daily.

Fish 5 - Name: Tutukaka. Tagged off Whangaruru and remains in the area.

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Kingfish are hanging in numbers around the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, the Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Islands and Doubtless Bay and now until mid-May is peak catch period for amateurs. For snapper, early is best. The bigger fish are north of Rangitoto or past the Motuihe Channel. Berley is a must for bigger ones.

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I 've had lots of questions regarding kingfish method after last week's column, so here's quick answers to the bulk:

Why Black Magic hooks?

Because they're the strongest and sharpest live bait hook and they're black - kingfish supposedly cannot see black.

We hook up but lose the fish nine times out of 10.

Either the hook barb is not exposed properly and is sliding next to the back fins of the live bait, or you are either not allowing the king time to swallow the bait and hook, or pulling the baitfish from its mouth with a too-hard strike too early.

Do jigs work?

Yes, but they generally catch smaller fish. The new, larger Zest jigs are better, not least because they have the hook on the head not the tail and kingfish eat their prey head-first. The hooks on these Japanese-made jigs are also black.

Do splashers work as an attractant, as with gamefish?

Yes. The Japanese now have a flasher/mirror device dropped below the boat to simulate a baitfish school, the idea being that the fish come up to investigate and are then takeable on jigs or with livebaits.

What about "dinging" the channel buoys?

Throw a sinker at the harbour markers and make it ring in the hour coming up to high tide and kingfish will often rise to the surface to investigate. You should be either trolling close-in or ready to aim a popper at them. It might work a few times, then they tire of it. The fish are usually rat-king size.

Where did you get them?

Sorry, no GPS. Try round any reef or headland with deep water off it, shallows at estuaries or by wharves where baitfish flow is strong.