Surfcasting Around New Zealand - Surfcasting Techniques - Surfcasting Tackle

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Joe Chidgey with a conger eel caught at Gentle Annie Beach on the West Coast of the South Island.

The Ins and Outs on Red Cod.

Enormous skate surfcasting at Coopers Lagoon near the Rakaia River mouth.

Yabbie, or saltwater shrimp, is one of the best baits available for a wide range of species. I've used them successfully to catch flounder, red cod, tarakihi and rainbow trout. When it comes to catching yellow-eyed mullet for later use as surfcasting bait the yabbie is without peer!

New Zealand has 15,811km (9,824 miles) of coastline. The general public has surfcasting access to almost all of it; and there are still plenty of good fish to catch! Surfcasting has universal appeal. At the beach it is just you and your rod versus the fish. You might be after a fish for dinner or just like surfcasting for fun. You have come to the right place. There is plenty about surfcasting on this site; not just on this main surfcasting page; but on our Surfcasting Message Board as well – where many top surfcasters share their secret methods and fishing spots! You'll also find good Surfcasting Places. FishingMag members mostly surfcasting pictures and more surfcasting shark pictures. We add more pages to this site every day!

Rig shark from Bayleys Beach, Birdlings Flat.

Rig Shark Time!

Thresher Shark caught at Birdlings Flat.

Alvey 6500 GRC Retrieves 1.3m every turn of the Handle - Play YouTube video 2 min 49 sec

Alvey Reels for Surfcasting

I own no fewer than five Alvey reels and would use no other for surfcasting. Their ruggedness and dependability in all conditions has to be experienced to be appreciated. They will keep going when other more complex reels have given up! On big fish they really come into their own being almost indestruct-ible.

Tope or school shark taken at Dorie surfcasting with old Beach baron rod

Secrets of Surfcasting Rods and Reels

Surfcasting is perhaps the most leisurely form of fishing there is. I often associate the sport of surfcasting with lazy summer days spent at the beach with the kids, especially over the Christmas holiday period. At such times we would pack up the car and head off for camping holidays at places like Mokihinui, Karamea, Ross and Hokitika, on the South Island's West Coast.

Elepantfish. Sea angling with pipi baits.

Elepant fish are a type of shark.

Carrying your fishing tackle can save a lot of walking.

Denis Moresby with four excellent snapper caught during a "practice fish" on the day before the Ninety Miles Beach Snapper Classic held in Northland. Take a look at the "hairy looking" wading required to cast out to deep water. Denis is an expert surfcaster who contributed to the huge success of The Complete Guide To Surfcasting

Sevengill shark caught at Birdlings Flat by Allan Burgess 15 May 2010.

Birdlings Sevengiller

Important things to remember when surfcasting with super lines.

Daiwa GS9

Barracouta Caught Surfcasting?

Alvey 650GRC

This is an unusual Alvey reel in that it is geared whilst all other models are fixed centre pin reels. It has been engineered as a high-speed spinning reel for chasing seriously big fish like tailor, mackerel, and tuna from the rocks in Australia.

Blue shark caught surfcasting at Gentle Annie Beach, Mokihinui, on the South Island's West Coast.

sharks from shore sevengiller Alvey reels surfcasting

Sevengill Shark caught from Taylors Mistake


Rig Shark from Birdlings Flat

Elephantfish Time!

Kaikoura Lions Surfcasting Contest

Cow Sharks

What has this bloke got on the line at Nape Nape Beach?

Kaikoura Rig Sharks
This fine brace of rig sharks were caught surfcasting at Kaikoura by Treavor Petersen. They weighed 9.0 and 9.1kg.

Snapper taken by Cliff Simpson while surfcasting from Gentle Annie beach north of Westport

Elephant Fish
The elephant fish is rather unusual. A large fleshy cartilaginous trunk protrudes from the snout and together with large wing-like pectoral fins combine to give a rather grotesque deformed appearance. The first dorsal fin has a large sharp folding spine.

With this handy trolly all the surfcasters gear can be carried from the car in one go.

Surfcasting Trolly

Surfcasting for Kahawai and Auckland's Bethells and O'Neils Beaches

Surfcasting for Kahawai at Auckland's Bethells and O'Neils Beaches

Snapper caught surfcasting on the West Coast, of the South Island, NZ

Saltec Thumb Caster. This handy device protects your fingers and increases casting distance. The Saltec Thumb Caster is particularly useful with heavier sinkers up to 8 ounces.

Giant Sting Ray - Dasyatis brevicaudatus - taken from the rocks in Lyttelton Harbour.

The Best Surfcasting and Rock Fishing Near Christchurch.

These Rough Skate - Raja nasuta - where caught at Nape Nape Beach in North Canterbury during the South Island Surfcasting Championships.

Surfcasting at Amberley Beach

Amberley Beach is a small seaside settle-ment consisting mainly of holiday baches. It is situated about 40 kilometres up the coast from Christchurch . I have found the main catch during the summer to be school shark. Large numbers of kahawai also put in an appearance, as do yellow eyed mullet. A bonus is that the beach is often covered with large tuatua which make excellent bait

Fishing Map of New Zealand

Surfcasting at Birdlings Flat.

Spiny dogfish caught surfcasting at Colac Bay, Southland.

Oh No! Another Spiney Dogfish

Picton Snapper from FishingMag.co.nz Forums

Fishingmag Member's Pictures

Garfish - Hyporhamphus ihi

It seems impossibly long and slender, yet this little fish is a fast swimmer and puts up a good fight when caught on light line.

Small Sharks - Spiny dogfish, rig and school shark

Surfcasters around the South Island typically land many small sharks.

Octopus caught while Surfcasting at Kaikoura

Send Us Your Picture

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Surfcasting Baits

Places to Fish - Black Rock

Fishingmag message board members Shark Pictures.

Canterbury Kahawai
Arriving at the beach, just south of Banks Peninsula , one day during the Christmas holidays I was greeted by the distant sight and sound of hundreds of screaming sea birds. After unpack-ing the car I hurried across the sand dunes to investigate the commotion.

Eagle Ray, Tukurua Beach, Nelson
For the second consecutive year I headed north from Christchurch to enjoy my annual Christmas holidays at the picturesque motor camp situated at the Golden Bay Holiday Park which is situated at Tukurua Beach, 18 kms north of Takaka and about 9kms from Collingwood. Click

Surfcasting at Kaikoura

Big Tope Shark from Birdlings Flat Beach