The boat proved to be a very good sea boat and John refurbished and got her into fishing charter survey by August 2002.
The business thrived with good fishing and good service after which the 62ft Daniel was purchased from Auckland and sailed down in October 2006. It is a sturdy vessel and operates from Seaview in Wellington Harbour occasionally crossing the Cook Strait and venturing out wide off Cape Palliser after the BIG ones.
Now Pete and John with great help from their hardworking deckhands John Totoro, Johan van Rensburg, Alan Chambers and Mat Dobson run a boat each from both the west and south coast as well as many trips to the Marlborough Sounds. They are professional operators who have a very good reputation for catching fish and looking after their guests.
The Fishing
Melicent fishes the west coast which is better in southerly winds and does many trips to the Marlborough Sounds which is only a 2 hour steam from Mana. The deepwater fishing is good with mainly groper (hapuku) caught up to and over 100lbs. Snapper, kingfish and tuna are caught from Oct - though to April. Inshore fishing for bluecod and tarakihi is always good with many other species like john dory, trevally, warehou and trumpeter caught reasonably regularly.
Daniel fishes the south coast and out to Nicholsons trench. The area is better in northerly winds and is rich with groper, bass and bluenose as well as sharks and other interesting species (broadbill and bluefin tuna potential). The inshore fishing is very productive for blue cod and tarakihi with trumpeter, warehou, gurnard and trevally a common catch.
We run half day, full day, evening trips and 2 - 5 day trips to the Marlborough Sounds and beyond. We can provide tackle, food, bait, filleting, advice and entertainment.
We cater for individuals and groups and run consistently around 300 trips a year. Our boats are well maintained and carry all the necessary safety equipment specified by NZMSA.
Pete and John will always look after you from start to finish offering the best possible service and fishing to make your day a memorable one. Both are qualified skippers, good cooks and very experienced fishermen. All you need to do is eat, drink, fish and sleep. Combined John and Pete have over 40 years of charter experience and over 70 years fishing experience in the local waters and around the country.
Charters coming up
It's perfect time for catching XOS Bass and bluenose at the Trench although we're still getting very good numbers of hapuku up to 12kgs on the west and south coasts. We are also catching large tarakihi, bluecod and warehou.
Day / half day trips either Mana or Seaview - $140pp plus tackle
Weekends - August 29th onwards.
midweek - all available. We normally pick the best weather day out of the above dates using an advance 7 day forecast
Sounds trips (overnight) - $425pp inc accomo/meals
4/5th and 18/19 Sept (weekends) and the first good weather pattern in the next week or two for a midweeker.
dates can change depending on weather and #'s of people, if a date is not listed is is probably available - check the charter calendar
Bank acct for deposits
Westpac 030521 0307593 00 - Wgtn fishing charters - put name and date on deposit details
a recent 20kg bluenose caught at the trench on daniel march 2010
Fishing Report
25.8.10 Well I've been back from Canada for a couple of weeks now and truly back into the swing of things. John Fargher did a good number of charters while I was away, mainly on the westcoast and to the Marlborough Sounds. He did well on the hapuku, tarakihi and bluecod and also caught some nice warehou both sides of the Strait. Scallop season is going well with the quota filled on most sounds trips within 30 minutes. The Puka are really firing on the west coast and at the trench. They are mostly 10 - 20lb with the odd 25 - 30lber. The bass and bluenose are firing at the trench probably more on the other side than this side. The old faithful Karori light has been bluecod heaven and the XOS teris have come back at Turakerei and Boom Rock.
Harbour - There have been one or two snapper caught around Kau bay and some good tarakihi off Scorching bay. Elephantfish and the odd trevally have been taken out from seatoun the gurnard are starting to appear around the harbour entrance
20 July - John reports very good puka fishing on most charters recently, schoey reports good cod and teris around bears head and sth end of mana on the west coast
25/6/10 - The w/end yeilded a nice catch of hapuku for us on the sth coast and a good stash of bluecod on Saturday. We certainly had to grind it out and wait for the afternoon turn of the tide before catching the puka. wind against tide in the morning was not very pleasant. On Sunday the weather accross the other side of the trench was quite unpleasant. This side of the trench was nice but the fish were not biting all that well. We salvaged a few bluenose, puka and ling before a late afternoon 'cameo' on the bluecod and teris off baring head in 40mtrs. John did well on the bluecod and tarakihi in the outer sounds. I have heard the bass have been firing at the trench which is normal for this time of the year. The puka are fattening up for the late july spawning run and are in great condition.
13/6/10 - We've had some nice puka to 25kg and bluenose to 21kg as well as large cod and teris too on the sth coast this w/end. the sounds trip did well on puka to 28kg and the normal cod and teris too. we're out to fishermans 2moro and it looks good again on wenesday. there were heaps of kahawai in breaker bay on friday morning. the surfcasters were lined up there. Its prime time for big numbers of warehou on the offshore reefs and a large kingi or snapper. The trevally are in good numbers at Hunters bank.
23.6.10
South coast - Plenty of big bluecod at karori (50mtr), big tarakihi at Turakerei (80mtr) and 5 mile (65mtr). the trench is still good on bluenose this side with bass starting to turn up on the other side.
Harbour - good reports of snapper and tarakihi off point gordon, gurnard and elephantfish off seatoun, plenty of kahawai in evans bay
west coast - the puka have been good off makara, ohau and back of hunters. traditionally the XOS puka move into fishermans rock this time of the year. The tarakihi are running off verns and sth end of mana. its kingfish time at fishermans and hunters in 60 - 80mtrs.
20.5.10
WEST COAST - The snapper are still firing on the west coast with good catches reported over the last 2 weeks. We caught 6 to 15lb on the sth end of Mana recently and a client caught 12 to 15lb at Pukerua bay last w/end. The Hapuka continue to be caught off the back of mana, hunters and makars in good numbers and sizes. David Hoda caught a 72lber on Melicent recently. Fishermans has been a bit inconsistent but is worth a crack for puka, kingis, warehou and big cod over the next 2 months.
SOUTH COAST - Nicolsons Trench has been great for bluenose on this side as well as a few nice puka from time to time. XOS teris and bluecod have been good off the Turakerei to Baring head stretch. We had a god catch at 5 mile reef recently. 80 - 100mtrs is the depth for the big cod, teris and school puka. Me mate steve caught 2 x kingis in 80mtrs while tarakihi fishing last w/end - 25 and 35lb.
HARBOUR - Kahawai have been in good numbers all round the coast and in the harbour. Snapper continue to get caught in the harbour too. Eastborne and Evans bay have been the places to go recently. Ive heard of good tarakihi fishing off the wreck and off point gordon. Gurnard fishing at the entrance is good.
4.5.10 Well someone forgot to tell the fish summer has ended. There are good reports of snapper getting caught in wgtn harbour and on the west coast. Steve Reed caught a 8.5kg snapper off the shore a couple of weeks ago. there were also 2 good kingis caught off the shore the same w/end, one at boom rock. pete homestead and his wife caught 3 pannies in evans bay on the w/end and ive heard of many other nice fish caught in the last week. pukerua bay, paikak and eastborne have been mentioned. We caught 2 nice kingfish on the w/end, a 45lber at the brothers and a 35lb off turakerei. Also this side of the trench produced plenty of good bluenose a few puka yesterday.
Keith with a 15kg tuna caught 14.4.10 off the back of Mana on Melicent
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