Ever heard of jetski fishing?
Fishing from your PWC? The occasional adventurous fisherman has tried it, but trust a Kiwi to turn an eccentric novelty into a serious pursuit – for example, by designing a rodholder for PWCs that apparently gets exported to similarly enthusiastic fishermen around the world.
Andrew Hill, from Auckland, New Zealand, is one of jetski fishing’s most dedicated proponents. His obsession first began in 2007 when a fishing trip with his son to investigate the possibility of fishing from the pair’s WaveRunner turned out to be hugely successful.
The hobby turned into an obsession and the obsession became a business, when he began to distribute the “Ultimate Rodholder” for PWCs. This is a “38lt Igloo chilly bin” (New Zealanders refer to Esky type storage boxes as chilly bins) that comes complete with a fish measurer, drain plug, and three or four rodholders, depending on the model.
This device has multiple marine-grade stainless steel safety clips for additional gear, and according to the blurb on Hill’s www.jetskifishing.co.nz website, the system requires no screws or bolts, and it can apparently be installed in under a minute.
Hill says the most important addition to his tackle box is a collection of soft plastics that allow him to fish cleanly and without the hassle of continually baiting hooks.
“I mainly target snapper, trevally, gurnard, John dory, and kahawai,” he says. “I currently use a complete range of Daiwa rods and reels, including two soft bait combos for the plastic fishing using Gulp soft plastic baits. For the kingfish, I use the heavier gear with 80 pound braid for jigging. The rod used is a Daiwa Monster Mesh with the Daiwa Saltist 30T.”
Hill still drives a powerful Yamaha FX High Output WaveRunner, with a 1.8lt engine and cruise control. According to Yamaha, WaveRunners have the required stability, smooth riding hulls, reliability and fuel efficiency necessary for the sport.
“I can not say enough about my FX HO, it looks a sharp fishing machine with performance to match,” adds Hill. “The handling and stability gives me the confidence to tackle extreme conditions on offshore fishing trips where weather can change quickly.”
Visit www.jetskifishing.co.nz for more information on jetski fishing. For more information on Yamaha WaveRunners visit www.yamaha-motor.com.au.