[Polwarth]

Hi all,

I have been away from the sport for many years, and now I have some spare money and time, which is a first, normally have time and no money.

I have always wanted a electric kontiki and was hoping that wiser minds than mine could offer some advice about which is best for Canterbury. I live in Darfield and plan to hit the beaches north and south of CHCH. I have tried asking a couple of retailers but naturally they want to sell their model and dismiss any others.

I have a kite and after a day out with the kids I was more determined than ever to have a kontiki. The kids ( twin 4 year olds ) have watched the TV and understand that you throw your line out and wind it in and there are fish on the hooks. I have tried explaining the rules but …..

Interesting the new choices for baits that I had not even considered, prawns do you use whole uncooked or cooked? And where do you catch crabs I can’t say that I have seen one for years, not that I have been looking.

Hoping to take the kids to Lyttleton this weekend for a bit of bait fishing, what is the access like there now I know there was alot of talk about the habour being closed off.

I look forward to your advice.

[yellowfin]

Kontikis GRRRRRRRR something alot of people here do not like and i can imagine would not want to give advice too sorry, I for one wouldnt,

Lyttleton yes most places are closed off but around by the oil/petrol kinda tanks there are spots you can access

[troutfishernz]

In my opinion Kontikis aren’t really worth it in Canterbury, I can see there advantage of them up North on shallow beaches where fishing with a rod would be impractical but on the beaches Sth of banks Peninsula you can catch a good amount of fish on Rod and reel. Plus you would need to catch a lot of fish to get back the cost of the Kontiki which I believe is upwards $3000 to get fully set up.

[yellowfin]

that too, plus mostof the fish around canterbury people try go get from beach are often just in behind or in the breakers

[Polwarth]

I have a kite already and the wind is the limiting factor, so the only expense is the actual powered bit, I already have the main line drop rigs, hooks etc, so the cost is only around a 1000. That slipped of the tounge a bit too easy…..

The reason I ask for advice is that if I apply the same budget to a new surf casting set up I am sure that I could get two rods etc and have a second set for my wife or one of the kids, but I need to know I am not wasting my money, hence I seek the opinon of wiser minds.

So if you hate kontikis or love them tell me why, informed decissions are the best decissions.

[yellowfin]

Personally too me its not sporting, (my beliefs) sending something out with a motor and then just whinching fish in, Sure its a way to “sometimes” secure a feed not always, but i rather the feel of a fish on the rod, taking abit of line you get some back, Kontikis take away the fun/fighting aspect, i also think landing fish on a rod gives some smaller ones a better chance in which if they are to be released they will survive, you could send the tiki out and fish could hook on onthe way out so they have to be dragged all the way out too your chosen distance often around 1000m and then dragged back, if they are too small often some will be fucked by the time they get back in, have seen this before with eles and rig, one person dragging back 10 dead rig, only being able to keep 5 of these this making the other five a sad waste ,

[fishforpot]

Ive seen way worse waste ….and only yesterday heard 2nd hand an account of a few guys catching 43 rig in a day …bag limits seemingly do not apply to kontikis …not when $$ are involved ….

The set net imposed some years ago was finally starting to bare fruit in respect fish numbers off our beaches ….the proliferation of kontiki use has stymied these gains …….I recently called for a reduction of hooks allowed …I believe 5 to be a more realistic number …..I would also go as far as reducing bag limits to 2 each of rig , ele or schoolie …harsher penalties for breaches would not go amiss ..

[Polwarth]

well said fishforpot & ginga, I have only ever used 5 hooks per set with my kite, because I have only ever fish for my table not the whole district. I have always felt, like others here, that fish keep best in the sea. The trouble as I see it, not just with fishing, but anything you apply a rule or law too, is that only the honest people will follow it.

Micro chipping dogs is a example of this, clearly the number of dog attacks has reduced as a result of the chipping. You only have to watch TV to see that dogs not registered or chipped are causing trouble, even though we have a law around this.

For me Kontiki fishing is another way to enjoy the fruits of the ocean, it allows a different type of fishing to those of us that are shore bound, but it also requires a ethic of the user.

[troutfishernz]

I guess it just depends on how much fish you need. In my opinion 2 good sized Rig or Elephant fish per person is more than enough fish for anybody and that can easily be achieved on rod and reel.

Was talking to a guy in a sports shop in Timaru a few months ago who was selling them and he reckoned that every time he put his out it would come back with 20+ elephant fish. I highly doubt his clams but even if he was getting a third of that its still a heck of lot fish.

[smokin’ joe]

Polwarth

[croozer]

Here’s another opinion….these things are just made for, and sold to people that cant fish, in a nutshell. It truly pisses me off to be standing on a west coast beach fishing for snaps with two rods, one hook on each, and watch as some plonker sets up next to me and sets their “harvester” out and pulls in 5-10 snaps, some of which I was certainly going to catch at a different stage of the tide. If people are so desperate for a feed, either go to the shop and buy some fish, or learn to really fish, same as I had to and feel what a real fish feels like on a line, not just a dead weight. The bloody things should be banned, full stop….oh, and by the way, yes I can afford one if I wanted one, and what’s more, I could do some serious damage to the fish stocks if I so desired, but I value the resource and respect the fish far too much to just harvest them. If you are having trouble catching sufficient fish for a feed, by usual practice, look me or some of the other respondents up, as we might be able to help.

[Polwarth]

Morning,

I endded up buying a better rod and reel combo. I wa s amazed how much better the rods are now with carbon fibre. Having sais that I have not had alot of time to get out and use it, given I am a 1 hour drive from the coast. But I have enjoyed the rest while I have been out fishing between casts. I will still use my kite if the conditions are right and also as a means to cast my line further. As I have said in an earlier post I will apply the ethics I fish by to ensure that the fish stock is not abused and that everything I catch I eat or return safe to the sea.

[Author]

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