b'Feature M any people often ask me what is my favourite type of fishing?I have been fortunate to fish with a lot of knowledgeable people, on charters and places over the past twenty years working in the fishing media landscape and if I think about this question then it is easy to answer.During this time, I have caught prized game fish such as tuna and marlin when trolling, line screaming giant trevally on poppers in the Pacific Islands and big stubborn kingfish when live baiting or jigging.But the fish that makes me happiest is the good old snapper and when attached to the end of my surfcaster.Why?Well, nostalgia is a big part of the reason as I fondly remember many memories of growing up at Glinks Gully on Ripiro Beach with my family and my late grandfather who took me surfcasting and told me about his amazing big snapper stories before I was born and before the trawlers depleted the huge schools found along the west coast.The other part is because there is just something simple and pure about taking on the breaking surf, just yourself with a rod designed to cast your bait well out, and when you hook a good snapper that fights hard through the surf break as it This 13-14lb fish was caught bycomes into shallower water.Seeing a big the writer using fresh trevally atred tail floundering in the surf always puts Pouto on the Kaipara in spring. a smile on your dial.The Kaipara harbour during spring with such overcast conditions, is a prime time to surfcast for big snapper.12FISHING IN GODZONE SEP/OCT 2023'