Hapuka

Hapuka (Groper) have a dark blue-grey body or grey-brown above and white below with small scales.  Smaller fish are a more distinctive blue. Hapuka are caught around New Zealand over rocky areas to depths of 250 metres and often in association with Bass.  They are caught off the east coast of the North Island, in Cook Strait, off Kaikoura and off the west coast of the South Island.





Hapuka has firm white flesh with few bones.  It has heavy flakes when cooked, makes good steaks and smokes well.

Fishing for Hapuka

Winter is generally the time of year fisherman start thinking about Hapuka fishing. Though there is good Hapuka fishing year round, winter often provides cold but settled periods of weather which allow anglers to get out to the deeper grounds where the bigger fish tend to congregate. The fish tend to come into shallower water to spawn over the summer months.

Most Hapuka fishing takes place between 180m-450m. Often the bigger fish are caught in the deeper water, but this is certainly a trend rather than a rule, as there have been some big fish pulled up recently from under 200m.

The tackle generally used for Hapuka fishing is a 15kg - 37kg rod and reel, with a kidney harness and gimbal to ease the pressure of fishing such deep water. Ledger rigs with 32oz sinkers, and circle hooks are the main rigs used when targeting the deep water fish.

Hapuka fishing can be hard work due to the depths one has to fish at when targeting Hapuka but is an extremely rewarding form of fishing. The best part is that you catch the finest eating fish New Zealand has to offer; well, maybe with the exception of John Dory.