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One of the many aspects that fisho’s enjoy about fishing is the gear and the gadgets. There is some serious technology that’s gone into fishing tackle, lures and marine electronics all in aid of finding and catching fish, and thus improving our fishing experience. I can’t imagine trying to catch a hapuku 30 miles out in 350 meters of water without the aid of my Furuno electronics, braided line and...

As a cameraman on The ITM Fishing Show, I’ve lost count of the times that people jealously inform me that I’ve got the best job in the world. Experiencing the great outdoors, bringing Matt’s monster fish battles to the screen, spending time in exotic locations aboard luxurious boats, it’s pretty hard to disagree. However over the past 18 months that I’ve been involved in the show, there have been...

Hey Mates, You can never get all the conditions 100% perfect when heading out filming in the field, however some of the best footage we've filmed is when we've had our backs against the wall; rough seas, fish not biting, then boom, we pull a special catch out of nowhere and get some hot action in the can. As we set out on our last shoot, the weather forecast was perfect; no wind, clear skies and...

Internationally, things have really taken off for us, with two shows screening on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. But it must be said, my true passion is for the show that started in my garage over six years ago – The ITM Fishing Show. Above all, I enjoy the freedom of just coming up with an idea for another adventure and using whatever means we can, to go make it happen. However, we’ve learnt...

I’ve got to admit I’ve had moments where I’ve been pretty jaded about making fishing TV a few times in the last couple of years. Not the fishing part of it, that never gets old, and the new challenges keep me springing out of bed for a day on the sea to roll some tape. But the tedious, often frustrating work in between filming excursions can be tiresome. It is never more frustrating when doing work...

I’ve had some pretty awesome adventures over the last few years. But because of the pressure involved in the filming, and a sometimes crazy schedule, some of the experiences pass me by without the full effect sinking in. For example I might have been working for days or weeks to catch just one particular fish in some weird and wacky way; and when I pull it off I’m often concentrating on...

About now I bet your mind is more occupied with what you have to look forward to on your upcoming summer escape. It’s one of the great Kiwi traditions, getting away over the Xmas break, and we seem to flock to the beaches and coastal hideaways all around the country.   Living in a holiday destination I don’t have the aggravation of driving with the hoards on Boxing Day, but like most...

We have recently run a competition in conjunction with two of our local primary schools - Kerikeri and Riverview.The children were instructed to draw a picture, or write a story about why they would like to go fishing with Matt.The prize for the best entrant from each school is a day fishing trip with Matt, a rod and reel set from Hunting and Fishing Kerikeri, and the chance to star in an episode of...

The toe-tapping Discovery Channel tune heard ‘round the world has been given a refresh. Discovery Channel's "The World is Just Awesome," set to the music of the old campfire song, "I Love the Mountains".Check it out hereFeatured in the new spots are familiar stars of Discovery Channel's hit series singing along in very familiar surroundings including Captains Sig...

"So what are you going to do next?" That was the question posed by David Letterman when Matt was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman earlier this year.Matt's answer, "I'd like to catch a marlin off a surf board". And since he'd broadcast those words on live television in front of millions of viewers worldwide, well he couldn't exactly wimp out. So that is exactly what...

You know how you get a preconceived idea about a place, what the people, culture and environment would be like if you ever went there. For far away places our preconceptions are often made up of things we've seen on TV.So when I was enroute to Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.A, a land locked town 2,000 km east of the Pacific Ocean and 1,700km West of the Atlantic Ocean, I was expecting a quiet back water...

Girls are no longer just brought along on boats for ‘Lady Luck', or to make the sandwiches. We are seeing less and less of the boys heading off for a days fishing, while the girls stay at home tending children. In fact we are now seeing more and more ladies out on the water with the lads, and even tackling the records on offer. Women are now specifically catered for, and can experience fishing...

A feature of this series is our fishing road trip where we set out from the Far North in our Jeep with our 759 Stabi in tow. The premise was pretty basic, we would make our way south stopping in and fishing wherever we could launch and whenever the weather allowed. At times the weather was scratchy, and at times the fishing was tough. Even so, we caught kingfish that numbered into the hundreds, plenty...

A brand new series of The ITM Fishing Show is set to kick off on Saturday the 25th of April on TV3, in a new timeslot of 5:30pm. And what a series it will be, with something for everyone and all the thrills and entertainment viewers have come to expect.This new series sees The ITM Fishing Show crew fishing in some of New Zealand's, and the worlds, most prolific and exciting fishing spots; with locations...

This week show sees the finale to Matt's battle royale with a West Coast Marlin from his 389 Stabi-Craft. Using nothing but a hand line and a ‘modified' electric fence reel Matt goes toe to fin with a big stripey. How this all goes down at the end will blow you away!Only four Saturdays to go until the new series!! YEEEHHHAAAA. And speaking of the new series, congratulations to Sue, the lucky...

Matt Watson has appeared with David Letterman on the world renowned Late Show with David Letterman. David's people told us they've had their eye on Matt for a while now and first saw him wrangling with a striped Marlin from a Jet Ski. Since then there's been Handline Marlin, Swiming with Mako's and the latest addition in Stunt Fishing 'Gannet Man'. After seeing Matt leap from the skids of a Helicopter...

I couldn't help but see the irony as Kerren chuckled to himself and called me the ‘John Dory Master'. Kerren and I were out for a fish off Cape Brett in our Stabi 759, no cameras, no script - just fishing, something we hadn't done in a long time, years in fact. Given a list of options for fishing in the Bay, Kezza opted for jigging, so off we went to a rock choc full of kingies. After getting...

Matt was a guest on TV 3's live morning show, Sunrise; talking about his crazy fishing stunts, and his new book.Check it out here.

The topic of killing came up whilst I was having a few beers with some mates at the end of a big day's fishing. We were venting our disgust at those that want to stop the very thing that we had all enjoyed so much that day, but I'd not had so many beers that I was rambling incoherently.We'd started off by discussing the theory of evolution - that all species of animals in existence today are alive...

There really is no other way to put it: when we go fishing, we catch fish, if we are lucky - and for the most part we kill them. Our TV show pulls in an audience because people apparently want to see us catching and killing fish, or even to learn how they could catch/kill more fish themselves. But that's not to suggest that people who enjoy catching a feed of fish for dinner are blood-crazed killers....

‘So what's the secret to catching so many fish?' It's a question often posed to me. My response is ‘I'm not sure there is a secret?... and if there was I'd tell you'. This may seem like I'm trying to keep the answer a jealously guarded secret, but the truth is there is no secret; the closest I can come to a broad reaching answer is by saying - "accumulate knowledge about the type of...

So are you tired of reading, seeing and hearing about soft plastic baits yet? For the most part it seems that you are not because the retailers are selling loads of plastic baits, and the rods, braid and hooks required for this ‘new' form of fishing. I confess I'd become a little tired of all the hype, and our show is in part to blame having first caught snapper with a plastic on film back in...

We've had a heap of feedback about The ITM Fishing Show episodes this year, we get e-mails and phone calls, and we watch with interest the discussions between keen fishos in our web forums. Something that has generated quite a bit of talk lately are some of the more ‘out there' antics I get up to on the show, like marlin on a hand line, jumping overboard miles out to sea to film marlin and late...

Love them or hate them, mako sharks have gained the respect of fishermen around the world for their physical prowess, but it is perhaps their intelligence that makes them such a remarkable fish.The makos' ability to learn has been well documented by marine biologists around the World. I have been fortunate enough to witness the makos learning ability first hand whilst fishing at the Three Kings for...

"Bludy Spearo", I remarked to Kerren as I dragged myself through the transom door on Ultimate Lady. The ‘Bludy Spearo' I was referring to was Graham Mackereth, a keen spearo and a sometime underwater cameraman for the ITM Fishing Show. The reason for the remark was that I'd just dived onto the water for about the tenth time in two days with a camera rolling to record the action as Graham...

There is no doubt that attitudes towards catching fish have changed. In the last few years particularly, more and more fisho's are taking less and releasing more. Typically the big game anglers have been very good at not only releasing a good deal of their catch but helping with research on their prized quarry, mainly marlin. But now everyone from guys fishing for Kahawai off a beach to keen snapper...

I never thought I'd say it, but for the first time ever, marlin fishing felt pretty ho-hum, and it was not because we weren't catching any, we were getting plenty.I've just got back from the Wanganella banks on Ultimate Lady. You've most likely seen this amazing boat and the unbelievable marlin fishing we've experienced at ‘the Wangies', it really is something special and I always enjoy catching...

Blue Marlin have explosive power, Black Marlin have enormous bulk, and strength, Striped Marlin have dogged determination, Swordfish have deep down grunt, the big tunas are perfectly engineered for speed and power, Makos have unparalleled acceleration, and don't under estimate the unrelenting stubbornness amongst many other sharks. But which of the big game fish is truly the toughest, and can lay claim...

Wanganella sounds like a made up place name that you might hear in a fairy tale, a mystical place where you might expect to run into Peter Pan, the Hobbits or the Tooth fairy. The account of my recent visit to the Wanganella Banks might sound like a Fairy tale but I can assure you that the Striped marlin wonderland really exists. The name Wanganella is obviously not of New Zealand origin, in fact it...

When I am game fishing one of the things that I am a stickler for is sharp hooks. Not just sharp but razor sharp, I can't stand it when some one puts a lure in the water with out checking the hook or when they do check it they say ‘that will do' and throw it in the water. I am constantly sharpening hooks, because the hook is a pretty important part of the equation when you are trying to catch...

Blog, a couple of years back I'd never heard of the term. Now here I am typing and here you are reading it. I'm told I can write about what ever I want, but having a free reign makes it hard to know where to start, I could go on about almost anything but I want it to at least be of some interest or use to the person reading it. So for you to be reading this I'll presume that you care, at least a little,...