Our trip with Captain Derek was fantastic! Not only did he take us out fishing, but he also gave us a tour of the area and told us stories about the history and culture. We caught plenty of snappers, some mackerel for bait, and even landed a sea trout. The highlight, though, was definitely seeing dolphins up close—it was such a great surprise! Captain Derek’s laid-back yet knowledgeable approach made the whole experience enjoyable. Highly recommend booking with him if you’re looking for a fun day out on the water.

We booked this trip hoping to maybe catch a few snapper and have a morning out on the beautiful Bay of Islands. We were not disappointed! Derek was an absolutely great captain, very knowledgeable and friendly! He got us on fish right away even with a poor fishing forecast! We caught so many snapper we had to start throwing them back!!!  Big Fish Bay of Islands is an absolute must for anyone looking for a experienced and fun fishing trip in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Considering the decent swells and bait fish not wanting to cooperate, we had a great day of fishing. Caught some nice Red Snapper and got hooked up to some really big fish. Sharks wanted the bigger fisher more than us, lol. Derek was very nice and considerate to my wife and I. He even made a special trip to drop the wife off to get past the sea sickness. If ever in NZ again will definitely book with Derek again!

Had a magnificent day with Dereck, caught 2 massive snapper 68 &70cm, lost a whopper Kingfish after 4 attempts to bring it back to the boat
Several smaller snapper landed. My bragging rights back in Oz will take some flack. Great Captain, and a fantastic day on the water, would recommend to everybody will.give him 11/10 ,!!!!

Thanks Derek for a fun, productive trip.
You sure do have the formula to get fish.
Would be keen to go again sometime.
Fresh fish yum!
Highly recommend.