From Tyres to Trophy Fish: Ethan Bryant’s Wild Rise at the Three Kings

The Trophy Snapper Equation | Stray lining Secrets Revealed | Connor Scott

Connor Scott is a career skipper out of West Haven,Auckland, and when it comes to stray lining for trophy snapper, he's built a system that's as dialled as it gets. Growing up fishing with his dad from the rocks at a spot they called Broken Ankle Point, Connor has spent his whole lifechasing snapper — and after years on the water professionally, he's broken down exactly what separates the people who consistently find big fish from the oneswho don't. In this episode, Nick and Connor go deep on the art of straylining — reading current, presenting bait naturally, understanding how snapper relate to structure, and why most people are fishing the wrong spots for the wrong reasons. Connor talks through his entire system, from finding the mark to keeping fish coming once you're on them, and why the small details that most anglers overlook are actually the difference between a feed and a trophy. There's plenty of texture along the way — Connor'sbackground running charter boats and ferries, what fatigue management looks like as a professional skipper, and some cracking yarns about big sessions and the ones that nearly got away. But the real gold in this episode is in thedetail — the kind of hard-won knowledge that only comes from putting in serious time on the water with clients who are paying to catch fish. Bait over lures. Pan-fried snapper. No fuss. Connor's a manwho knows what works. 🎧 Listen on Spotify &Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube — Search Get The Net ✅ Connor Scott @new_zealand_outdoors ✅ www.youtube.com   ⏱️ Chapters /Segments 📝 SHOW NOTES / CHAPTERBREAKDOWN (00:00) Meet Connor Career skipper out of West Haven, grewup fishing with his dad from the rocks at a place they called Broken AnklePoint. (07:00)The Professional Edge What years of putting clientson fish teaches you that recreational fishing never will. (00:15) Reading Current & Finding the Mark How Connorlocates trophy snapper and why most people are fishing the wrong spots. (00:30) The Straylining System Burley patience, big baits,and the details that separate a feed from a trophy. (00:45) Staying On the Fish Why sitting on a quiet markfor hours is one of the most underrated skills in fishing. (00:60) Bait vs Lures & The Equation Connor's take on thegreat debate — and the formula that equals big snapper every time.   🌟 Links & Socials - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@getthenet_nz] - Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/🎣-get-the-net-–-tight-lines-loose-lips🎙️/id1824558692]   ✅ Follow Us - Instagram: @getthenet_nz - TikTok:@getthenet_nz - Facebook @getthenet_nz   🎵 Music Used ✅ Proctor, Topher Mohr & Alex Elena ✅ Satellites, Swello ✅ Momentum, Zplit ✅ Source (YouTube Audio Library)   🎥 Production Notes ✅ Shot on: Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics ✅ Edited in: Adobe Premiere Pro ✅ Shot, Edited & Produced by Nick Hoyle

Cast Until It Hurts - Trophy Kings Off the Rocks | Gene Bryant, Strictly Landbased

Gene Bryant is New Zealand's only land-based fishing charter skipper — a Whitianga local who grew up watching his dad pioneer the land-based scene in the early '90s, and never looked back. Gene runs Strictly Land Based, taking clients to the remote rocks and ledges that most fishermen only dream about, chasing trophy snapper and kingfish with stickbaits and topwater lures off the kind of coastline that'll make your knees shake. In this episode, Nick and Gene dive deep into what it actually takes to fish off the rocks — the big walk-ins with a pack full of gear, the boat runs to spots you can't reach any other way, and why casting when you're tired is exactly when the fish show up. Gene shares the tactics behind reading structure, rigging for kingy and snapper off the rocks, and why topwater will always be his first love. Then there's the stories. A 20kg kingy on the second cast. A yellowfin tuna that went absolutely ballistic just around the corner from Whitianga. Six trips chasing GTs in Rarotonga — and one fish lost to the coral that still haunts him. Gene also brings out his dad's old fishing DVDs from the late '90s, proof of a land-based legacy that's been passed down through the generations — and is now being handed on to his own kids. A land-based marlin is still on the bucket list — and when it happens, he'll be back. ✅Gene Bryant @strictlylandbased (IG) ✅YouTube  @strictlylandbased123  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCGP17RUzS8fdyRii9TfEmig] ✅ Book a chater +64224778157 (00:00) [The Land-Based Legacy] Gene's dad pioneered it in the '90s — DVDs, sponsors, and all. (00:10) [Spots Nobody Else Can Reach] Boat runs and big walk-ins to Whitianga's most remote coastline. (00:20) [20kg Kingy Then a Yellowfin] A boys' trip that turned into one of Gene's best ever sessions off the rocks. (00:30) [Six Trips Chasing Rarotonga GTs] Why he keeps going back, and eight days of casting with absolutely nothing. (00:40) [Rigging & Reading Structure] The tactics Gene uses to put clients on trophy snapper and kings from remote ledges. (00:50) [Saltiga, Lures & the Bucket List] The rapid fire — plus the one species Gene is still hunting. 🌟 Links & Socials - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@getthenet_nz] - Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/🎣-get-the-net-–-tight-lines-loose-lips🎙️/id1824558692]   ✅ Follow Us - Instagram: @getthenet_nz - TikTok:@getthenet_nz - Facebook @getthenet_nz   🎵 Music Used ✅ Proctor, Topher Mohr & Alex Elena ✅ Satellites, Swello ✅ Momentum, Zplit ✅ Source (YouTube Audio Library)   🎥 Production Notes ✅ Shot on: Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics ✅ Edited in: Adobe Premiere Pro ✅ Shot, Edited & Produced by Nick Hoyle

3 Kings in a 3 6m Inflatable Tasman from NZ Wild Adventures Pushes the Boundaries of What's Possible

3 Kings in a 3.6m Inflatable | Tasman from NZ Wild Adventures Pushes the Boundaries of What's Possible Tasman grew up on Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds, homeschooled, self-sufficient, and fishing before he could drive. These days he documents some of the most audacious solo fishing and hunting adventures in New Zealand on his YouTube channel NZ Wild Adventures — mostly from the deck of a 3.6 metre inflatable. Three Kings solo. Fiordland for a month. Around Stewart Island. Sleeping in a hammock strung across the boat 35 kilometres offshore. Hunting the Hokitika Trench for Pacific bluefin tuna in winter. In this episode we get into the safety gear and planning that makes these missions possible, what a month alone in Fiordland actually looks like, the time the boat started filling with water at the start of the Three Kings crossing, and why Tasman would be doing all of this with or without a camera rolling. This is the guy doing 30-mile offshore crossings in a boat most people wouldn't take past the harbour entrance — and somehow making it look completely normal. ✅ Tasman Denize @nz_wild_adventures ✅ www.youtube.com/@NZWildAdventures ⏱️ Chapters /Segments (00:00) Meet Tasman He grew up on Arapawa Island — homeschooled, no neighbours for 9km, hunting and fishing from day one. (10:00) The 3.6m Inflatable — Is It Actually Safe? Backup motor, PLB, VHF, satellite comms, and a strict check-in plan with family. More thought-out than it looks. (20:00) Three Kings Solo Launched from Taputaputa, blue cod on the reef, a possible Pacific bluefin while diving — and a great white in the same spot two hours after he left. (30:00) Fiordland — A Month Alone Four weeks solo, no comms, sleeping on the boat or ashore, eating almost entirely what he caught. (40:00) The Hokitika Trench & Chasing Bluefin 35km offshore in winter, hammock on the boat, 400lb leader — and a very Tasman answer to what happens if a 150kg fish actually eats. (50:00) Rapid Fire + Listener Questions Handline over rod and reel. Bait. Bucket list: big Pacific bluefin solo on the 3.6m. Favourite feed: kahawai in butter. 🌟 Links & Socials- YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@getthenet_nz] - Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/🎣-get-the-net-–-tight-lines-loose-lips🎙️/id1824558692] ✅ Follow Us - Instagram: @getthenet_nz - TikTok:@getthenet_nz - Facebook @getthenet_nz 🎵 Music Used ✅ Proctor, Topher Mohr & Alex Elena ✅ Satellites, Swello ✅ Momentum, Zplit ✅ Source (YouTube Audio Library) 🎥 Production Notes ✅ Shot on: Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics ✅ Edited in: Adobe Premiere Pro ✅ Shot, Edited & Produced by Nick Hoyle

Commercial Fishing's Dirty Secret | Extreme Waste, Destruction & One Man's Fight to Make a Difference — Dallas Abel

Dallas Abel grew up in Port Douglas, Far North Queensland —fishing, diving and hunting every chance he got. That coastal upbringing sparked a lifelong curiosity about the ocean that took him all the way through a marine science degree, into aquaculture, reef education, and eventually a role as a fisheries observer for MPI right here in New Zealand. In this episode, Dallas pulls back the curtain on what lifeas a fisheries observer actually looks like — including some of the confronting realities of commercial fishing at scale that most recreational fishers never see. He breaks down ocean acidification in plain language, unpacks New Zealand's quota management system, and shares his philosophy that utilisation is conservation. But Dallas isn't just talking the talk. He's the founder of Ofishal— a New Zealand fish leather business turning what would otherwise be waste product into premium, handcrafted leather goods. It's a business with purpose, and a genuinely fascinating story. We also get into kingfish sashimi, mahi-mahi bucket lists,why he'd ditch the rod and reel for a speargun, and what it's like going fishing with Matt Watson. This one's got something for everyone — whether you're adie-hard fisho, someone curious about what actually goes on out on the commercial boats, or just after a reminder to make the most of every fish you bring home. ✅ Dallas Abel @ofishal_leather ✅ https://ofishalstore.myshopify.com/   ⏱️ Chapters /Segments 00:00 – Meet Dallas Abel — proud Australian, marinescientist, ex-MPI fisheries observer, and founder of Ofisal fish leather. Dallas moved over from North Queensland for a girl and agovernment job — and never left. He shares why NZ's fishing access, lifestyle, and quota management system make it hard to go back. Fishing, diving and hunting after school every day. How acurious kid from Far North Queensland developed a lifelong obsession with the ocean. What university actually teaches you — hydrology, coastalchemistry, reef ecosystems — and why Dallas became obsessed with bridging the gap between scientific research and public understanding.   10:00 – Growing Up Wild — Crocs, Sharks & the 2025 Season’s First Striped Marlin Dallas grew up in Port Douglas, Far North Queensland — where crocodiles were a near-daily sighting and a very drunk round of golf once ended in a sprint from a 3.5-metre croc. He discusses how a casual overnight trip out of Whangarei turned into landing the first striped marlin of the 2025 season at 107.6 kilos. 25 :00 – Fist time Blue Marlin, and what the life of a fisheries observer is really like Becoming a Fisheries Observer for MPI What the role actually involves — going out on commercial vessels and documenting what's happening at sea. Dallas shares what he saw and why it changed his perspective. How coral gets dumped (legally) and the massive On-board processing plants and waste they create 35:00 – The Hauraki Gulf — Dragged Clean Dallas reveals that the Hauraki Gulf was once dragged with massive chains to rip up the entire sea floor — clearing out the mussels, oysters and reef structures that once lined the bottom — specifically to make way for commercial trawling. 50:00 – Ofishal — Turning Fish Skins into LeatherDallas walks through how a rabbit hole during his time with the Kai Ika project led him to fish leather — watching perfectly good skins get discarded on commercial boats and thinking there had to be a better use.   🌟 Links & Socials - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@getthenet_nz] - Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/🎣-get-the-net-–-tight-lines-loose-lips🎙️/id1824558692]   ✅ Follow Us - Instagram: @getthenet_nz - TikTok:@getthenet_nz - Facebook @getthenet_nz   🎵 Music Used ✅ Proctor, Topher Mohr & Alex Elena ✅ Satellites, Swello ✅ Momentum, Zplit ✅ Source (YouTube Audio Library)   🎥 Production Notes ✅ Shot on: Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics ✅ Edited in: Adobe Premiere Pro ✅ Shot, Edited & Produced by Nick Hoyle

From Tyres to Trophy Fish: Ethan Bryant’s Wild Rise at the Three Kings

In this episode of Get The Net, we sit down with Ethan Bryant, skipper of Te Ariki Nui in the Pelagic Charters fleet, to talk about one of the wildest career pivots in New Zealand fishing. Less than a decade ago Ethan was running a tyre shop and working in the automotive world. Now he’s built a name as one of the most effective and hardest-working skippers in the country, spending nearly 300 days a year on the water and leading clients through the madness of the Three Kings fishery. But behind the results is a real personal cost too, and Ethan speaks openly about how life on the boat takes him away from his young family and how much that sacrifice weighs on him. We get into what makes Ethan and Pelagic so dangerous at the Kings, from teaching everyday anglers how to fight properly on heavy tackle, to chasing the fish that keep serious fishos awake at night. Ethan opens up about his obsession with swordfish, the forgotten art of nighttime swordfishing, & some properly insane stories from the boat — including a 16-hour battle with a monster broadbill and the constant push to find the grander sword he knows is out there. It’s clear how addicted he is to the job and the fishery, but just as clear that this lifestyle demands a hugely understanding wife and a familywilling to back the mission. We also unpack just how special the Three Kings can be. Ethan’s crew tagged the most striped marlin of any charter boat in New Zealand last season, but unbelievably they actually caught more swordfish than marlin. Add in blue marlin, kingfish, bluefin tuna, and the pressure of trying to protect one of the country’s most iconic fisheries, and this episode is stacked with hard-earned knowledge, huge fish stories, and a very real look at what it takes to become one of the top charter skippers in the game — not just professionally, but personally as well.   This one isn’t just about big fish — it’s about obsession, sacrifice, family, and what it really takes to build a life around chasing the next bite. ✅ Ethan Bryant @esb.offshore & @pelagic_charters_nz (IG) ✅ https://www.youtube.com/@esb.offshore ✅https://www.facebook.com/ PelagicChartersNZ ✅ https://pelagiccharters.co.nz   ⏱️ Chapters /Segments (00:00) – Meet Ethan Bryant Ethan’s path into the game has been anything but ordinary. He shares how he went from running a tyre shop to becoming the skipper of one of the hottest boats in the Pelagic Charters fleet. (10:00) – The wildest blue marlin footage you’ll ever see We revisit some unbelievable blue marlin footage shot from the top of the tuna tower — the kind of content that shows just how chaotic and visual this fishery can be. (20:00) – Night-time swordfishing Ethan tells the story of the marathon broadbill fight that broke Jonsey & lit a fire in him for swordfishing. (30:00) – Marlin, kingfish and the magic of the Three Kings Ethan breaks down what makes the Three Kings such a special and unpredictable place to fish. (40:00) – How night-time jigging for southern bluefin tunabegan Ethan talks through how they started piecing together a new way to target southern bluefin at night, and what it means to be a charter skipper whose job is not just to catch fish, but to create unforgettable experiences for clients. (50:00) – Pacific bluefin tuna | The brutal fight that tests every angler Not all tuna fights are created equal. Ethan explains why Pacific bluefin are the real deal. (60:00) – Showing the real Three Kings on YouTube Ethan shares why he’s putting more of the real charter experience onto YouTube — the highs, the grind, and what people don’t always see from the outside.   ✅ Follow Us - Instagram: @getthenet_nz - TikTok:@getthenet_nz - Facebook @getthenet_nz   🎵 Music Used ✅ Proctor, Topher Mohr & Alex Elena ✅ Satellites, Swello ✅ Momentum, Zplit ✅ Source (YouTube Audio Library)   🎥 Production Notes ✅ Shot on: Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics ✅ Edited in: Adobe Premiere Pro ✅ Shot, Edited & Produced by Nick Hoyle