Pound-for-pound, the Yellowtail Kingfish is one of the toughest fighters in the sea, and the world's largest kingfish are found here in New Zealand!

It is found from the tropical and temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere to the northern Pacific, but the world's largest kingfish are found in New Zealand and most world records are held here.

Yellowtails dominate the light to middleweight tackle game fishing scene, and the record books confirm this fish's fierce reputation. World record line weight ratios for black marlin catches, range from 11 to 1 to over 55 to 1 while for yellowtail, almost anything over 6.5 to 1 will gain you a world record.

A large fish of northern waters, some of the worlds largest and hardest fighting Yellowtail Kingfish live around White Island and the Bay of Plenty, NZ. In the summer it moves south as far as Christchurch.

As its name suggests, Yellowtail has a distinctive yellow tail fin. It is an attractive fish varying in shade from grey-green to blue-green with a yellowish brown stripe along its sides. Its large head, streamlined form and short low first dorsal fin mark it as a fast customer.

This highly sought-after sportfish is taken with a wide range of techniques including trolling, live-baiting, jigging, and flyfishing. Mostly Kingfish are usually taken from boats by anglers using handlines and rod-and-line, although occasionally they are taken from the shore.

A Kingfish will chase after anything moving quickly though the water. The faster the better! So using livebait or metal jigs, such as Grim Reaper Lures, are especially effective in hooking these feisty fighters. Although not a huge fish, the real challenge is landing the fish before it frees itself on the craggy bottom. Once hooked, it takes a combination of muscle and skill to conquer your Kingy.

So besides the challenge of the fight, why is the Yellowtail Kingfish such a sought-after prize? The answer is simple - it makes very good eating. It's tasty and highly nutritional, being high in protein, vitamin B, and low in cholesterol. Good exercise and a great diet - a recipe for champions!

Char-Grilled Kingfish with Coconut & Lime Dressing

Ingredients Cutlets of Yellowtail Kingfish Olive oil Coconut cream, Lime juice Shredded kaffir lime leaves Fresh ginger, salt & pepper Coconut shavings

Cooking Directions Pre-heat char grill. Brush your kingfish cutlets with olive oil. Place them onto the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Dressing: Infuse 1 cup of coconut cream with zest, juice of 1 lime, shredded kaffir lime leaves, fresh ginger and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently simmer to reduce. Strain and serve over char-grilled kingfish cutlets. Garnish with toasted coconut shavings.

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