Naki Fisher, if you are on the beach there is no need to be fussy, leave the skin on, just remove the fillets and plunge them in sea water. They can stay that way for smoking but if destined for the pan skin them later.

Fished Napier this afternoon, the inshore water was quite discoloured with the occasional set of three dumpers. BOS were required with quite a current from right to left, especially as it had the wind behind it, but those sinkers would hold.

Nothing doing until the tide turned and for an hour after the high had a three takes and managed to hook up with one feisty Kahawhai. Good fight but a sod to get through the dumpers and the backwash. He (or she) is joining me for tea tomorrow.