Small thumb sized baits of fresh trevally (buy a whole fish from Pak N Save) and a 2/0 hook. You'll get tarakihi, blue cod, kahawai....in fact pretty much anything. A well known Welly fisho who died a couple of years ago caught an 8kg plus blue moki on a small strip of fresh trev targeting tarakihi.
This time of year is a bit harder. Get yourself an opera net and go catch some crabs. Hit the local beaches and the harbour and get into the spotty sharks. Good fun. Not bad eating as long as you gut them straight away and remove the green sac along their backbone to avoid amonia contamination.