Fishing Tackle Best Sellers: The Hooks, Trace and Longline Gear Kiwis Are Buying Now

Last week's fishing tackle best sellers covered longline nylon, mono spools and deep drop rigs. This time we dug back into the last 90 days of orders to see what else Kiwi anglers keep coming back for. The answer is simple: the gear that actually catches fish. Hooks, trace, backbone and buoys, bought in quantity by people who fish often. Here are five genuine best sellers from our Fishing Tackle range.

1. Nylon Longline Backbone with 2m Stoppers (120m hank)

If you've ever tied 60 stoppers onto a backbone by hand on a windy beach, you'll see why this one sells. Each 120m hank of mono backbone comes with stoppers already tied and glued at 2m spacing, so it's ready to clip traces on and go. It's made by AJ Fishing Industries, who have been building longlines for the Norwegian commercial market since 1987.

It comes in four sizes, 1.3mm (75kg) up to 2.2mm (215kg). Kontiki and drone fishers use the lighter sizes off the beach, and boaties setting heavier lines go for the thicker ones. From $46.00. Shop the longline backbone, or see the full longlines and accessories range.

2. Mutsu Style Fishing Hooks (100 pack)

Mutsu hooks are the most-bought hook in our tackle range right now. They're a non-strike, commercial-style circle hook. You don't strike, the fish hooks itself in the corner of the mouth, and that's exactly what you want on a longline or a set rod. Each box holds 100 hooks, in sizes from a small #13 up to a big #32, which is why longliners buy them by the box.

From $11.99 a box. Shop Mutsu hooks or browse all Mutsu hooks.

3. Beak Hooks, 100 pcs (1/0 to 10/0)

If you prefer to strike, the beak (octopus) hook is the all-rounder. These black Korean-made beak hooks come in 100-packs in sizes 1/0 to 10/0. They suit snapper, general inshore fishing and bait rigs. Surfcasters and weekend boaties who tie their own flasher and ledger rigs stock up on them, because at 100 a pack you're never caught short.

From $13.99. Shop beak hooks or see the beak hook collection.

4. Sunline V-Plus Fluorocarbon 50m

Good trace makes a real difference when the fish are fussy. Sunline's V-Plus is soft and supple with very little memory, and still has strong abrasion resistance, so it holds up around reef and shell. Sunline's resin processing also gives it good knot strength. Soft-bait and light-tackle anglers use it as their go-to leader.

$10.00 for a 50m spool (20lb). Shop Sunline V-Plus or browse fluorocarbon trace lines.

5. Buoy 3 RIB Low Drag (130mm)

This is a New Zealand-made, marine-grade PVC buoy, 130mm x 210mm, and UV stabilised for our harsh sun. The low drag shape sits well in current, which is why cray potters and longliners use it to mark their gear. It comes in a range of colours (the photo shows red, but you'll receive the colour you pick), so you can spot your own buoys from a distance.

$16.40 each. Shop the 3 RIB buoy or see craypot floats and buoys.

Also flying off the shelf

A few smaller items kept showing up in orders too. The flounder spear head ($9.99) fits straight onto a wooden handle for a night on the flats. The stainless filleting glove ($10.00) keeps your fingers safe at the cleaning table. And the Kilwell NZ Selector Sawdust 5-pack ($26.29) gives you Pohutukawa, Apple, Tawa, Beech and Hickory for the smoker. You'll find more handy gear in fishing tools.

Fishing across NZ and the Pacific

Hooks, backbone and trace in bulk are just as useful to fishing families in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands as they are here at home. We regularly supply Pacific Island customers, so if you're after quantity, get in touch with us.

Browse our full range at actionoutdoors.kiwi.