Not that I don't watch other catch and cook content, but man Taku is really the only one with a gentle demeanor that elevates his content. It's therapeutic in a way.

Kahawai translates to strong in the water, delicious smoked and raw fish and you can't beat a feed of smoked and fried roe aka sausages of the sea

2:51 I like how you climbed through the trees, set up your camera, climbed back up, and climbed down again to get the camera shot lmao😂

Great video! As you say, kahawai are much underrated, many people regard them as "trash fish" and only good for bait. Bleeding and eating fresh as you did is important. Kahawai made it in to Taku's Top 5 Sushi Fish, amazing! I've never heard anyone call them salmon in New Zealand, that's an Australian thing. Looking forward to the next video.

kaha=strong or strength wai=water which is the maori word for this fish as it is a strong fighting water fish sometimes called australian sea salmon lovely when smoked as well highly underrated cheers taku hope this is useful

Great choice of beer ! I Live in Waipu where the brewery is! Feel free to come and stay at my families lifestyle block in Waipu its only a 10 minute drive to the beach that you can surf cast of Kawhai and we can have them smoked :) Love the videos Taku and Jocelynn keep it up so happy you are in New Zealand showing all of its beauty!!!!

2 Things... My favorite part is when Taku fillets the fish. Just weird seeing him use that big kitchen knife and how effortless he makes it look. The wave sounds at the end were perfect.

My favorite part of your videos is when you take that ginormous first gulp of beer! Lol

Hey mate, welcome to NZ! I studied kahawai at university and have fished for them (and their relatives) here in NZ and Australia most of my life. My personal preference is to eat them smoked, but will definitely try them as sashimi after that. I was going to rabbit on about them a bit but.. you've already got the main info from other folks. I will say that genetically, they seem to be originally from Australia where there is more genetic variation in them and the related species. There are only 4 distinct species, but there may be one or two sub-species. The jury is still out on that. What is known is that they (distantly) related to some of the mackerals and tunas, but the genetic signal I was looking at wasn't actually clear enough to sort out that definitively. Kahawai and the Arripidae are basically genetic orphans. They don't seem to have a lot of really close relatives. Finally, for preference, smaller ones are MUCH better to eat but as the others have said, eat them fresh, bleed them first and enjoy them. And enjoy your time in NZ!

Arripis trutta, known as kahawai in New Zealand and as the Australian salmon in Australia, is a South Pacific marine fish and one of the four extant species within the genus Arripis, native to the cooler waters around the southeastern Australian coasts and the New Zealand coastline. Wikipedia Mass: 11 lbs (Adult) Encyclopedia of Life Scientific name: Arripis trutta Family: Arripidae Order: Perciformes

We maori call king fish in Aotearoa (NZ) a Haku and the best bait is a koheru or a kahawai..Nice to see you here Taku and your lovely wife hope you enjoy it here 😎👍

Hey Taku, you should try using the Kahawai as burley. Here in Sydney, Australia we tie it to the rocks and let the waves mash it up as a natural source of burley for Kingfish. We usually get Kingfish coming close to shore due to the scent after 1-3 hours to check things out, that’s when we usually catch them on jigs, casting metals, white coloured large soft plastics and stickbaits and poppers. Goodluck mate!

Yeah it's kahawai here in NZ. In Australia they call it Australian Salmon. They also call it "The People's Fish" in NZ too because it's so accessible to basically anyone. You can catch them on the beach, rocks, wharf, boat, anywhere. Very popular to smoke, or raw fish (coconut milk, tomato, red onion etc). Great sport on light tackle and perfect for kids to have a go with too. I'm heading to a beach fishing comp this weekend in the BOP and if I catch one I'll def try your sashimi recipe! Also you should come to the Bay of Plenty haha

I’m from aus and I’ve been watching your content since your coastal foraging days. It pleases me to see you in a place I feel familiar with as we aussies like to target the same fish they do there (except for the fact the fish there are 10x bigger lol). I hope you have the chance of hooking and landing your first kingy I’m super excited for you too hook one as they are powerful and fight dirty. Cheers 🎉

Man I love this series so far and the other last few you have done, thanks for mixing it up and keeping everything always entertaining and exciting !

Bro, ask anyone that knows (I.e who spearfishes or is outdoors) and well all agree this fish is underrated due to old school thinking. I think it’s never taken off in Japan as sashimi fish due to the blood discolouration but maan it’s a awesome for a feed sashimi and cooked - just got to bleed them asap & I’d recommend chilling to firm up the flesh for best sashimi the next day. Awesome sharing guys and keep doing what you do - very good to see appreciation of marine & country life here in NZ especially coming from guys like you who know what you’re doing 👍🏼

Great to hear Taku compliment the mighty NZ Kahawai, they are a tremendous sport fish on very light gear, I catch them in NZ year round and love eating them sashimi style, for me medium sized kahawai taste best. Kahawai, Trevally and Kingfish are my NZ favourites.

of all my years on youtube these are the only videos I continue to watch from start to finish. You guys are amazing! Thank you for inspiring me with your content!!

In Australia they're called Australian Salmon. Mostly found on the south end, from Brisbane to Perth (Very roughly). Hugely under-rated fish really. Good sport, they smoke up a treat, good bait, and now I need to try one sashimi style. Thanks and enjoy your trip.

We absolutely love your channel and the food you create is awesome. We just bought 3 bottles of that kelp chili crisp sauce, making fish tacos later with it. Thank you for being a genuine person

Mate, you are making me drool. Bro. Kahawai is very underrated. Kahawai is also delicious smoked. Can't wait to see more of your trip to NZ especially getting some kina paua and even a crayfish or two. Cheers!!🤙

Love watching your content glad you’re in our beautiful backyard can’t wait to see your journey through our country.

Found you from NWFS. This New Zealand journey is fun to watch. I can’t wait for the KING FISH!! 🤴 🐟

Taku welcome to New Zealand I would like to thank you for your show and introducing me to miso .I used a kahawai head for the broth and Karengo "seaweed" dashi broth then mixed and added the miso paste wow the best. Kahawai is the most under rated fish but for us indigenous Maori its no1

I read up on the Kahawai. Seems they are good raw, as fish pattys, or cooked in a teryaki glaze. One of the best preparations is smoked Kawahai. Though called salmon most places they are not related to the salmonids. Good video keep them coming.

Another excellent fishing adventure. Love it. I’m heading out tomorrow…. Look out for the video to follow

Hi taku it’s awesome to see you’s in our beautiful country Aotearoa (NZ) hope you and your wife enjoy your stay here. Taku kahawai is beautiful smoked

Great channel, great video, gorgeous scenery in New Zealand. I’ll be watching all the time.

Hey Taku! We call them Australian Salmon on the other side of the ditch, and most people think of them as cat food and bait only!! I have always loved hot smoking them but never thought to try sashimi like that with them, I'm definitely trying this 'trash fish' gourmet situation ASAP! Going camping for Easter so some beach fishing and this is def on the menu 😊

Thank you for highlighting this. If you go to a Japanese restaurant in NZ this is one fish which you will be served as sashimi. In my opinion the taste is very much like raw scallop. Sadly it is undermined by some for their reluctance to eat it raw. Great that your experience gives it cred for what it is. It is also amazing smoked. These fish can be caught right around NZ in the summer. You pronunciation is also very good Ka-ha-wai which in Maori means 'strong water' excellent sport on fly or light gear. Loving your content.

This makes me miss home so much, I love our holiday parks, reminds me of our awesome childhood.

First video from your new Van! Nice and cozy! Peace☮

I would 100% watch your TV show if you had one so thank god you do youtube. I love your videos, they are so therapeutic.

Great video as always! You should hit 1 mil followers by the end of the year!!

Glad you tried them, really under rated fish here, mainly due to their abundance.

Kia ora korua have been following u around the world..realized by your fishing vlogs u were here in Aotearoa, now I have subscribed to your channel and loving every minute of it...great fishing...

wow... what an amazing catch of fish at 11:42 minutes. very good spot for cast and popping

What a life! Good for you man!

Thanks for the entertainment and the inspiring videos brother, fellow fisherman here and I wanna say you inspire me and many others to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Thank you Taku, cheers 🤙🏻

So much for it being Bait fish ! I've had Mackerel "bait fish" that tastes as good as any other from the right sushi bars who have it freshest. Big surprise first time I had it. Beautiful spot to park the van ! There isn't enough time on the calendar once you find that kind of paradise.

The beauty of this fish is how sustainable and bountiful it is. Yet, we still underate it so much here in NZ. Its such a great fish to eat, as you found out.

The chef is back in with another great video, thanks for your inspiration to get out there!

Another awesome video my bro. To choice alright. Enjoy your time in our lovely country

Kahawai is actually so nice to eat. Bleed it straight away and keep cool. The flesh taste so nice n underrated fish. Raw sashimi cooked baked smoked trust me it’s on

by far one of my favorite fish other than pink salmon to eat raw. or just glazed with lemon. traditionally amongst the pacific islands we marinate raw fish in lemon, coconut cream, red onion, capsicum, spring onion or as you would call it scallion, and some cherry tomatoes theres alot of different vegetables you can put in the dish all up to you. It's just a tradition I've known for as long as I've lived in my family (whanau). before you leave new zealand this is a must have dish and one i know you and Jocelyn would really enjoy.

I was sipping some Rogue IPA and eating pizza watching your show. Thank you for taking me along, I enjoyed this episode. I cheers to you when you drank your local brew! Cheers! 🍺

The exact moment I thought “dang it’s a good thing he isnt in Australia exploring like that” he say “good thing that is New Zealand and not Australia” 😂

Hot smoked Kahawai is easy and so nice. Just do it on the BBQ, low heat and some pohutukawa sticks for smoke. Leftovers go into a fish pie. Also the best snapper bait. Cut up in chunks and thrown in for burly also brings the big smapper and occasional Kingi. Must us some burly if fishing from the rock for best results. Love your work.

Super sketch rocks. I had to hold my breath for you. Very nice

Hey Taku, just wanna say thanks for taking the time to learn and pronounce Māori words correctly! Excellent videos too, hope you come down to Wellington at some point ;)

Love this journey brother! Inspiring!!!

Ki a Ora Taku and whanau! I’m so stoked you had a good time here in Aotearoa. You hit some good spots. I wish I could have been there to give you some hints around the fishing in NZ. But looks like you had a pretty good time anyway. Safe travels bro.

kahawai is definitely underrated

You da man bro. love how you show the prepping

We love the videos, when you are bored near Tomales make sure you hit us up. We got good crabbing spots and know some areas for halibut

Awesome fishing sesh . Kahawai such a awesome fish to catch ae aswell as eating. Hopefully you get to try it from a hot smoker before you head back 🤞

Kahawai is one of my favourite fish for raw fish, also great for smoking. Another awesome vid bro keep them coming.

I absolutely love this channel, I never miss a single episode! Been watching since you had around 22k subs, Ill be here when you hit the 1 mil! Gogogo!

Taku, can I rig up herring like this when trolling for halibut in the bay?? And keep the stinger hook?

That orange rod combo is in desperate need for a re-spool! Loving the NZ series. I just got back from there last week. No fishing though 😧

The most underrated fish in Aotearoa. Can be caught all over New Zealand.. Beautiful creamy flavour when you bleed them out. Can be smoked, steaked, raw fish, fried or boiled.

Lmao that fish just fighting for its life as taku holds it in his hands

We catch heaps of them in Australia and we call them Australian Salmon. They’re usually in schools in the tonnes. Our preferred method of eating them is smoked or fish patties

Yayah my man.... Glad to see u guys are here in nz🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿 Soak it up dude the north is BANGN

Definitely here in Australia mate! In Western Australia they are fished for commercially to be used for cat food..I usually keep 1 or 2 for the dog but you’ve inspired me to try and taste them again 😊

Hey, New Zealander here. It is KaHAwai, but just because of our accent it kinda blends in to kahwai or like kaAHwai. But just say it however you want, as long as you're fishing and having fun!

Very underrated. Looks and tastes delicious.

Hey mate we call this particular fish Australian salmon where I'm from , which you've probably heard , but I think this fish is knocked around as just catfood... But smaller ones bled and put on ice are delicious I think , it's coming up to salmon season around my area of South west W.A and it's a great time to flick lures on light gear and have some line peel lots of fun sight casting , love the videos yew

Kahawai is great. Love watching your adventure here in nz.

Kaha = strong / wai = water, you pronounce it beautifully, a beautiful, strong fish that is underrated in Aotearoa as a ‘bait’ fish but it is so much more…try smokinh it :)

great video man!

Kaha-wai Kaha=power wai= leg. Kaha-wai are seasonal. Feb-late april. In the northland. They chase Whitebait going up coastal rivers to spawn. Schools up to 20 acres some years with fish up to 20lbs and more

Very common in the north island, an yes highly underrated fish very surprised you put it in your top five fish. Will definitely try it your way next time, I love them smoked n raw …

Hi mate I know it's super late but that little fish you caught the next morning is a Mau Mau. Excellent eating and excellent bait. Very small fillers but delicious

Loving your series cuzzy! Wow! Top 5 is pretty much how I rate Kahawai too. Keep up the awesome mahi Kai cuz! 😊

So cool!!! Your gonna move there one day watch

the sea is beautiful and very beautiful, sis, there must be lots of fish, always be careful sis and take care of your health

Haven't seen kahawai sushimi done like that before, I'll have to give it a go although don't think I'll nail that awesome presentation on the plate!

glad to see you enjoying nz mate 👌 wicked

What a beautiful blue ocean water! New Zealand 🇳🇿 👍😃

as allways another great video guys

So good! Those kahawai are beautiful and look like a blast. Looking forward to see you land a king! You're so close to @gidosfishingadventures!

New subscriber, enjoyed the video and your appreciation of being here and welcome to Aotearoa😀

Hey Taku as always another great fishing adventure. Not sure if you have come across this KZfaq channel but it would be cool if you were able to link up with the guys from the Lateral Line. They are all Kiwi guys and catch a lot of Kingfish and Snapper all the time. Take care and stay safe.

Kahawai is my fave eating fish. Especially as a ceviche

Hey Taku, you'd be the first person I know to try Kahawai as sashimi. We also catch them in Australia and we call them Aussie Salmon. They get really big on the west coast of Australia. Most people won't eat them in Australia, let alone as sahimi, but they do smoke very well, and do well minced as fishcakes or in seafood curries, and they go hard when you hook-up. Glad you guys are having a great trip in NZ.

I don't mind the Aussie Salmon / Kahawai myself either. I'll have to try it sashimi. When I first moved to Aus from the States everybody I met told me how terrible it was to eat. I ate it anyways just because I try things, I didn't mind it. I'll have to try it how you made it.

Smoked Kahawai is my fave. You gotta try it.

Really good one, curious if youll share the basics of the noodlesalad - sounded delisiously crunchy

Awesome video Taku. Looks like you've done well upgrading your fishing skills and quickly learning the local techniques. Even though I live near Seward Alaska, N.Z. is at the top of my bucket list. Especially right now, as we're experiencing a blizzard with 3 feet of snow still on the ground and it's March 22nd! How do you think kawawai sushi compares to Alaska salmon?

kia ora (hello) outdoor chef life, myself and my family have watched and enjoyed many of your adventures, we love your content and your very yummy food with your presentation being next level, chur chur(👍👍) , we are so glad you and your lovely lady have come to our little place downunder known as Aeotearoa, (land of the long white cloud) New Zealand, one of my favourite fish to eat if bleed out right, people don't like it as we have a vast variety of prime eating fish, snapper, blue cod, harpuka(groupa) blue nose, tarakihi,Gurnard, kingys, all species of tuna, crayfish, paua, kina, 1 reason kahawai maybe lower on the list, anyhoo, can't wait to see mo" awesome adventures here in N.Z, stay safe, much luv and hope you make it down to the south island ,ooohh sorry rains here alot, but land of the long white cloud, our beauty has a beast, thank you, be well.... 👍🙏🙏

I love kahawai its definetly underated.

We get them in Australia too in the cooler months, I love making fish cakes with them

If you’re still in NZ, you should try hook up with Nathan and Milan from “the lateral line”.theyre kiwis and surely know their stuff when it comes to chasing king and snapper both landbased and boat based.

Man you and Fisherman's Life are brave. Going downhill carrying a bunch of equipment, one mistep and that's it. Pray everytime you go alone🙏

Fresh Hot Smoked Kahawai is hard to beat. 👊

Try a burley bomb when rock fishing. You can buy they from local petrol stations,the sent it releases will bring in the bait fish along with other fish species

hay mate you should try fishing at tutukaka whangarei there is some really good fishing there

In the 1980's I was 10 yrs old. We went on family holidays to Robe in South Australia, a small fishing town concentrating on Crayfish soled to the Japanese Market. At the harbour entrance the water would boil with salmon schools coming into the little harbour at night. I caught a fish that was bigger than my whole body, on a child's rod that was 3ft long with 2lb line and a red tab spinner. The rod nearly broke in 2 pieces with the force of the fish fighting against me. I was surrounded by locals and other travellers fishing, all of us in awe at the size of the fish I hooked. My dad took the rod from me, trying to land the monster without a net. He put his hand in the water to lift the fish at its gills and it suddenly bit through the line.....and it was away....but it jumped out of the water, in displays of defiance for the next 30 minutes. I was gutted but that's why it's called fishing and not catching😂. Great videos Taku & Jocelyn. Riveting viewing 😊❤

The second-hand measuring cup thats been used in a microwave. L.A.B playing in the background. This is soo Kiwi haha