Hapuku (New Zealand Groper)
Polyprion oxygeneios
Also known as: HapukaGroperWreckfish (NZ)
BenthicShore
GamefishDeepwater
Score
—
Prime time
—
Depth
50–500m
Platform
Shore
Depth range
50–500mDeep
Findr bio
A slow-growing deepwater heavyweight — once I'm hooked at depth, it's a long, stubborn tug-of-war all the way to the boat.
How to catch
Favourite hangouts
Deep waterWreck reef
Recommended baits
Fish baitsSquid
Effective techniques
Bottom FishingJigging
Gear
Best times
Day
I spend most of my adult life hundreds of metres down on deepwater pinnacles and canyons — a big hapuku can take twenty minutes of hard cranking just to reach the surface.