Into the Rips: A Three Kings Fishing Mission

By Rob Wilson, Desolve Founder

Some fishing trips are planned around comfort and convenience… this Three Kings Fishing Mission wasn’t.

For Desolve CEO Rob Wilson, the Three Kings Islands have always represented the ultimate test: remote, unpredictable, and stacked with serious fish. So when the chance came to load up a boat, round up a crew of close mates, and point the bow north, there was no hesitation.

This logbook entry follows Rob and the crew on a fishing trip they’ll talk about forever: long runs through the night, heavy rips at first light, glass-off days, and fish that don’t come easy.

Desolve CEO Rob with a fresh-caught trevally, wearing a Solardry Hooded Fishing Shirt.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

It all started with an early morning flight from Wellington to Auckland, followed by a short hop to Kerikeri. Dean and I touched down and were met by our mate Shane, who would be helping us with a photoshoot later that afternoon. But first, an essential stop: the supermarket. Seven people, seven nights. No small mission.

With the food loaded, we headed straight to the boat. A few quick photos in the scorching (for us Kiwis) 25°C heat, then it was straight into checks. Engines, electronics, nav lights—everything dialled. With the boat packed and tackle prepped, we were ready.

It was already clear the Three Kings would push us. That’s exactly why we were there.

Two views of a boat on the water with cliffs in the background

Rough seas and jagged rocks: journey to the Three Kings Islands.

SETTING SAIL: THE JOURNEY TO THE THREE KINGS

We were up early the next morning, organising gear and getting the boat ready before the rest of the crew arrived. Tim and Richard flew in from Christchurch, Jason from Wellington, and Mike rolled up from Cambridge with what was basically a full tackle shop crammed into bags and boxes. After a quick final stop for alcohol (no chance we’d let ourselves run out!), we headed over to the fuel bowser to top up for the mission ahead. At last, we were on our way.

We cruised out of Opua Marina and headed out wide, steaming at eight knots. We set up the gear and started trolling north. As we passed the Cavalli Islands a couple of hours later, one of the rods went off. Richard was on it instantly and landed a decent yellowfin tuna. We processed the fish—fillets in the chilly bin cooling off and lines back out. A great way to start the trip, plus it took a bit of pressure off now we had runs on the board.

The plan was to stop at Kerikeri Peninsula for the night, but after checking the weather, we made the call to keep going and steam overnight. If we pushed through, we’d hit the King Bank ready for sunrise.

We ran overnight, rotating three-hour watches. Sleep was average at best, but by just after five in the morning, we were close.

A CHALLENGING START

I woke up to find the boat motion had changed and started to get pretty uncomfortable. I could sense we were pulling up onto the King Bank. I jumped up to the flybridge to see where we were and, sure enough, we were on the bank. At about 4am, a strong current was passing over the bank, creating some decent pressure waves, so we decided to pull off to the west, find some smoother water, and wait for the sun to come up.

As the first rays of light rose up from the horizon, we dropped jigs and got to work. The morning bite was solid, and we picked up a pile of nice kingfish. No massive ones, but they were all solid fish. By midday, the bite faded. We pulled the pin and headed back toward the main island, anchored up early, and got ready for the night.

As we pulled away, a marlin came straight past the back of the boat. We were steaming five minutes later, looked down, and the marlin was swimming alongside us. Too bad we didn’t have the gear out… but it was an unreal sight, even without a hook-up.

Two men on a boat with fishing equipment, one holding a fish, against a clear blue sky.

The lads getting the art of catching squid down, wearing the SolarDry Polo, Helios Polo and Mike with a win! Wearing Ignobilis Tee

SEA LIONS, SQUID, AND SASHIMI

We rolled into North West Bay, dropped the anchor, shut down the boat, and sat down for fresh sashimi and a beer. The swell was rolling in at 1.5–1.8m, but it was still better than rolling around listening to the main engines thumping away. After dinner, we kicked into squid fishing. We needed a couple of buckets for the next day’s fishing: chasing big kingfish. Squid fishing was epic, but we did have to contend with the local sea lion for ours. After an epic night of catching squid, a boat covered in squid ink, and some of the most entertaining fishing ever, we called it a night.

The next day, we set off for the Princes Islands to target big kingfish. The weather was stunning—less than 10 knots and a burning sun. That place is like Jurassic Park: awesome pinnacles jutting out of the sea and life everywhere you look, with seabirds, schools of trevally on the surface, and a sounder lit up like a Christmas tree. We’d found a good spot with the right sign. We dropped our big, fresh squid baits down and, before we knew it, we were hooked into some solid kingfish. They weren’t massive, but were all decent-sized, around the 20–22kg mark. No rats, which made it even more rewarding.

As the day progressed, the conditions flattened out. With the sea like glass, we got stuck into the trevally, which were a heap of fun on our light tackle. What an epic afternoon in perfect weather.

That night we anchored back up at North West Bay and went hard on catching squid. We now well and truly had our squid fishing down to an art. The evening was a blast, and we wrapped up by 11pm, knowing we had a well-deserved night’s rest ahead of us.

Two people on a boat with a large fish and a smaller fish, possibly tuna, on deck.

Fresh tuna steaks for sashimi.

BIG FISH AND TOP WATER CHAOS

The next day followed a similar pattern: kingfish in the morning, trevally in the afternoon, and squid once the sun dropped. But there was something special about the whole experience—the conditions stayed unreal, and the fishing followed suit.

We tried a deep drop for bass and hapuku, with Mike pulling up a decent fish, but patience wore thin pretty quickly.

We headed back inshore and switched to topwater fishing. After a few follows, Mike hooked a ripper 25kg kingfish, which made the whole trip worth it.

Two images: one of a man holding a fishing rod, the other of a man on a boat with a large fish.

Dean casting and Richard with his tuna.

THE FINAL LEG

The run back toward the mainland was as smooth as it gets. Zero to light winds, water just off glass and lures in the water, we trolled for a while until the need for speed kicked in. We put the hammer down and boosted to the Karikari Peninsula. After a quick dive, we dropped the anchor in Waipapa Bay.

Up the next morning and another quick dive, then we were off to the Bay of Islands. With lures back in the water as we went past the Cavalli Islands, Jason picked up a nice mahi-mahi.

Two men on a boat holding a large fish with a clear blue sky and ocean background.

The lads with their mahi mahi. Jason wears the Waterline Boardshorts.

We arrived at the Bay of Islands, dropped anchor, and went for a swim to cool off in the 23°C water. It was Mike’s birthday that day, so to celebrate, out came pavlova for a cake and drinks to toast our final night.

The next morning, this adventure on the sea had come to an end. It was time to head back to the marina, clean up, and fly home, with memories of an incredible trip with a great crew.

Bent rods and blue skies.

TAKE US BACK

The Three Kings Islands are as wild and beautiful as they come. From the remote waters to the abundant sea life, it’s a fishing paradise. It’s not easy fishing, but that’s what makes it so exciting.

Whether you’re there to chase kingfish, marlin, or trevally, the adventure itself is what makes this place unforgettable. And for those willing to take on the challenge, the rewards are more than worth it. I couldn’t recommend it enough.