Blog

K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Most anglers talk about “sensitivity” as if it’s a single feature you can buy off a label. But in softbait fishing, sensitivity is one of the most misunderstood qualities in a rod. Some swear a rod is “super sensitive” because it’s stiff. Others think carbon tonnage…

Choosing the Right Rod for New Zealand Soft Bait Fishing Softbait fishing has become one of New Zealand’s most effective, exciting, and rewarding ways to target snapper, kahawai, trevally, and a range of inshore species. The technique relies heavily on the right rod—one designed to work lures naturally, transmit subtle bites, and fight fish efficiently…

Most anglers think softbaiting success comes from how you work the lure. Lift… drop… twitch… repeat. But here’s the truth: In New Zealand, the majority of snapper are hooked before you ever start winding. They eat the softbait on the drop — that crucial moment when your lure is sinking naturally through the water column.…

Softbaiting is one of the most effective ways to catch snapper in New Zealand — but your results depend massively on how you rig your softbaits and which jighead shape and weight you choose. NZ fishing isn’t like other countries. We fish deeper water, stronger current, and drift far more aggressively. That means the right…

The Ultimate Softbait Rod Buyer’s Guide — What Actually Matters in NZ Conditions By K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Buying a softbait rod should be simple — but the moment you walk into a tackle shop, you’re met with a wall of labels, tonnage numbers, “high modulus” promises, lure weights, tapers,…

When most people buy a softbait rod, they look at power, weight, or carbon grade. Very few ever think about the guide layout — yet this single factor has more influence over casting distance, line control, lure performance, and bite detection than almost anything else on the rod. NZ softbait fishing isn’t the same as…

Choosing the right softbait reel in New Zealand isn’t as simple as picking a brand or a size. Softbaiting is a high-frequency, finesse technique that exposes every weakness in a reel — especially when you’re casting constantly, working lures all day, and hooking snapper that hit unpredictably on the drop. The truth is this: Softbait…

When most anglers choose a softbait rod, they focus almost entirely on power — 1–3kg, 3–6kg, 6–10kg, medium, medium-light, fast… the list goes on. But in real New Zealand softbait fishing, sensitivity plays a far bigger role in success than raw lifting power. The best softbait anglers aren’t using the stiffest rod. They’re using the…

How to Build a Complete Softbait System That Actually Works in New Zealand Waters Softbaiting is one of New Zealand’s most effective and addictive ways to target snapper, kahawai, kingfish, gurnard and more. But here’s the truth most anglers eventually discover: your results depend far less on the softbait itself — and far more on…

K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Most anglers obsess over blanks, guides, braid and reels — but almost nobody talks about the part of the rod your hand actually touches: the reel seat and grip transitions. Yet this is the true interface between angler and rod. Get it wrong and the best…