The 30-Pound Snapper He Waited 10 Years to Catch — Andre Kassal

Andre Kassal — @Drefish, Ocean Angler pro staff — moved to New Zealand from Germany in 2011 chasing trout, and stumbled into saltwater fishing almost by accident after watching a fishing show on TV. Fifteen years later he's personally landed three snapper over 85cm — five between him and his wife Kie — from a 4.5-metre boat Kie talked him into buying, all fished in water so shallow he can see the bottom.

This episode covers his shift from German freshwater lure fishing (Zander, pike, perch) to New Zealand's shallow-water snapper game, why he never fishes deeper than 20 metres even when the fish are there, and the real ecological reason big snapper matter more than most people realise — snapper and crayfish are both key predators of kina, and losing enough of either lets kina strip the kelp bare.

The centrepiece is the story of his personal-best 30-pound (13.9kg) snapper, caught on the exact day marking ten years since he arrived in New Zealand — and what happened when he spotted the same fish again, two years later, in a stranger's photo on Facebook. Kie gets her due too — her own 85cm personal best, landed solo in risky conditions, held the boat record for years.

✅ Andre Kassal @Drefish

✅ Ocean Angler

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 – Meet Andre Kassal

10:00 – From Germany to New Zealand's Shallows

20:00 – The 30-Pound Anniversary Snapper

30:00 – Overfishing, Kina Barrens, and Why Big Snapper Matter

40:00 – Gear, Ocean Angler, and the Softbait System

50:00 – Reading Conditions: Tides, Moon, and Overcast Days

1:00:00 – The Hidden Kingfish of Auckland Harbour

1:10:00 – Kie's Record-Breaking 85cm Snapper

1:20:00 – Mentors, Advice for Young Anglers

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🎵 Music: Proctor (Topher Mohr & Alex Elena), Satellites (Swello), Momentum (Zplit)

🎥 Shot on Sony A7iii + Sennheiser Mics, edited in Adobe Premiere Pro, shot/edited/produced by Nick Hoyle