The Far North 200416

  • Game Fishing, General Saltwater, Northland

An interesting week but not necessarily changes we wanted to see.  While we have been waiting for the inevitable water deterioration to occur, it hasn’t – until now. Normally by this time of year we will have seen degradation by now as the days get shorter the sun loses its strength as it slides to the North and the currents change.

This Indian Summer has been one out of the box for its staying power but it too has finally shown a weakness. The current sou east snap we’ve had has seen water temperatures dropped by a full 2° in as many days. Not only that but quality has gone as well with purple water being replaced with blue or even turquoise.

----- Advertisement -----


Cake Karikari –Great Exhibition Bay

Little traffic other than boats going back and forth on the tricks to the Kings. While water has held on here pretty well, it doesn’t seem to have helped productivity with plenty of skippies but few marlin and yellowfin doing a disappearing act. Snapper are undaunted by this with some consistent catches on either side of the Cape.

Garden Patch – The “Pins”

Bluenose in full spawning now with the big females turning up. Milt laden males have been on the scene for a while but now the girls have turned up as well. If you have got a day where the killer whales don’t show you should be in business, if they are in attendance it is feeding time at the zoo! Water typically holds on better here as the offshore proximity enhances one’s chances with a billfish encounter.

North Cape – Tom Bowling Bay

Similar situation as down below except a few more strikes in passing on both stripees and YFT. Snapper have been excellent, particularly leading into darkness.

Great Island

At long last and none too soon, it appears that all important koheru have ended their hiatus! Decent catches of large specimens have been welcomed with some good results on kingfish and marlin ensuing. If you don’t care to head out to the bank after your bait fishing there is plenty of entertainment around the island with kingfish as well of light tackle sport on trevally and the odd snapper. Water clarity superb for divers although water temp well down around 18 now.

Prince’s Group

Been pretty decent kingi fishing all autumn but with the new advent of large kohes in the bait tank it is only enhanced ones encounter with a biggie. While quality fish have been there all along, a fat koheru certainly increases your chances at the big one with fish approaching 40 kg landed recently.

Also some monster trevs await as does the chance capture of a spotted groper. The latter needs to be released immediately after a quick photo as its one of NZ’s rare protected saltwater species.

Middlesex bank

Although little traffic out at the far western outpost, those few boats who have travelled the distance have received reward in some form. Water retains most of its warmer temperature and colour here with a few marlin about, both stripeys and the odd blue.

Lots of feed in the way of skippies and albacore so one would expect it to be better than what it currently is. While larger bottom species are lean on the ground, king tarakihi literally carpet the bottom here and it doesn’t take long to get the obligatory feed – two at a time. Recent broadbill forays have only yielded sharks.

King bank

Still the area that receives the most attention, partly due to its proximity and partly due to its relative consistency. In saying that, it has been anything but consistent of late – in fact quite patchy. Water has taken a big hit here, falling by over 2°c plus dumped colour. Good news is there still stripees in the shallows and you needn’t go too far north to find some beautiful warm water. Within a few miles the colour goes cobalt and approaches 23°.

More importantly this would appear to be the best area to make contact with a blue – maybe anywhere in the country. Tallies of four stripees in a day are still happening with the bulk on bridled live skippies. Elsewhere the bottom fishing has been pretty good with bluenose out fishing bass and puka.

These nose’ have been relatively shallow water (for them) at just over 200 m. Kingis have been patchy as well but get on the right day, and with the right bait, and you are in business with a few quality fish among them.

Summary

While things have changed, it is certainly not all bad as you would have read. With all the fish down both coasts it is a reasonable bet they will end up at the Kings eventually. Then it could be a real party as both migrate before they say hurrah.

While we’ll see fewer blues now, the decrease in temperature just could spark a hot stripee bite – time will tell. With upcoming improving weather and a return to easterlies we should regain some, if not most, of what we have lost – at least temporarily.

Cheers,

Rick Pollock

'Pursuit'

Rate this

Average Rating (1 vote)
5

Comments

Post a Comment

Required Field

Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Latest Articles

Which Clips for Saltwater Fishing?
March 2024

How to choose the right clips for saltwater fishing applications... Read More >

Balex Self-Loading Boat Trailer
March 2024

Grant Blair reviews the Balex self-loading boat trailer... Read More >

Baked Fish and Fish Dumplings Recipes
March 2024

Bea Bagnall shares her recipe for baked halibut and halibut dumplings... Read More >

Why Do Fish Jump?
March 2024

Sam Mossman ponders the question, "Why do fish jump?"... Read More >

Topwater Fishing for Kingfish
March 2024

A photography essay on topwater fishing for kingfish... Read More >