The Far North 240416

  • Game Fishing, General Saltwater, Northland

Not a lot to report this week, simply cause there has been A) some lousy weather for some of it B) not many people fishing and C) not a lot caught! And spite of all the negativity there is still some stories to be recounted with plenty of upside – see summary.

Cape KariKari – North Cape

Some great snapper fishing throughout but very consistent out from Rangaunu Harbour – despite a huge amount of pressure. Skippies have become more prevalent again after being somewhere between patchy and non-existent. Lots of dolphin and gannet activity on the North Cape end of Great Exhibition Bay; seemingly the best place remaining to catch a yellowfin tuna. Water pretty good and over 20°.

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Garden Patch

No recent reports but would expect water quality to be marginally better out there with some big bluenose keen – if you don’t have the killer whales in attendance!!

Surville Cliffs –The Shelf

Passing those areas you certainly don’t give up on your chances of a game fish! Far from it as further up the shelf (Pedro’s Rock) the water is purple and knocking on 22°!

Great Island – Three Kings

Norwest Bay still the place for most boats to anchor overnight as the easterlies continue – don’t want to hear about the El Niño!! A few koheru turning up here recently which, if landed, can set you up for some decent kingi fishing at your place of choice.

Plenty of modest size trevally, kingfish and even snapper also available. Stick baiting providing some action on dusk with some quality kingfish turning up.

Princes’ Group

Pretty consistent on kingfish and always a beautiful place to visit – stunning really. While stickbaits can produce well, if you have got the livies you’re in business with some decent quality to be had here as well. Also anchoring in a wide variety of places should provide endless light tackle fun on XOS trevally, kingfish and all kinds of reef fish including snapper.

Middlesex Bank

A few visits here with primary target being kingfish. Kingis historically bite the jigs better out there and this was evidenced again recently with multiple hook-ups. On the downside the size has been nothing to get excited about with most fish in the high teens to early 20s.

Also bronzies have literally shown their teeth again, taking a huge toll at times. Bottom fishing pretty decent; fantastic on huge king tarakihi. Water good but billfish absent.

King Bank

Water patchy as has been the marlin – actually it has been worse than that with very few seen and even less hooked – none landed the past few days. Some boats put in big days for maybe two shots – maybe none! Some water at times dips below 19° while in others still over 22!

Kingfish have remained the stalwart of action with some nice fish over 30 kg taken on most sessions. Even some XOS Bass have moved into the shallows with a great 71 kg specimen taken while kingi fishing on a small mackerel!

Expect things to pick up here on billfish soon. Bottom fishing is okay but certainly not flash at the moment.

Summary

While marlin seem to have their heads down at the moment, this situation cannot last. With such warm beautiful water and lots of bait abounding they should show up – sooner than later.

With things like marlin being taken off Gisborne, blues off the Manukau and big numbers near Tutukaka then it’s obvious there’s plenty still “below”, presumably to come through at some subsequent time.

The meantime we will be biding our time with what’s available which, as you can see, is considerable! Till next week…

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