Fishing Reports
Bay of Plenty - "PURSUIT
After nearly three-month absence we’re back on the water. I’d say it’s good to be back but can’t really do that with a clear conscience – fishing is very tough on most all fronts and has been so for weeks. Not a lot to get excited about in any aspect. Water temps are very uniform (14-14.5 degrees C) everywhere we’ve been with a decidedly green hue to it.
Inshore
Snapper has been conspicuous by their absence. Very few of the crimson fish are showing anywhere. Good anglers, even ones who specialise in snapper, are all singing the blues. Most have turned their attention to terakihi, gurnard and kahawai in that order. The “bubbles” near Whale Island, only a scant four nautical miles from Whakatane, has been particularly productive or terakihi. Small hooks and “soft” baits are the order of the day. Mixed catches have also come from the Matata area but very slow near the usually popular Rurima Rocks. Large streaks of red krill/plankton have been noted in various inshore catches. Offshore
This diverse area has nearly been as unproductive as it’s inshore counterpart. Deeper water (250-300m) has been the most remunerative with some smallish bluenose and gemfish. Not a lot for the effort involved. Shallower has been even worse with hapuka and bass all but non-existent. Kingfish are also among the missing. They definitely are not residing in their normal haunts. The bright spot has been shallow (30-60m) fishing for reef varieties around White Island. After all the energy involved in probing the depths, several trips have been “saved” with the incursion back into the shallows. Large pink mao mao and terakihi have led the list along with some nice porae and red snapper. Large schools of oversized English (blue) mackerel about in this area. Terns are seen feeding above the carnage, too bad nothing is feeding on the mackerel! A few large albacore (19-23kg) were landed several weeks ago but none since despite quite a few lures in the water between spots. Ranfurly
Little traffic here over the past two weeks. The one boat which has ventured there returned with decent catches of hapuka, many on the small side however. Kingis were absent there as well. The current was very strong, as it can be there at times, with the boat drifting nearly three knots! Summary
fishing, like life, is full of change. With such a general pattern of dismal reports right around the traps there’s only one way things can go in this instance and we look forward to it – bring it on!
Snapper has been conspicuous by their absence. Very few of the crimson fish are showing anywhere. Good anglers, even ones who specialise in snapper, are all singing the blues. Most have turned their attention to terakihi, gurnard and kahawai in that order. The “bubbles” near Whale Island, only a scant four nautical miles from Whakatane, has been particularly productive or terakihi. Small hooks and “soft” baits are the order of the day. Mixed catches have also come from the Matata area but very slow near the usually popular Rurima Rocks. Large streaks of red krill/plankton have been noted in various inshore catches. Offshore
This diverse area has nearly been as unproductive as it’s inshore counterpart. Deeper water (250-300m) has been the most remunerative with some smallish bluenose and gemfish. Not a lot for the effort involved. Shallower has been even worse with hapuka and bass all but non-existent. Kingfish are also among the missing. They definitely are not residing in their normal haunts. The bright spot has been shallow (30-60m) fishing for reef varieties around White Island. After all the energy involved in probing the depths, several trips have been “saved” with the incursion back into the shallows. Large pink mao mao and terakihi have led the list along with some nice porae and red snapper. Large schools of oversized English (blue) mackerel about in this area. Terns are seen feeding above the carnage, too bad nothing is feeding on the mackerel! A few large albacore (19-23kg) were landed several weeks ago but none since despite quite a few lures in the water between spots. Ranfurly
Little traffic here over the past two weeks. The one boat which has ventured there returned with decent catches of hapuka, many on the small side however. Kingis were absent there as well. The current was very strong, as it can be there at times, with the boat drifting nearly three knots! Summary
fishing, like life, is full of change. With such a general pattern of dismal reports right around the traps there’s only one way things can go in this instance and we look forward to it – bring it on!
From 
Pursuit
PursuitReport type: Saltwater
Report date: 27 September 02
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