Fishing Reports
Mega-reds invade Bay of Islands
MEGA-REDS INVADE BAY OF ISLANDS
What a difference a week can make, or for that matter, what a difference even a day can make. Last weekend we had a surface water temperature of 14.9oC. Saturday morning this weekend it was 16.9 and by mid-day Sunday had reached 17.9oC. By Tuesday it had climbed further to reach in excess of 20oC. The new pattern of east-south-easterly winds not only stirred up a substantial 3m easterly swell, but it also stirred up the snapper. And the good keen men and women and kids who ventured out over the weekend were mostly pretty pleased with this turn of events. The swell was fat but lazy. Not too bad in the open, plenty of space between the peaks but pretty vigorous when rolling onto headlands like the Brampton Reef. Reckon a good keen surfer could have gotten themselves a few classic rides too, if they’d been crazy enough. As for the fishing: the long awaited Bay of Islands Swordfish Club’s annual Icebreaker tournament coincided with the arrival of the warm water. Most fishos that I spoke with at the tournament prize-giving had landed a few decent fish. Spoke with one fisho who had found the fishing disappointing: had a bin full of fish over 6kg but couldn’t break the 10kg mark, the usual target if you expect to be in with a chance. Had to release lots of medium schoolies he reckons, only keeping the injured, gut or gill-hooked specimens. Indeed, a bin full of fish between 5 and 8kg was quite common, which includes the author and his cuzzy from Waihi. Alas, alak, a prize-winner we couldn’t manage. And when you look at the prize list, no wonder we didn’t make the grade. Four mega-reds over 10kg were weighed in over the two-day tournament! 1st prize with monster of 12.292kg went to Steve Ellis, 2nd with a freak fish of 11.72kg went to Tony Rae while Jason King and Grant Penney; both with fish of over 10kg managed 3rd and 4th places respectively. Juniors featured too, with Chris Riley on Grey Ghost taking out first spot with a red of 7.49kg while the canny Bruce Civil took the puka prize with a monster of 8.4kg. So the snapper are in. And in reasonable numbers too, so it would seem. Keep the fingers crossed! It’s great news for the charter boat fraternity and for all of those recreational fishos who dine out on this annual event. Should be great for the whole tourist industry too because it looks like snapper for Christmas. Don’t know that it’s so good for the snapper though. Don’t go over-board guys. How many 8kg snapper can your family eat? Tight lines!
What a difference a week can make, or for that matter, what a difference even a day can make. Last weekend we had a surface water temperature of 14.9oC. Saturday morning this weekend it was 16.9 and by mid-day Sunday had reached 17.9oC. By Tuesday it had climbed further to reach in excess of 20oC. The new pattern of east-south-easterly winds not only stirred up a substantial 3m easterly swell, but it also stirred up the snapper. And the good keen men and women and kids who ventured out over the weekend were mostly pretty pleased with this turn of events. The swell was fat but lazy. Not too bad in the open, plenty of space between the peaks but pretty vigorous when rolling onto headlands like the Brampton Reef. Reckon a good keen surfer could have gotten themselves a few classic rides too, if they’d been crazy enough. As for the fishing: the long awaited Bay of Islands Swordfish Club’s annual Icebreaker tournament coincided with the arrival of the warm water. Most fishos that I spoke with at the tournament prize-giving had landed a few decent fish. Spoke with one fisho who had found the fishing disappointing: had a bin full of fish over 6kg but couldn’t break the 10kg mark, the usual target if you expect to be in with a chance. Had to release lots of medium schoolies he reckons, only keeping the injured, gut or gill-hooked specimens. Indeed, a bin full of fish between 5 and 8kg was quite common, which includes the author and his cuzzy from Waihi. Alas, alak, a prize-winner we couldn’t manage. And when you look at the prize list, no wonder we didn’t make the grade. Four mega-reds over 10kg were weighed in over the two-day tournament! 1st prize with monster of 12.292kg went to Steve Ellis, 2nd with a freak fish of 11.72kg went to Tony Rae while Jason King and Grant Penney; both with fish of over 10kg managed 3rd and 4th places respectively. Juniors featured too, with Chris Riley on Grey Ghost taking out first spot with a red of 7.49kg while the canny Bruce Civil took the puka prize with a monster of 8.4kg. So the snapper are in. And in reasonable numbers too, so it would seem. Keep the fingers crossed! It’s great news for the charter boat fraternity and for all of those recreational fishos who dine out on this annual event. Should be great for the whole tourist industry too because it looks like snapper for Christmas. Don’t know that it’s so good for the snapper though. Don’t go over-board guys. How many 8kg snapper can your family eat? Tight lines!
From 
Steven Radich
Steven RadichReport type: Saltwater
Report date: 04 December 02
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