Fishing Reports

 

A few of our feisty friends have started to show up in better numbers now and after this recent blow from the north and east, things are looking good. It is well known that the northerly and easterly wind pushes warmer water up against the coast and pushes warmer water into the top of the Gulf. Along with this warmer water often comes the game fish. Further north it is the blue water species such as Marlin and Tuna but in our neck of the woods it often heralds the beginning of some good fishing for Kingfish, Shark and the odd surprise out wider. A recent trip out behind Tiri and about half way to Coromandel, saw us chasing down the big work ups of Gannets and Dolphins. Live baits were deployed under the work ups and Snapper baits were drifted down on ledger rigs. Other rigs caught fish too but it was the ledger rigs that were most consistent. No kingfish under these work ups that we got to see, but were rewarded with some nice Snapper, big John Dory and a rather large Gurnard. That was before the blow and we would expect the Gulf to be a little richer after the breeze. The great thing about a good blow like this last one, is that the trawlers and liners can’t work either and the fish get a bit of a chance to move in and occupy the area again. The swell and constant bashing the coast got last week will have exposed a lot of feed and stirred up the bottom really well. It would be a great time to get out on the worm beds or horse mussel beds in the Gulf. The channels would be another good place to try, as all that tucker has to go somewhere after it has been dislodged. More about that later though. Recent trips around the Tiri area have been producing good fishing although the size is down a bit now as we are well into school season. The odd good fish to around 4-5 kg turns up here along with a few bigger ones if we can get established with out some nutcase anchoring in behind us, dropping his anchor right on the school we are fishing. This does nobody any favours, as the fish get spooked and move off or go off the bite. The nutcase will then sit around for 15 minutes only getting a few small ones, then move off wondering why we were getting fish and he wasn’t. How would you feel having an anchor dropped on your dinner table! The back of Tiri is producing fish and those that can get a quiet spot and get an undisturbed burley trail going (good luck) will do well. We targeted the Kingies on some deeper foul out there the other day but to no avail. No shortage of pan size Snapper though. We found the Snapper in the current around the edge of the rock and used a strayline rig and lightly weighted ledger rig to secure them in the slurry. The high current areas around the back of Tiri can produce really good fishing on occasion especially around the deeper bottom structures and the Black Buoy area. It is the type of ground the Kingfish like to inhabit as there is plenty of places to hide and break you off! The channels around Rakino Island down towards Motuihe Island are starting to fire up now on the Snapper front and over the next few months should provide a feed of fish to those who venture over that way. It can get really busy in the channels so use your common sense and anchor carefully. It is not much fun trying to catch fish off someone else’s anchor chain. Make sure you leave room for the ferries too as some of the channels are used for commercial shipping and ferry services. Most of the time the traffic drives me nuts ,so I prefer to fish away from all that noise and do my own thing, but do venture down there from time to time. There are heaps of different rigs to use in the current and many anglers prefer to use a running rig with a long trace. Make sure you use sharp hooks (VMC hooks are our faves) and enough weight to get the bait on the bottom. You won't catch much at all fishing the channels if your bait is in midwater. Heavily weighted ledger rigs work well too and can help in keeping the tangles to a minimum if there are a few of you fishing. We have been noticing the difference in hook up rates between using a recurve hook and a standard octopus style hook. The recurve hooks win hands down in a bottom fishing situation, especially when fishing in the current. There are heaps of different types on the market and it is mind boggling to a new angler staring at the selection of hooks in a good tackle shop. Buy the best quality you can afford, is the old and golden rule. So far as baits go, the Snapper are taking pretty much anything you throw at them but we are sticking to NZ Pilchards and Lolago Squid. Lolago Squid is the white Squid from California and was frozen on board the boats it was caught on. Probably a large factory seiner or similar and it is as fresh as the day it was caught. It is a lot firmer, has better colour and the guts doesn’t fall out of it as soon as you show it a knife. They are great for ramming a pilchard up inside and cast out the back for that big MOOCHER. Get it at The Bait Station. Check out the new polarised sunglasses while you're there. $20 a pair and great for staring wantonly down a burley trail. Speaking of MOOCHERS it is that time of year when the holiday makers go back to work and kids are back at school and some of our favourite reefs start to produce some good fishing again. If the weather can settle down for long enough we will head up towards Kawau for a few trips and get onto some of the deeper foul or in close with the burley flowing. It is around February and March, that this area can produce the goods and many a prize winning Snapper has come from places like Takatu and Flat Rock. Big baits and good gear is the ticket. Try to get yourself established in a spot and keep the burley going. We will occasionally chuck out a few chunks too to get the fish into a chewing mood, if you catch my drift. The FISHING.NET Forum Users Contest is coming up on March 1st and will be based at Pah Farm on Kawau Island. Check out the details in the discussion groups on this site and be prepared for a great days fishing with like minded anglers from all over the place. It is going to be great event but needs your support. Even if you can’t make that date how about putting up a prize or helping to sponsor the event. You should contact the organisers through the discussion group if you wish to fish the event or contribute in any way. Now onto a matter that could affect us all. New Zealand Underwater is in the process of making an application to the Department of Conservation for a marine reserve in the Tiri area. Some of the proposals are ridiculous and leave no areas for small boats to fish especially around the Tiri Channel. You can request information and get a submission form from FREEPOST NUMBER 3142
NEW ZEALAND UNDERWATER ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 875
AUCKLAND
It is very important that you have your say. If you need to know more information about the area or are, as we are, against a marine reserve at Tiri then please contact us. Our details will follow at the end of this report. If you have not already made a submission against the Volkner Rocks proposal you only have a day or so to go before submissions close. The Tiri submissions close on Friday 28th February 2003 so you need to get cracking on these if you wont to make a difference. We have put aside plenty of days to cater for walk on or casual anglers over the next month or so. If you want to get out on the water give us a call on 09 4240607 or on the boat at 025 2446346. You can also email us at deepsea@clear.net.nz. If you always do what you always done, you will always get what you always got. Life is too short not to fish! Damian- THE CHARTER CONNECTION

 

From A Charter Connection...

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 13 January 03