Fishing Reports

With all that warm northerly wind and small swell pushing down the coast I thought we would’ve been in and we were. A couple a really good days fishing with Snapper up to 7kg and boat limits of good eating size fish 3-5lb being the norm last weekend.

The Snapper are moving in from the outer Gulf in much better numbers now and it is just a matter of finding the schools. A lot of the sign (on the sounder) is in mid water and fishing these schools can prove to be very frustrating as they don’t seem to want to feed until they move closer to the bottom. To illustrate this I drove over a patch of mid-water marks in 30 metres and drifted back through jigging, bottom baits and slow sinking baits – Zilch. After a few drifts we moved on and fished a school of Snapper near the bottom with much better results. On the way back in I went back over the same marks that were hanging in mid water earlier to find they were on the bottom now and holding down current of the structure. The fish came aboard in quick succession and we went home filled up.

Amoung the Snapper that are schooling over the sand are some really nice Gurnard. These can be targeted by using a small cube bait of Squid, Mullet or fresh caught baits like Mackerel. I tend to use the firmer baits as they last a little longer on the bottom and the baitfish can’t rip them off the hooks. A 3/0 recurve hook should do the biz. You will have to exercise a little patience when targeting Gurnard as it can take them a wee while to make an appearance. Not exactly the fastest fish in the ocean but certainly one of the tastiest.

All this southwest and westerly wind at the moment will certainly slow down the influx of the Snapper as will the increased pressure from the commercial fleet currently working east of Great Barrier, Coromandel and in the Hauraki Gulf. It is this time of year the commercial guys can make an impact on the stocks by "scooping up" the prime breeding fish on the their way in to breed. It can also make for easy harvesting too as the schools of fish are large and predominatley hang in the same areas for long periods. Easy pickings.

So far as fishing goes locally and recreationally, things, as I have said, are on the improve almost daily. I wish the weather were too. The constant assault of cold south westerlies has kept the water temperature down and possible slowed the "run" but they are moving in and starting to feed a little more aggressively as the schools grow and competition for the available feed becomes tougher.

Fishing around Kawau and Tiri has improved and the evenings seem to be best. Although a great time to fish, I prefer the pre-dawn hours as you get daylight continuing instead of dark time slowing the action down. Flat Rock hasn’t fired up yet but there is good sign on the deeper parts of this reef system. Kawau Bay is fishing better now but again it is at both ends of the day in the low light conditions.

Whangaparaoa is still fishing OK especially for those in small boats that can get in close and keep the noise down. Berley up and float baits back down the berley trail. Not a silly idea to have a livebait on the go too, as there has been a few Kingfish sightings during the last fortnight. One of these was around the Navy buoy area just a few days ago and involved a few Kings chasing baitfish up against the buoy.

The islands south of Kawau ( Motuora, Moturekareka and Motuketekete) are still holding a few fish but it has been a bit slower than this time last year due to the water temperature. There are a lot of Gannets working the huge bait schools to the east of these islands and there are a few Snapper under the birds if you can find them. Further out in around 40 metres is also worth a look as there has been some huge bait schools hanging out in the area for weeks now. Look for the birds.

We haven’t bothered trying the area between Tiri and Rangitototo yet although we have heard the odd story about the worm beds producing a few reasonable fish so that could be worth a look too. Rakino Channel has had a few Snapper starting to show up and the evenings could start to work better now with the water warming up slowly. Same goes for the Rangi Channel and around Motuhie.

The landbased trip for this month never went ahead. We were all geared up to pull some big Snapper and Kingfish from the top of Coromandel but dwindling numbers and an unfavourable forecast put the plan on hold. We have other landbased options coming up so keep your eyes peeled for those if you’re a "rock hopper".

Our next upcoming event is the Mac Flasher Day Out. These flasher rigs are hand tied using top quality hooks and line and are available in a range of colours and styles. The bait catching rigs are awesome and last a lot longer than the cheaper varieties. It is the old saying – you get what you pay for. We will be taking a crew out to put these rigs through their paces once the fishing gets into full swing.

Other upcoming events include the Gulf Harbour Tournament. Based at the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club on 13-14^th of November. Tickets are now on sale at all the usual outlets.

We still have vacant days for corporate cruises and BBQ cruises on THOMCAT for groups of up to 25 guests. Half day trips start at only $800 for your group (BYO) and around $1200 for a day out. This can include a BYO, BBQ lunch or we can fully cater the day for you.

We have put aside dates for "casual anglers" and if you would like to receive emails or a phone call about any vacant days, just email us your details and we will put you on the list. Emails to deepsea@clear.net.nz or call us on 021 2446346.

Life is too short to be not fishing.

Damian – The Charter Connection – where fishing is catching!