Fishing Reports

That was one dark Snapper that won the handful of cold hard cash at the Warkworth Gamefish Clubs’ 10KG Classic last weekend. It must have been living in a cave! Well done Carl on a bute fish just over 10kg from out of the shallows, in what could only be described as “pretty darn rough” conditions.

There were a lot of fish weighed in, with the vast majority coming from around Takatu and Kawau Island. The wind kept most of us in close, but the fishing was as good as anywhere else with an average weight of well over 2kg.

TEAM WAHU, powered by The Charter Connection, went away with a new outboard (Graham Trumans’ average weight Snapper) a few bottles to help warm the heart and some fishing accessories for fish prizes. A great event again and “big ups to Brett and Chrissie for doing such a fine job.

The fishing has really slowed down around Auckland now and with a dropping water temperature (now 17C) it is time to either get in close or get out wide. If fishing in close you may have to jockey for position with the crowds in the Auckland areas and use a bit of cunning and fish the change of light utilizing a good burley trail and fresh baits. Most areas of reef or foul will be holding fish but as the water cools, the fishes’ metabolism slows and they will not feed as they would in warmer conditions.

Tiri has been a little slow on most days, but there are still good fish in some of the reefs around the island and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Getting the wind and tide flowing together and using burley will help drag them out of the reefs. Again, the change of light would be the time to get a few.

Kawau is still fishing well and I prefer the shallows for the Snapper and Trevally. It can be really hard to get some of these bigger Snapper out of these shallow reefs but they are there and you just need a bit of patience and usually some tide flow.

The Takatu Peninsula is surrounded by shallow reefs on its southern side and with the tide racing through the Takatu Passage, the place offers some pretty good fishing. I prefer it when there is a swell running as it stirs up the feed on the reefs and uncovers shellfish, Crabs and Crayfish that live in the area.

It can be quite hard to successfully fish a bigger group of anglers in the shallows so for the most part our trips have been focusing on the deeper reefs out wider in the Gulf.

Anchorite has been holding a lot of “pannies” but a bigger bait will pick up a bigger Snapper. Try using a large strip bait of Squid, Skipjack, Mullet or a fresh bait either caught in situ or on the way out. The last time I was there, we were buzzed by a large Bronze Whaler and eventually moved after it scoffed a few of our Snapper.

There are often birds working this part of the Gulf and often a drift through the working Gannets can produce. Try firing a few Zest Jigs into the action. They are really working well for us at the moment! There are plenty of Whales and Dolphins rounding up the Anchovies out there at the moment and the Gannets are taking care of the air assault side of things.

Further North, Horn Rock is still producing some good Snapper amoung all the little ones that live in the reef. Again a good burley trail and fresh baits are best. If you are not succeeding in one spot, have a bit of a look around the reefs as the area is huge and what works for you on one day may not the next. The edges of the reefs are starting to hold a few Terahiki now and the slack water period is best if you want a few of these nice eating fish. Use smaller hooks ie; 2/0 or 3/0 recurve hooks and small squid, shellfish or skipjack baits will work best.

Little Barrier is still fishing well on the deeper reefs and for those venturing in closer. It seems to fish best when there is a bit of swell rolling around the place. There are some large Trevally frequenting the reefs up here at the moment, but the Kingfish seemed to have moved on leaving the odd “rat Kingi” buzzing the fish you wind up. It could be a good time to hit one of the deeper spots for a monster Kingi as they tend to go a bit deeper before heading out. Live baiting on or near the bottom using a strayline rig or down rigger can be a good way to get on the money. Some of the offshore reefs have been producing good Snapper for us on the drift and it is here we have been working the most. Big Blue Cod (we had one over ½ metre a few trips ago), Granddaddy Hapuka, Trevally, John Dory, Sharks, big Parrot Fish and Golden Snapper are in with the Snapper.

Colville has been producing some good Snapper fishing in some of the deeper water that races through the Colville Channel. There are also the usual reef fish on these deeper reefs. 50 metres is a good place to start but be aware of the tide flow that rips through the area. If the current is too strong try moving closer in and burley up along some of the ledges and around the headlands. There will be some good Kingfish in the area over the winter months but these will need to be targeted with heavier gear than we use on the Snapper.

Simpson’s Rock will be holding good Snapper and a variety of reef fish now. It won’t be too much longer and it will be worth having a go on the “Puka that tend to move in once the water cools. I’m sure there are a few out behind The Mokes already, but the weather hasn’t let me out there too much over the last month or so, besides we haven’t needed too as the fishing has been good closer to home.

Great Barrier is starting to fish a lot better now especially around The Needles and Miners Reef. The current is a big factor in these areas and can make the fishing a little more of a challenge. Using just enough weight to get your fresh baits down is the key and many a good fish have come out of these areas in the past. There may even be a few ‘Puka showing up amoung the reefs.

The Broken Islands would also be another area worth hunting around in. There are various reefs and weedy areas that Snapper just love to “mooch” around in, not forgetting the vast shellfish beds and other available feed for them. Getting in close and quietly working a good burley trail can be very rewarding.

Around Cape Barrier can also be pretty good during the winter months, providing the tide that races around the corner, doesn’t blow you out of there. Not a lot of fun trying to strayline with 12 oz of weight!

 Well that about sums it for us, so far this month. If you want get out there and into ‘em just give us a call or fire through an email.

Ph 09 4240607, the boats are on 021 2446346 and our email addy is deepsea@clear.net.nz

Damian

The Charter Connection – Where fishing is catching!