Fishing Reports

The good fishing continues in the outer Hauraki Gulf with the only bummer being the full moon period that has just passed and the arrival of the Barracouta, sometimes in plague proportions. The dreaded “Couta” can be a real pain in the you know what, attacking baits on the way down, cleaning out the business end of the tackle and to add salt to your wounds they will even attack a fish on the way up! Great sport fish though, putting up a strong fight, especially some of the bigger specimens that grow to over a metre long.

It is often best to move on if you are getting busted off by them and if it’s any help they seem to be most prolific in around 30 metres or more.

The Full Moon slowed things down a bit this past weekend and it was a bit of a struggle to get the fish biting and we found it was the ends of the tides that produced best and they did produce but the “bite time” was short. We did get a real nice Snapper yesterday, out of 40m and it tipped the scales at 10kg. It was relatively unharmed and was released after the photos were taken. The photos will last a lot longer than a piece of smoked fish!

These big fish are pretty keen on big, fresh baits and live baits and can turn up anytime, both in the shallows and on the deeper reefs. You don’t necessarily have to get to the outer Gulf to get them either. The shallow reefs around Whangaparaoa have been fishing well for the guys in small boats who can get in close and keep it quiet, especially in the evenings. Burley is, of course, essential and you shouldn’t leave home without it.

 Tiri too, can hold its’ fair share of good Snapper but the place hasn’t really fired for us on the last few trips we have been there. Needless to say we have only fished in here as the weather has dictated location.

Nothing really to report from the Auckland area, except that there a few fish to be had around the Ahaahas, Noises and the bottom end of Waiheke. Burley up and get in close with some tide running over a reef system and use fresh baits for best results.

Flat Rock and the back of Kawau is still holding a few fish but overall I have found it to be hard going. One bonus is that there are a few Terahiki showing up during the slack water period on some of the deeper foul. The shallow reefs are worth fishing at the moment and with a decent burley trail and good bait, I would expect results. The shallows around Takatu are well worth the effort too.

Little Barrier has been pretty consistent and I haven’t really been wanting to fish anywhere else. Both the shallows and the deeper reefs have been producing Snapper, small Kingfish and Trevally. There are a few Terahiki to be had on the deeper, low lying, foul but as I mentioned before you may have to share your baits and fish with the “Coutas” that are moving in. There is also the odd Shark around too.

Great Barrier is fishing well also and recent trips have produced a huge variety of fish including small Hapuka, Kingfish, XL Snapper, Terahiki, Goldies and even a Frost Fish. The deep reefs have been working the best so far as numbers go but to attract the attention of a big Snapper it is into the shallow reefs and weed lines that we go.

Some anglers lose patience very quickly with this sort of fishing and want to move after an hour of not much activity. What they don’t realize is that often you may have to sit it out and keep burleying for some hours before the big guys come on the bite. When it does happen it can make the waiting very worthwhile.

Channel Island has been hot and cold from the reports I have had. The smaller tides are best over here and if you are struggling with amount of tide try moving in closer to the shore where there is less rip. Around the island itself, can produce some big Snapper and a good look around with the sounder will reveal a few good posies to fish. In the channel there is a lot of foul ground and with a smaller tide it can be a productive place to fish. We have had most successes in close along the coast or out in 55m in the channel.

The water has cooled to around 14C in the outer gulf now and we would expect the weather to settle as it does around August and September. We have trips going during the week and on the weekends and our 2 and 3 Day Barrier trips will continue through the winter. If you would like more info just email us at deepsea@clear.net.nzor give us a call on 021 2446346(boats) or 09 4240607(office).

On that note, we are updating the client base and if you would like to be included or have had a change of email or address, please let us know and we will keep you in the loop. Landbased fishers are also invited to join as we will be running trips to Kawau and Great Barrier during this winter.

Fresh is best

Damian (Damo)

The Charter Connection – Where fishing is catching!