Fishing Reports

Well, after a couple of months of lousy weather,  during which if you actually got out you should have done well, now the water has finally got  cold enough to send the bulk of the snapper out to the deeper water for the rest of winter.

This usually happens at about 13-14 degrees, and is exactly why we had such good snapper fishing last season right through till September, as it never got cold enough to trigger them to move to the deeper (warmer) water.

The wind just can't pull enough temperature out of the deeper water to get it right down- Example- in the shallows coming out of Mercury Bay last sunday- 12.7 degrees, but by the time we were at Devils Point climbing to 13.9. Further out it was climbing past 14.3 degrees.

The Snapper (in general) decide they have had enough around this temperature, and the bulk of them move offshore, into  50,60 and out to 100 metres or more.

A friend fishing out from Tauranga on sunday confirmed this with a good bag of 6- 12 lbers caught in 140 metres behind Mayor Island whilst targeting Tarakihi.

Of course the exception to the rule is the big old moochers- Larger Snapper that decide not to bother any more with all the travelling, and they just set up camp right in the shallows for the whole winter, taking up a piece of territory along the coast and just working it  for the duration of winter. They become quite territorial and will defend their patch strenously against any interlopers if they come along.

To get these fish you have to pick a piece of likely coast with heavy foul, good surging wash around rocks, rough kelpy bottom and ideally big rock gutters.

Anyone who has been to Leigh Marine Reserve for a trip in the glass bottom boat, will see these BIG Snapper parked up in the gutters finning slowly in the current waiting for somthing edible to come their way.

Lots of patience is required to target these big resident boys, as with the rest of the fish having cleared out , its a case of death or glory- You may get the fish of your dreams, but more often you will come home with nothing !!!!

The other option is to get on out to the deeper foul as mentioned earlier above, and use a weighted running rig with sliding 4, 6, 8, ounce ball, or a Black Magic 6/0 thru 8/0 XXl Snapper Snatcher, which is made just for this sort of deep ledger rig fishing.Some people use B/Magic Puka flashers, but the mono is too thick and only the dumber and blinder Snapper will go for this !!!

Remember to use baits that will survive the longer drop down and the attacks of pickers that you won't feel as well at those depths unless you use braid....But thats another story!!!

Good Fishing

Andy Kerr -Stingray Charters Whitianga.