Fishing Reports

The last week and a bit has shown plenty of diversity with the weather scene – about as nice as it gets to pretty horrible and oh so cold.  The work is its shaping up to be the coldest winter in 47 years and some of the days spent at sea feel like it.  Snow on Mount Hikurangi only verifies this!  A few changes on the fishing front, some not all that great.  Still, the area and species most fished in and for by the majority continues to fire ……………………

Inshore

Continues to fish well for snapper, this after over three months of productivity.  The fish are still widespread in respect to depth and bottom terrain.  While most of the fish are pan sized up to a few kilos in weight, there have been some whoppers landed of late.  Long time angler and resident Graham Baugley landed a fabulous 12.97 kilo monster recently – on a small hook designed for terakihi baited with a miniscule strip of squid!  Quite a battled ensued as you would imagine – great work, Tussy!  Meanwhile, as though they need it, snapper are getting support elsewhere.  Terakihi are moving inshore all the while gurnard are also in abundance – both in pre spawn mode.  Matata is shining, particularly in the souwesterlies we’ve had of late.

Offshore

There are two stories here, quite distinct.  The White Island episode first.  Deepwater is exceedingly tough at the moment with even bluenose playing coy.  Despite early starts (baits in the water prior dawn) which is usually a winner, things have been hard to nonexistent.  The normally productive 300 metres plus aren’t at the moment.  Near the Volkners still kicking out the occasional nice bass (one at a whopping 48 kilos last week) but generally as lean as anywhere else. 

Terakihi are hitting their pre spawning stride in anywhere from 30 to over 150 metres with some beauties among them.  Kingis still oblige in a variety of places with some nice fish well over 20 kilos in the offing.  Now for part tw The surface long line fleet which have been chasing the southern bluefin schools from Gisborne north over the past six weeks finally arrived north of White in their progressive travels. 

While the SBFT have been nice sized (average near 90kg with some over 150) they have just about run their course through local waters.  One “bycatch” to this fishery has always been albacore with some truly heavyweights.  One monster was recently landed onboard the “Scania” skippered by veteran skipper Brian Stonebridge.  Now get ready for this – a mind boggling 54 kilos! 

With the national record on 25 and the world at 40, this is some fish.  Not on its own, there were also many jumbos in the 30’s not to mention 20’s. Hopefully rec fishers will be able to get in on this winter bonanza but don’t hold your breath.  Unless they move in closer, fuel cheapens and pigs soar we probably we won’t be able to capitalize on this great surrounding fishery.

Ranfurly Bank

Again, pretty tough here.  At a time when heavily roe and milt laden hapuka should be readily filling fisholds, they aren’t for some reason.  Most every day, every long day, visiting boats will get lucky and have several hot drifts full of doubleheaders.  Otherwise it’s been real “scratch” fishing in virtually all depths with a thin sprinkling of hapuka, bass, trumpeter and king terakihi valiantly trying to oblige. 

Recent kingi capture by Auckland angler Lee Wynyard yielded a nice 33 kilo trophy – well done, Lee.  Hopefully this unusual situation will rectify itself soon.  Even snapper around East Cape have become coy.

Summary

Never give up – the odd catch phrase that pertains now and always.  How much longer the BOP can keep coughing up snapper is anybodies guess.  Enjoy while you can and don’t think you need to support the fuel companies to make a nice catch – it’s virtually on your doorstep at present.