Fishing Reports

Bit of a delay in getting a report to you all (had the boat out of the water for a few days and a good mate got hitched).

The Smokehouse Bay Challange was yet again held earlier in the month right around the time time that wind wanted to blow hard out of the west and south west making the fishing a little harder than usual around Great Barrier. Many boats bailed out on the saturday or saturday eveing as the forecast was for sou west gales and everyone knows that punching home from the island in 40 odd knots in a small boat is not much fun!

The breeze didn't really kick in till mid morning on the saturday so the window of opportunity was open for those that managed to get acroos on friday and fish the day or evening. We spent our time around the back of the Barrier and found the best fishing at the change of light in close amoung the wash from a few shallow reefs and exposed bricks. It wasn't fast and furious but the quality was there with 6-7kg snapper coming from the dark shallows.

The wind, as I mentioned, didn't get in the way till the arvo and we plucked a few pukas from the deeper spots in the morning. Overall the puka were only small but the sharks were bigger. Drifting livebaits and big strip baits in 100m of water, we were plauged by big sharks only managing to get a few to the boat on 15kg gear. A bigger one came in easily on the heavier gear but it was still not the desired result and we opted for the 40-50m areas to work on increasing our tally on the snapper. This was a better option as it turned out. The weigh in was a bit of a hurried affair with not many fish weighed. Congats to Lethal for taking out the top snapper prize and to our team for heaviest others and a few snapper in close contention. A "Muppet" prize was awarded to someone but I forget who got that.......

Closer in there are some nice snapper showing up in the middle of the Gulf on the wrecks and deeper foul. Drifting big cut baits and whole NZ pilchards should get the results but it may pay to have a good look around for some patches of fish on the sounder before blindly starting a drift. This was the case for us the other day out wider where the fish were hanging in one small area on a large reef. The first couple of drifts were not producing and I just about flagged the idea of fishing the place until I found this patch of good snapper up to about 5-6 kg holding out on the flat near the egde of the foul.

The Colville Channel is still holding some fish but with the bigger tides I have left the place alone. You can fish it when the tides are big but it can be hard work with the current getting up to and occasionally over 2 knots!

Even closer in the best bet would be the back of Tiri or the bottom end of Waiheke but even then the result may not be that flash. Perhaps a few for tea and a kahawai or 3 for the smoker.

It want be long now and the fish will start to flood in. Check out the September issue of NZ Fishing News where I spill the beans on where and why.

If you are thinking of booking a work do or fishing trip for your end of year function best be giving us ring now to secure the dates. Get me on 021 2446346, deepsea@clear.net.nz or check us out at www.charterconnection.co.nz

Cheers

Damian (Damo) Clayton - The Charter Connection - Where fishing is catching!