Fishing Reports

Things are heatin on up now!

The water is warming up steadily now and the occasional northerly influence will be helping to push a bit of the warm water closer in. Reports from the commercial sector indicate that there are schools of snapper appearing out from the Aldermans, along the Northland coast and there have even been school fish taken off the top of Little Barrier in 70+ metres. This is good! They are not far way now.

Here’s what we’ve been up to.

The local fishing - that is for us, the ground between Kawau and Waiheke, has produced very little in the way of good fishing and we’ve opted to fish elsewhere. Close in around Tiri has an abundance of small snapper and the best bet out this way would be to fish the deeper reefs around the back of the island at the change of light. The edges of the channel especially the area off the firing range can produce as well but again at this time of year the change of light is the go. You could also give Wellington Reef a shot too as reports from the small boats fishing the area are becoming more and more positive as the season draws closer.

Other than 1 story of some reasonable snapper from close in to the rocks, Kawau has been patchy. We normally get a few early fish off Takatu and along the edges of the foul around Flat Rock but the last trip we ventured up that way we were plagued with bastard cod and ‘coutas! I’ll leave it for now but maybe drop in on the way out wider in another week or so.

Colville has been producing some reasonable fishing for the time of year with a lot of terahiki showing up even in the high current. The snapper are mostly pan sized fish with the occasional big fish showing up. The sharks are pretty much always there and can be a real problem. If you get pack attacked or plagued by them it pays to move on. Often not using a burley out here will give you some reprieve from the toothy critters.

I had a decent look around east of the main current in some deeper water the other day but it failed to show up any massive schools moving in, rather just a few midwater marks( could be dory, snapper etc) that didn’t fish on baits or jigs. We came back in closer and managed a pretty good haul of snapper, terahiki and big blue cod.

Little Barrier has been off and on as is typical for the time of year and my gut feeling is get in real close and shallow (hard to do with a bigger group) or fish deeper on the reefs. The deeper reefs are holding snapper but they seem to bite on certain stages of the tide cycle so it makes fishing a little frustrating, especially when you can see the fish on the sounder but there is little or no activity on the lines. Drift fishing is a good option in this case.

Great Barrier is fishing better now and we have had some good trips out here. Drifting the deeper reefs for snapper has been productive as has in closer with a good burley trail pumping out the back. Hapuka have been showing up too but a little patience is required to get a result. The deeper reefs off the back of the island should be holding fish and we have even managed a few smaller ‘puka from closer in (40m) when the tide has eased. Just about any of the deeper reefs and pinnacle will hold fish it’s just a matter of getting them to bite.

This is the time of year to book your work function, family trip, boy’s day out, overnighters and get into the action. The snapper are not far way now and will be moving in as we speak. We have boats available as we have in previous seasons for all budgets and levels of fishing.

Check out MAJURO and TYPEE for a start at www.charterconnection.co.nz and keep in mind that we cater for large groups, inter-boat contests (great work dos these), small groups and individuals. We also now have a couple of launches that suit the corporate client wishing to entertain clients. We can provide all levels of catering and anything you need to make that day on the water enjoyable.

on 021 2446346. Email us at deepsea@clear.net.nz and get out there on the water for some rod bend’n action.

Tight string!

Damian (Damo) Clayton

The Charter Connection – Where fishing is catching!

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