Inshore Inshore fishing has been typical of the "January Thing".i.e. hard fishing unless you understand what is happening.The snapper (and some others I think) are spawning and this always gives us poor fishing during the day in Whitianga in December and January.These fish are thinking of almost nothing else during the daylight hours, and then dawn and dusk they will feed, so you have to be there at these times. Best places particularly during the day, if you have to fish at this time seem to be in 20- 40 metres on the sand. Reef fishing at this time of year is patchy at best esp. during the day.Terakihi have often saved the day, with John Dory.
Kingfish are in huge numbers around all headlands and outer islands, but again the bite time is brief, and often dawn or dusk again.Even if they bite during the day and they have been, it is fairly brief- around 2 hrs, so you gotta be there then , whenever that may be !!
Gamefishing Still waiting for it to really get going- A lot of effort has gone in here on the Tuna tournament and ladies tournament, and some Yellowfin and Marlin have been weighed. But the reality is that the effort to catch ratio is pretty grim if you do the maths!!.But a few good size stripies have been weighed around 120-130 kg mark and the odd 30 k yellofin, but most of those now are sub 10 kg, and numbers dwindling each week.
Water colour continues to improve with Ok water now at 200m mark, but most of the bait is, as always ,in the 80-200 m range so don't stray out to far unless you want to have a long shot at a Blue marlin, and if so good luck!!
Stingray Charters
