As we now say goodbye to “official” summer and warm weather, calm seas and good fishing continues.  Typically this month will see many anglers give away their sport for another season – silly people!  Many years, and maybe especially this one, the best is yet to come.  Water and probably air temps are reaching their zenith.  If ever you were considering your one swim in the ocean for the year, now is your time!  Lots of great weather, good fishing and water devoid of anglers in the weeks and months to come.  In many ways the very best time of the year is at hand – don’t miss this opportunity.

Inshore

Steady improvement in this arena on most species.  Snapper fishing is good around Matata – Rurima area to the west of Whakatane, less so elsewhere.  Te Kaha remains patchy at best, a real mystery for the once highly regarded “snapper capitol” of the Eastern Bay.  Again nothing notably large in the catches – just consistent fishing for pan sized fish with a few larger (2-4 kilo) ones thrown in for good measure.  Terakihi still going strong, unusual for this time of year.  Many boats are returning to port with good mixed catches of reds and silversides.  Gurnard and increased numbers of trevally also there to supplement catches on the sand.  Some nice sized kahawai (2 ½ - 3 kilo plus) also waiting to test anglers.  Water colour is patchy but uniform in temperature.  So far very few skippies around – you’ll need to buy what you need for bait and wait a while to fill the freezer.

Offshore

Status quo here.  Kingis and bluenose most decidedly the two most reliable species to pick on.  The lean (post spawn) kingfish still offer a spirited fight, more than many anglers can handle!  Bait still outperforming jigs (except on rats) at present.  Early morning squid danglers still the business on bluenose which are seemingly getting bigger by the week as they lead up to spawning.  280-350 metres is a good depth to lower your braid outfits.  Reef fishing steady, if not spectacular, with some nice trevs to spice things up.

Ranfurly Bank

Some interesting fishing here on all fronts.  Although everything is firing the most consistent would be bluenose, kingfish and trolling for pelagics.  “Bluenose Hill” located off the NW corner of the bank, is producing some great action.  Double headers of 15-20 kilo fish have proven to be the norm.  Although mornings are best, they are not nearly as light sensitive as their cousins at White Island and bite nearly all day.  Hapuka have been steady but nothing outstanding on either size or numbers.  Kingfish haven’t completed spawning here quite yet and are biting with a penchant seldom seen!  Among the hordes of rats is a very healthy body of large fish, many over 30 kilos – that’s if you can stop them!  Although many fish were right on his heels, this weeks whopper kingfish goes to Ohope Beach resident Bill Starkey at an estimated 35k’s – tagged and released to fight (and spawn) another day.  Well done Bill.  Lots of bits and pieces while fishing in the shallows such as snapper to over 20lbs, huge blue cod (one of nearly 4k’s this week), XOS red snapper, trumpeter, terakihi and trevally.  Plenty to occupy ones time if you get tired or bored with the wide open kingi bite! Trolling off the entrance to the Ranfurly Canyon has been consistent for weeks with striped marlin, the odd blue and tuna.  Several tuna have been landed here of late (one bigeye of 61k’s and several YFT to 45) but even more interest have been two lost ones.  Both pulled hooks on 37 kilo tackle, one after 40 minutes and, get this, the other after 3 hours!  The latter was thought to perhaps have been a Pacific Bluefin rather than a maximum sized bigeye.  We’ll never know but food for thought.   Needless to say there is some real quality around at present

Waihou Bay

This area without question is the stronghold of pelagic fishing in the Eastern Bay now and for the foreseeable future.  The big fleet numbers of past weeks are gone and welcomed by local anglers.  Fishing is getting just a little lean lately the area seems to being invaded by an unusual visitor – yellowfin tuna!  This has been a nice addition to what has been reasonable to excellent striped marlin fishing.  Although most aren’t large (90-100k’s on the beakies, 25-35 on the YFT) it’s a nice mix at present with some boats getting two to four shots on each in a days fishing – plenty of action.  The occasional spearfish tops off a varied fishery at the moment.  With patchy water on both sides (east of Lottin, west of Ruakokore), some of the nicest water you’ll see in NZ is right out front and at the Cape – long may it stay there with it’s good amount of saury enticement.

Summary

“Indian” summer is on everyone’s minds and lips and, judging by the fishing at present, could become fact.  If you’ve been holding back this season and keeping your “powder dry”, now’s the time to get out there and have a go.  While things could still improve there are no guarantees – time is of the essence.  With such a lack of skippies and seemingly anchovies/pilchards the chances of meatball fishing in the BOP are waning fast.  Till next week, good fishin………………….