Fishing Reports

After a brilliant autumn and start to winter, the weather gods have now elected to punish us!  The patterns are starting to resemble one another, week after week.  Picking the day or two between systems has been a trick – better be lucky or very good to get the small windows each week.  Only two good days each week lately with weekends being diabolical.  Still fishing remains pretty good on most fronts for those showing patience, perseverance and impeccable timing.

Inshore

While there’s been little effort here, a bit of a rejig seems to have come about in the last week. Snapper appear to have moved into deeper water while terakihi have not arrived in shallow water, both occurrences pretty standard for this time of year.  Hotspots seem to be Matata (mixed catch of terakihi and snapper), Port Ohope (45 metres of water for snapper) and nearby Kohi Point (limits of spawning gurnard punctuated by a few snapper less than two miles from Whakatane).

Offshore

Again little effort with little change.  Small bluenose in several possies for deepwater anglers with plenty of variety near the steamy island.  Terakihi, golden snapper, XOS pinkies and nice trevally in a real mixed bag with a little deeper water (50-60m) in the preferred depth.  Kingis also remain tough in anything larger than rat size.

Ranfurly Bank

Only one visit here with some big changes – all negative over last weeks effort.  Some excellent bottom bouncing for a mixed bag of bass and hapuka with many doubleheaders the norm.  So, you may ask, what is the problem?  In a word it’s size with all small (6-15 kilos) fish dominating the catch.  Cambrian Andre Balzar did his best to dispel this notion with his 36 kilo bass.  In another turn for the worse, kingis seem to have done a bunk with usual spots barren.  The 15 degree water is nice looking and seemingly ready for the annual winter run of southern bluefin tuna which should pass through soon.

Summary

Constant fronts and lows dominate the entire scene, make that the entire country.  This coming week doesn’t look any more promising with only small half decent windows coming up.  Wish us all luck with Huey.