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Smashing Stuff
The last week or so out in the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour has been a smashing experience to say the least. Tackle has been attacked and stripped by some excellent fighting fish all around the place. In close, out wide – a good number of Snapper, Kahawai and Kingfish have been quite prolific and within easy reach.

Those big, jade coloured Kahawai that herd their baitfish quarry into a frenzied meatball have been busy doing just that. Surface schools of these outstanding sportfish have been seen over large areas in the Gulf and even in close to the Shore.

Often achieving their feed before the eyes-in-the-skies (Gannets) can get there, or maybe the birds don’t need to as they are so fat and happy looking lately? Anyway the baitfish, the Kahawai and the Kingies have been exciting to watch, and catch! A few fishos have specifically targeted the Kingies and are being well rewarded. Jigs have been the go, big jigs on fast retrieve up through the water column. Good arm wrenching and gear stressing stuff.

The Snapper have been moving around the place, both out wide and in closer. Early and mid afternoon has been turning on the fish-feeding switch for me recently, even right through slack tide.

Mammalian Mates
The presence of some big sea-mammals right into the inner areas of the Gulf  has been a welcome sight. These magnificent creatures share the food supply out there and point us seemingly near blind humans to where some good fish are. Just yesterday we watched Dolphins jumping, somersaulting and generally having a great time right alongside a group of Whales. Impressive and breathtaking, almost enough to forget about dropping a line, almost.

Carpe Diem
If you’re into Soft Plastics – the brightly coloured ones have been working very well indeed lately, both in the shallows and the depths. Long pink jigs have been doing the business too on the big Kahawai and Kingfish out there.

And with Marlin and Tuna all around the coasts, BIG Snapper all over the show, lots of Kingies showing themselves in unusual places, good weather most of the time, fishing competitions everywhere, kids out there doing it too, may I suggest using up some ‘sick leave’? Just a thought.

Cheers.

Grant Bittle

Espresso
www.catch.org.nz