Fishing Reports

 Gamefishing

Despite 2 more east or nor'east blows in the last 2-3 weeks, things did not improve as hoped, and gamefishing continues to be a bit hard. Sure we are still getting 1 to 2  strikes on marlin every 3-4 days, but on the whole its a bit lean, and many boats are not getting a shot at all. For a season that held so much early promise (mahi mahis in January etc), it failed to really deliver on the main course. This has been especially painful with the price of fuel.

At present there are no hotspots really, just a smattering of Marlin all through our area. We have seen the most promise in 100-250 m, yet got all our shots in 300-600m , where it is a bait desert !!! -theres just nothing out there to hold them. Many fish this year have come from 100-200, just like it was when I moved here 10 years ago. We never needed to go out much further than that, back then.Thats where the bulk of the fleet have had their shots again this year, so why go any further out.??

Ironically a friend of mine catching live Kahawai on his boat at the Sugarloaf last week, to take out as marlin baits, had a striped marlin trying to eat his bait as he wound it in on a light bait rod, just 2 metres from the boat !!, but it wouldnt eat a bait when it was tossed back out !! Poor old Gav!!!

Kingfish

Still truckloads of Kingis inshore of course, but fussy and well fed. You have to be patient with them, using livebaits or the best option- a speargun!!

Offshore structures are still holding the rest of them as usual. We stopped for barely 1 hour on sunday , in the middle of a gamefishing charter , and hooked all 4 anglers their personal best kingis, in just 3 drifts. All nice mid sized fish of 10-13 kilos, then we were off trolling again- a good interlude in a trolling day.

Snapper

Snapper are still spread between sand and reef edge,  all through our islands, with more fish coming onto to reef and edges every week. Heavier tackle is now needed if you chase them into the foul, whereas we could fish any class of tackle in Jauuary and February , out on the sand.

Good Fishing,

Andy Kerr-Stingray Charters-Whitianga