Fishing Reports

There just seems to be no let up in our hideous weather this winter/Spring ! There are very few good days at present in Whitianga where you can really get out and do the business -especially further offshore to the deep reefs, and this has been the way for too long.!!

Still the flip side is that the fish stocks have had a little breather from the normal extraction rates.

Inshore

Snapper fishing inshore continues to be hard, or patchy at best. Some people can just duck out for an early fish , do well. and be back home by 8-9am (yes jarrod thats you...),whereas most are going out all day and finding it hard.

A lot of the snapper are still out deep and its been hard to get the right day to get out to them, along the deeper offshore foul.If you can't get too far then just keep at it either right in close and hope for a moocher around the inshore heavy foul, or get out on the sand, drive around and test fish on sign, until you hit some snapper in about 30-40 metres.

Offshore

Not many days out there, a few good calm half days have enabled some to get out wider."Stingray" got out wide a couple of weeks ago , with  regular anglers George and Cathi on board, with guests, and although breezy right from the beginning, "Lucky George" as he is known, snaffled a nice kingfish of 17 kilos, although the bite was short and most of the other fish smaller. Puka fishing was a joke by that stage with drift speeds just tooo high. Cobra rock has fished well recently for kingis and small puka too.Reports are coming in of Kingis showing up inshore around Kuaotunu and Korapuke.

While this seems early, water temp wise, it shows that its worth towing a few lures past the headlands if you have to time, on your way some where.

Scallops are in average condition , but good numbers everywhere, and will put on condition from now on, if things warm up.

Good Fishing

Andy Kerr-Stingray Charters-Whitianga