Fishing Reports

King Hits, Swings and Misses

Yes as usual the weather at this time of the year dictates to us fisho’s more than our previous Government. Hard to believe I know. But Spring in Auckland is renowned for it’s ups and downs, especially temperature wise, much like the NZ dollar! Not only from one day to the next but within minutes you have the shirt off your back and the next you’re looking for a coat. Wind can come from nowhere, and yet fail to form and a good morning or evenings fishing can be lost. Such are the vagaries of New Zealand Spring fishing.

But fear not, on the whole it IS getting warmer. The sea temperature rise has taken a pause over the past week, combine this with fickle bite times and it’s not surprising that many people’s fish bins have been varying between the mother-lode and zip, zilch, nada! The fish are here, in waves, no not the story-line of trying wash-fishing, I think that’s rather over rated…but the general population of Snapper are here and there up to 15lbs…where?

Accounting

Well the variables (or are they excuses) are so many, it’s a list that’s a bit too long, but combine the moon phase, moon position, tide strength, water temperature, currents, bait and other food sources, predators…the list is very long one. However it’s straight forward after a days fishing, to work out where the fish were.

Reading the reports on The Fishing Website gives a good heads up as to what’s hot and what’s not, but it’s always after the event – much like the annual accounts. The information is useful and invaluable, but predict it will not!

Many males have made their way in for the big party, a few eager beaver females are with them, but I suspect there are a lot more to come – you know, the ever present fashionably late ones – kind of like Auckland parties in general really. Ever notice that? Of course you have – if you say a party starts at 8…it’ll be 9 or even 10 before everyone shows up. Fashion. Speaking of fashion it is with delight I see the new ways of catching Snapper, and no I’m not just talking about SPs, all sorts of methods.

You see it’s what tickles your fancy I reckon that makes fishing so enjoyable. And so it has been – I have mates who only jig for fish, mates who bait fish, mates who can fish, mates who don’t! It never ceases to amaze me how small a world we live in, in particular the fishing fraternity. My boat has no names showing on the outside, and go about my business quietly on a daily basis.

However the number of people at ramps, in shops and out and about in general that once we get chatting about things, fishing especially – turns out we have much in common. We like to go out and catch fish. That’s why, along with the encouragement of genuine fisho’s I’ve produced the Catch Snapper DVD. To do exactly that – show how I go and catch fish.

The variables, well vary, that’s the point…so my objective has been to give back knowledge I’ve gained to other fisho’s, not as gospel or in authority – but to use along with their own knowledge, great or small, combine it, add it into the melting pot and come up with the best way in your patch of fishing nirvana.

More Variables

As the moon is now brighter over the next week or so, and the fish tend to feed more sporadically, intensely but with shorter sessions, it’s good to get where you need to be well before intending fishing and get sorted. If burleying – do so in plenty of time, if fishing the change of light be there well before you should be and get the flow going, workups – don’t chase the fast movers, work the inner reefs and high current areas. Me? Well I’m getting more summer activities organized.

The boat is being repowered with a brand new Yamaha F150 4 stroke engine in readiness for much time out wider, much wider in fact, catching Marlin. And with the amount of positive feedback so far on ‘Catch Snapper’, I’m filming Marlin up close and personal, doing my best to again, put something useful back into the fishing community.

I have been asked on innumerable occasions about my charters. I am not a charter operator, just a recreational fisho who’s passionate about what he does. Simple as that. I started Catch.org as a result of my findings while researching various Soft Bait brands and their claims over the past couple of years.

On the whole I am just a fisho, like you, who enjoys the sea, the fish hunt and the rewards that generally follow. I made the decision a while back, prompted during a particularly arduous meeting in the bad old days while chained to my office desk for endless hours a week – that life really is too short, and while clamoring to earn a trillion, life (and a good days fishing) can pass you by.

My Pick

Get the weather right (many windy days are calming down late afternoon), plan the trip well ahead so when it’s possible – ready set GO! No mucking about. sttaight after work. Check the winds, tides, bite times, moon phase and the myriad of other factors you may employ, then get out there and do it. Learning is half the equation.

Observation to me is one of the biggest keys to success in fishing, if you’re not catching fish, change the circumstances! The afternoon and especially during the extended evenings going into the change of light will be prime times for catching Snapper in close, around the reefs and bottom contours. The morning bite is O.K. but very short lived this and next week.

The inner islands are holding good fish…Kawau, Rakino channels, Northern Waiheke reefs and rocks, Eastern Tiri, the Tiiri channel and Wellington reef, Browns Island all have great pannies in situ. Berley has been bringing them on the bite nicely in the evenings! And the West Coast is firing so if you happen to be able to venture out there, definitely worth the trip.

Add up the variables, come up with a plan, then go do it!

Cheers.

...Oh yeah and speaking of King Hits - the Kingfish are around! And not just a couple either. The smaller ones have been in for a few weeks but some big boys are here to play havoc with your toys. So be warned, be ready and target them if you have the right stuff. Fast retrieved Pink Pipers work very well, so do jigs and fat little wriggling livies. A word to the wise - not only are they found around a good workup, but the closer reefs have some excellent specimens in the 40 to 50lb range! The well known rocky reefs, by Tiri, ledges and marker buoys are holding 'em right now!