Fishing Reports

This years Nationals are but a memory yet again. SO many anglers would have achieved their goals over the week with far more feeling hard done by. The weather played ball for the bulk of the contest, starting off and finishing with gale warnings with nearly calm conditions in between. Aside from the tournament, there’s been plenty of other fishing going on as well – most of it productive. As we leave official summer behind, we’re far from being finished with summer weather and fishing. In fact we’d like to think the best is yet to come.

Inshore

Very steady fishing for most species – just have to decide which you’ll target but be prepared for surprises. Fall fishing usually sees some excellent possibilities on the inshore scene, some of the best of the year in usually settled conditions. Some quality snapper are falling to those prepared to put in the effort, some just short of the magical 20 pound mark. Interesting to see the variance of depths and terrain that currently hold snapper – they’re everywhere, they’re everywhere!! From surfcasting depth to 70 metres (that’s right – 70m!) heavy foul to sandy flats – they occupy the lot. Obviously not all snapper are of trophy size with most pan size. Even the rock groin at the Whakatane River Entrance is producing quality snapper, some over 2 kilos – haven’t seen that scenario in years! If everyone’s favourite doesn’t appeal to you then there are plenty of others to take your fancy. Terakihi still around in good numbers as are kahawai (many over 2kgs) and gurnard. Some decent kingis should soon make things interesting for some – more than they bargain for.

Offshore

An invigorating scene with so many possibilities. A typical trip out to White Island can be confusing now since there’s so much to choose from. You could fish two days and not get around to everything available at present! Aside from excellent gamefishing prospects (to be covered later in the report) aimed at many pelagics, a visiting angler can put efforts at virtually everything else that lives out there with the idea of success! Not often can we make this claim but now’s the time. Kingis and trevally fall in the same category now.

They are biting well in many different parts of the island but both are also being predated on heavily by sharks! Many Bronze whalers but occasionally makos are making life miserable and short for hooked fish just now. While in poor condition, the kingis are biting well with enough quality to keep things vibrant. The predominantly 12-18 kilo fish are joined but numerous over 20, a pleasing line of fish. Bait is still the go with jigs only producing rats.

Don’t worry, that will change in time. Trevs are voracious at the moment on the mainly 4-5 kilo fish with the odd beauty touching 6. Shallow water reef fish are also obliging with some XOS porae over 6kgs springing up the quality fishing for terakihi, golden snapper and decent sized pinkies. Deepwater is also firing with bluenose in the ultra deep (280-350 plus metre) with true hapuka in the not so deep (140-180m) water. See what I mean? Something for everyone!

Ranfurly Bank

Little pressure this past week despite ideal weather conditions till the weekend. Visiting boats found unusual fishing – at least for there. In a word, mediocrity! Reasonable to slow fishing across the board with some bluenose (Big ones), hapuka (not so big, bass (mixed size), kingfish, king terakihi and trumpeter but none in any great numbers. Some beautiful water there which leads us to ……….

Pelagics

As they usually do, the recent Nationals smoked out any and all gamefishing possibilities in the area. A huge (up to 160 boats) fleet turned out at Waihau Bay with some good results as well as heaps of hard luck stories. Indeed, and not surprisingly, the largest fish of the tournament and the season was landed with Eddie Parkinson’s spectacular 359kg blue marlin. There were a number of other blues hooked but sadly only a relative few tagged or landed. Good numbers of average sized stripees were also taken along with some good mahi mahi.

Great to see to 5-10 kilo fish arrive, signaling also the arrival of our best (read that warmest and prettiest) water of the season. While the waters off Whakatane and White Island paled in comparison, there also was far less traffic and attendant effort there as well. A decent striped marlin bite developed only 9-10 miles north of Kohi Point in 70-90 metres of water. Some boats were getting 4-6 shots a day as the marlin were feeding on mackerel and juvenile kingis in the area. This would have to be the largest concentration of striped marlin the closest to Whakatane in years.

Further afield the water only got better with less in it. A reasonable number of stripees seen feeding on saury at the Volkners but hard to get a hook into them. Similarly further north the mahis, XOS albies and spearfish are present but not taking lures with any regularity. The fishing we experience after this latest blow will go a long way toward dictating how the rest of the game season will go. In the meantime, if you want to wash your lures in some cobalt bathwater now is your time and Waihau Bay your place – expect the unexpected!

Summary

If we haven’t reached the zenith of our water temperature this season we’ll be very close to it. Now is the time this game season will become defined and could go either way. In some ways the prospect is very exciting, in others somewhat daunting. If trolling incessantly isn’t your thing then trolling to and from some excellent bottomfishing can satisfy all aspects. Enjoy autumn to the fullest as it’s a special time. “Indian Summer” can often yield the best fishing and weather of the year – 2009 could conform nicely into this scenario. Next report could be most interesting. Till next week …………..