Fishing Reports

The Bush Kangaroo

A distant childhood memory of a TV program that used to enthrall my ever inquisitive young mind about nature, animals and adventure was catapulted back to the frontal lobe this past week with brand new memories being formed even after just reaching 46 and it's inevitable celebrations. Skippy. This time however it’s real life and it’s a fish, quite a contrast, yet not really.

The runs from these silver bullets are just like Tonto’s mates revolver rounds, blisteringly fast and all good! On calm days keep an eye out for small silver ricochets on the surface – often discounted as KY surface feeding, but more often than not this summer – they’ve been Skipjack Tuna.

In small and large schools, all by themselves, in workups, deep, mid water and on the surface. Trolling can help determine where they are when not in plain sight or when the sea surface is not silver smooth. And although generally used as mere bait or processed into cat food, if looked after correctly immediately following capture – they can taste sensational.

Troll for them just like you would a KY, or even a fast retrieve of a surface SP like the Catch Piper has been working a treat and providing an excellent challenge on light gear. If you troll using light line, remember to set the drag light too as the takes are often very fast and hard which can snap line easily.

Bleed them, ice down, marinade well then smoke on very low heat and they can taste simply superb, try them as-is with a refreshment of your choice, on crackers as a pate’ or in a fish pie. And if you get a young fisho into catching them they’ll be hooked big time, what a great way to spend a day or two away from the TV over the school holidays?!

Voyager

And infinitesimally like Captain James T Kirk of the Starship enterprise I like to experience new things in fishing, to boldly go where I have not gone before! So as you read this I may well be offshore somewhere around the North Island hunting down a few fishes, but you know – probably much closer to home. The Hauraki Gulf would have to be one of the best places around to live beside and fish in, with generally a good supply and variety of fish year round.

Trevally, and big ones are lurking , so if you have a fish on that you think is a hard fighting Snapper but the line isn't 'nodding' but has faster vibrating types nods, it might well be a trevally - great fighters with soft mouths, so back off the drag and enjoy the fight. Sushi style or smoked these fatties are tops to eat!

TV Remote

The greater part of the Hauraki Gulf is not holding large quantities of the recreational target species of fish at the moment, and hasn’t done so for a few weeks. The vast majority of action and successful fishing trips have been right close to the aquatic highways and byways. The Rangi Channel, the Motuhie Channel, the Rakino Channel, the Tiri Channel, the…well you get the idea.

The vast area of middle Gulf ground has been relatively barren of fish – with only the odd one of these fast and furious fish functions  providing maximized, if somewhat brief action. There are still good fish in the Gulf but more often than not the action is plain to see from the various shorelines skirting the Hauraki. Even within eyesight of my kitchen for the past 3 weeks every single evening bar one there have been birds plummeting into schools of baitfish, sometimes for over 4 hours absolutely non-stop. Quite amazing when you think about it. Anchovies, Pilchards, Kahawai and yes some Snapper underneath, with birds pummeling from above in just several metres of water for hours on end, day after day. How cool is that!

Sugar Rush

With the pressures to buy and eat copious quantities of chocolate this Easter weekend and many other forms of indulgence to be consumed, fishing could provide some much needed respite. The weather looks pretty darn good for most forms of fishing from in close to out much wider, so with a few legitimate days off ‘w’ (work) it’s time to feel the bite of colder air and the cooling sea temps as a large number of fish start to head out the Gulf.

The Snapper have just started to move back out, the Skippies are high-tailing it and winter draws ever nearer. The moon is very bright at the moment and the southerlies are predominant – to me this means some good planning is needed before heading out…checking other Fisho’s reports along with all the other facts and fiction used to chase down target species.

My intention over Easter and the school holidays is to get out there as much as I can with my son, a few of his mates, a few of my mates and enjoy the setting sun on the summer fishing. And to buck the trend of international doom and gloom and  global warming I’m doing my bit to stimulate the world economy – just ordered a new, carbon,  rod. I can hardly wait to put it through its paces doing battle with the big healthy Reds like this one caught the other day, and it's due out of the smoker about now.

Cheers.