Fishing Reports

  Huge schools of anchovies have moved into the area between Whale Rock and Mita's Foul. As well as providing a lot of seabird activity, many of the snapper along the shallows of the Russell Peninsula that have provided us with some great winter fishing, seem to have moved out for the anchovy feast.

  Water temps seem to be a little higher than normal at this time of year, and the snapper have started to show roe early, although at just around 15C temps are not high enough to promote more than sporadic feeding, and some patience will be required as catching is still a bit "hit and miss".

 Jack mackerel baits have been relatively easy to find between Tapeka Point and Roberton Island. Fished live they are also providing plenty of kingfish activity around the anchovies. Traditional kingie spots at the reefs off Rocky Point, and around Cape Brett are also fishing well, with very very few problems from barracoutta, which are usually a plague at this time of year.

 Hapuka results have been encouraging around Main Rock, after two very quiet seasons. If  fishing out wide, we are also coming to the time of year when towing some small lures will be productive for albacore.

Major Tom II has only done a couple of day time broadbill trips since June, with erratic weather providing few windows of opportunity.

 We have managed four positive hook ups (the fish have jumped), but three were taken by sharks, and one pulled the hooks. This is the first time we have had problems with shark attacks on hooked broadbill on the east coast though it has always been a problem around the Three Kings.

 As a result we shifted area for our last attempt, a one day excursion to the Nine Pin trench. Although we had four baits taken, only one was a broadbill type bite, and this remains unconfirmed as the fish pulled the hook before reacing the surface.

As always, drop me an email at major.tom@xtra.co.nz if you have any queries