Fishing Reports

If you have been fishing in the interior region of the eastern Bay, chances are you’re having fun and catching plenty. If you’ve spent more time, effort and fuel to go further afield then you’ve got a grandiose case of frustration. A virtual game of two halves! With improved weather this has been well documented over the past week, on both accounts.

Inshore

The shining star, as mentioned, without question. Water is still cold but has cleaned up significantly. Recent Whakatane Clubs “Fish Fever” tournament turned up an impressive number of participants (over 200) great weather and equally good results with most catches coming from the near shore scene. Some decent snapper (7-8kgs) came from shallow water near the Rurimas.

Elsewhere there seems to be a general movement with pan sized fish coming out of a wide variety of depths and areas. Matata holds good consistency and plenty of protection from the recently prevalent souwesterly. Terakihi still biting well as are gurnard on the sand with waters within a couple miles of the Whakatane River entrance producing plenty. Don’t need to support the furl companies to secure the family a good feed.

Offshore

Generally a sad state of affairs. Water clarity here has also cleaned up but temperature well down, just eclipsing 15 degrees C – very chilly for this time of year. Despite plenty of bait and surface activity at White Island, kingfish continue to have lockjaw. Regardless of huge effort with both live bait and jigs in depths from 20 to 200 metres, the results are patchy.

Not even a lot of “rats” cooperating – they should be in plague proportions just now. “Whopper of the week” is shared by several anglers and is pathetic – 19 kgs!! Elsewhere things are little improved. Deepwater also remains difficult with just a stingy sprinkling of fish to reward hard working, long cranking anglers. Hapuka, bluenose and gemfish are rewarding those in only token amounts. Back in the shallows even the reef fishing has been disappointing with only trevally achieving a reasonable and expected standard. Flying fish have suddenly shown up in large numbers, that despite cold water and full moon – go figure! Room for plenty of improvement out here.

Ranfurly Bank

Finally some access to this area although weather has not been nearly as favourable as the BOP. One afternoon, with 12-14 knots of westerlies at White, saw 30-35 at the Bank! Such is the disparity between the two. Still, for those boats willing and able to make the journey, the rewards are there. Kingis have been particularly pleasing with an excellent line of well conditioned fish here. Jigs have fished at least as well, if not much better than bait.

While no monsters have been taken of late (largest just over 25kgs) there are very few under 20k’s – very nice average. Bottom bouncing is also good although, again, nothing of any great size despite an excellent average. Deeper (200 metres plus) is far better than shallow for a nice mixed bag of both hapuka and bass. Average size is a pleasing 15-20 kilos for both species but few over 25. Water very cold down here as well – only room for improvement here. Otherwise things not bad at all but a distinct lack of “trophy fish”

Summary

Other than White Island, it’s not a bad storyline. What’s wrong at the volcanic isle we can only guess at but are now clinging to the cold water theory. Maybe we should be trolling for albies now that the water has cleared up ?!? Things can only improve out there, elsewhere there’s mot much need for improvement. Till next week and another increment toward summer …………………