Fishing Reports

 The big snapper schools are still on the move. The fish that had been producing good results at Centre Foul and Tapeka moved to the Nine Pin area last week, but the best of the fishing now seems to be around Whale Rock. Not a lot of large fish yet, with 5kg being top fish on most trips. With the huge influx of boats expected for the fine weather over Xmas it is more important than ever that anglers " limit their catch instead of catching their limit."

  Best of the kingfishing still seems to be up at Rocky Point, with Hansens Reef performing on a daily basis for Steve Butler on Earl Grey, though the biggest fish are little more than 12kg. There will certainly be bigger fish at Cape Brett, but some patience may be needed. It is important when fishing around the Hole in the Rock or along the edge of the Dog to fish the upcurrent side. Most boats are tempted to fish the calm side, but if that's not the upcurrent side you might as well go somewhere else.

 Our own escapade this weekend was a trip out wide.  We made it as far as the 600M line north of the Nine Pin Trench. Water was good and temperature was just about 19C. Plenty of mutton ducks and a few gannets at the 500M mark, but no results in that area. In closer,  along ther 300M contour north west of the outside trench we stumbled across a big school of skippies, and furthr in still, where the water had gone almost green we picked up on a small school of "coke bottle" albacore..

If you do hook an albacore , leave it in the water until you can hook up a second fish.The school will usually follow their 'mate'. The same trick works for mahimahi and kingfish, and to a certain degree with larger pelagics, but is a precarious tactic with soft mouthed skippies.

 With some light to medium easterlies due at the tail end of an anticyclone moving in for Xmas, the fishing out wide should improve rapidly and the first marlin of the season could be close at hand.