Fishing Reports

Steady as she goes which, in this instance, is not a bad thing. Plenty of good stories and many happy anglers on the water just now – great way to start, and continue, the New Year.

Inshore

Snapper, snapper, snapper – does anyone ever get tired of them?!?! Obviously not as it’s the universal word on all inshore anglers lips! They continue to oblige and make most near shore trips worthwhile in a wide range of areas. The sandy environs of Waiotahi all the way to the cliffs off Matata and everywhere in between can be counted upon as being snapper country.

Larger models still require (and always will) some skill and/or luck to apprehend. All forms of bait and enticements are also working. For those who a) have had enough of snapper even if only temporarily b) want a change of diet c) want more challenge in their angling escapades or d) already have limited out then there are other options! Terakihi (remember them?) are still around in reasonable numbers as are gurnard and kahawai. Need more of a challenge? Then perhaps you need to move your aspirations ………….

Offshore

The fishing at, and around, White Island has been nothing short of fantastic, has been for awhile now. The kingfish juggernaught continues on with these fine gamefish biting their heads off, and in a number of different areas. Bait, both live and dead, are the preferred enticements although jigs are coming out of the doldrums a little of late. Fish are averaging 15-17kgs but there are a good number over 20. Back closer to the island the trevally are in full spawn and biting like crazy all along the south side of the island.

And as if that’s not enough, the deepwater bottomfishing is out of this world! It’s more like fishing Ranfurly Bank than local waters, such is the size and numbers coming out of the predominantly 200-260 metre waters. Hapuka are the main catch, and some beauties knocking on 30k’s. Bass and gemfish also make up the numbers but not as much put together as bluenose. These pre spawn fish are making a move early with a few roe laden females to 25 kilos among the 5-12k males in waiting. Water is beautiful and warming up nicely.

Ranfurly Bank

Settled weather has allowed most trips destined for here to succeed. Fishing has been it’s usual brilliant self with the exception of kingfish. For no apparent reason other than very slack tides, kingis have been aloof many days – and that in a number of different depths. Fishing from 25 to over 100 metres proved difficult to impossible over the past week at times, with flashes of brilliance at times. Live bait and jigs were the only offerings taken, a definite lack of interest in the usually relished dead flying fish. Size of the fish have been nothing special with most sub 20k’s and only a few to 25.

One notable exception was the beauty Aucklander Roger Bransgrove boated on an otherwise lackluster day. His 44 kilo monster was literally heads and shoulders above anything else landed over the week with nothing else above 30. Some strong current should remedy this ordinary fishing for kingis which, at the moment, doesn’t compare with the relatively handy White Island. Bottomfish continue to please with a good mix of hapuka, bass, trumpeter and king terakihi.

The majority of the catch (60% plus) is hapuka in the 10-20 kilo bracket with the occasional outsized fish pushing 30. A real mixture of bass sizes are evident from dinks under the 10 kilos to leviathans, such as “Enchanter” angler Hamish Collins 64k specimen. Overall the bank is fishing well, even the weather has cooperated. Water colour and temperature, however, remains patchy – changing daily.

Pelagics

This continues to get just a little more interesting by the day. While there’s obviously fish elsewhere in the Bay, it’s very much a Waihou Bay show lately. Despite relatively little pressure, there’s excitement there daily. The 100 metre mark is getting to be a popular depth with a good number of stripees interspersed by the odd blue literally crashing the party.

Go deeper and your chances of a blue increase but decrease on the stripee stakes. Lots of bait is in this depth, these mackerel drawing the marlin shoreward from their normal haunts out wide. Shortbill spearfish also an everyday appearance to add spice to the mainly billfish show. Te Kaha also has a few marlin but also every purse seiner this country boasts! Whakatane Tuna Tournament runs this week in what looks like great conditions. Will they again wish it was a marlin tourney?

Summary

Lots of opportunity at present – pick your target species and have a go. Chances are you’ll have some (or a lot) of success. Till next week ………..