Fishing Reports

Despite north and easterly gales recently, water temps have continued to slide.  Must be some warmer water nearby since we are still seeing flying fish, blue bottles and wind sailors.  A few boats getting out with the improved weather but the vast majority are snapper anglers seldom going more than a few miles offshore.  Gamefishing seems confined to only a small handful of boats so precious little information available.

Doubtless Bay

Plenty of snapper in the decidedly green water but one big nursery at present.  Many over legal size but few claiming bragging rights.  Some good kingis (to 15 kilo and more) turn up sporadically at the Mangonui wharf to delight and terrorize hopeful anglers.

Cape Karikari

Far better snapper fishing here compared to its neighbor next door.  Quality is better here as well with Pukeke/Rangiputa area firing well.  Many anglers are returning to port with limits in a matter of hours with bait and soft plastics both doing the job.  Some kingis and XOS kahawai also in the mix.

Garden Patch - Pins

Very hit and miss here for deepwater bottomfish – great one day, tough the next.  Bluenose on the wane after finishing up their annual spawning period with a mixture of puka, bass and gemfish to take up the slack – on the “right” day.

Great Exhibition Bay

Very similar story as the Cape but with larger fish and less pressure.  Henderson Point through to Parengarenga is offering up some very solid snapper to those who make the effort.

North Cape – Surville Cliffs – The Hook

If you’re not bottomfishing (and that’s pretty good) then there’s not much to spin your wheels here.  The lack of marlin, and even skippies, is startling – that despite reasonable looking, warmish (18-19 degrees C) water.

“Compass Rose” - Fingers

Some decent bottomfishing here involving mainly true puka and some bass.  School sharks are a real nuisance but have to be put up with as they are amongst the more desirable species.  Some nice water (warmest temp anywhere) here but no one home – not even skippies.

Middlesex Bank

Still the “King” as far as kingis and bottomfish go.  Water still not bad here but no marlin and little bait around.  Some nice specimens about with kingis to 30k’s and bass to 50.  A few decent sized (to 15kgs) albacore about.

King Bank

Probably still the best chance for a marlin anywhere in the country but can’t prove this with captures just lately.  Heaps of bait around with decent water – both colour and temps.  Potential is there but then it has been all season, being realised only occasionally.  Skippies are all over this bank, particularly on the top end.  With a couple of bungies working, it’s possible (probable) to load up in very short order.  Just as well as they are not anywhere else in numbers.  Kingis coming on strong with some nice fish in the mix.  A few over 25k’s with some eclipsing the 30k mark please anglers.  Seems like both jigs and bait are equally tempting to these tough fighters.  Bottomfishing is certainly not easy but strong currents recently make things difficult.  The same two knot plus currents that encourage kingis into a frenzy effectively shut down bottomfish aspirations.