Fishing Reports

Inclement weather still rules the area but there was a short window between gales which some boats took good advantage of.  Those few days revealed some decent fishing with the nicest surprise locally off Doubtless Bay.  A couple marlin were actually landed with several more seen by a similar number of boats.  Water has cooled and lost some colour but still very acceptable to the few remaining billfish present.  Water quality seems very uniform over a large area (Whangaroa – King Bank) with seemingly similar opportunities available to those willing anglers.  Back inshore things are chugging along as before.

Doubtless Bay – Cape Karikari

As previously mentioned, the big news was marlin still in local waters.  Not many boats put in much effort but most all had some excitement, if not success.  Whether these fish are part of the population that had taken up residence off Tutukaka a few weeks ago is pure speculation – the good news is they are there!  Still little bait and no skippies evident in the predominantly 18 degree water.  Back inshore plenty of snapper to keep anglers busy, the problem is size.  Most seem to be inundated with barely and sub legal fish.  Catches rounded out with a pleasing number of gurnard and some horse kahawai.  Few kingis about at present but what there is decent size.  Knuckle Point sports some nice fish at present.

Puheke – Rangaunu Harbour

Some excellent snapper angling here at present, with some very nice fish in the catches.  Most boatloads of anglers don’t take long to limit, generally a few hours tops should do the job.  Contrary to Doubtless Bay, many of the crimson battles are in the 2-4 kilo range – a few larger.  All types of enticements are working, especially if you want to put in the berley.  Some nice trevs and kahawai compliment the catch here.

Garden Patch - Pins

Bluenose are predictably slowing down as they have concluding their spawning period this season.  Large females are now absent, leaving behind the spent males in the main.  Gemfish are doing their best to take up the slack.

GreatExhibition Bay

No marlin seen but there’s no apparent reason why other than precious little traffic.  Small pockets of skippies are scurrying around but if you’re lucky enough to find them, don’t run away – it could be a long time before you apprehend the next bunch!  Snapper all along the coast with some nice fish (to 20lbs) recently caught of Parengarenga harbour

North Cape – Compass Rose

Again, little traffic along the shelf to provide much information. Some decent kingis off the Cape and bottomfishing all along the way.

Pedros Rock – The Fingers

Tides rule this area.  Hit it at the right time and you’ll have diversified fishing with kingfish, hapuka and snapper adorning the fish hold.  Get it wrong and you’ll get shredded by “couta”.  A decent sized convict bass was recently taken here for a little spice.  Look for an article on these rarities in an upcoming “NZ Fishing News”.

Three Kings – Princes Group

If weather precludes anyone from getting out to the banks, it’s not a hardship to be “stuck” here.  A nice mixture of kingfish (some over 30k’s), trevally, snapper, terakihi and monster blue cod await to test anglers on a variety of gear and technique.  Live koheru was recently only marginally more effective than “stick baits” on some decent sized kingis here.  Water clear but cooling down now, somedays less than 16 degrees C.

Middlesex Bank

Still rules for those interested in a good day of bottomfishing.  Anywhere along its length and particularly on the drop-offs lie good numbers of bass, hapuka and oodles of king terakihi if one chooses to go down in hook size.  Some of the bass and puka are XOS, witnessed by “Boulder” McKenzie’s recent 52 kilo catch.  Both bait and jigs will do the biz here.  Water temps widely vary with the tides – try a 4 degree jump in half an hour!  Still potential for billfish here.

King Bank

Water uniform in colour and temp here.  While stripees are still present, the skippies have gone.  All season this bank (in particular the upper half) has been a safe haven for the skippies.  Anyone could load their boat up at will – not now.  They could return, lets hope with a bunch of marlin feeding on them.  Otherwise there are some reasonable sessions on smallish (10-25k) bass and plenty of king terakihi.  As always heaps of terakihi.  Kingis just keep getting stronger here after a very slow and uncharacteristic start.  Some nice fish about for lucky anglers with enough over 30k’s to keep things interesting.  Makos want their fair share however especially as the sun gets low in the west!

Summary

Still potential for some marlin fishing to turn up.  Between inclement weather and few boats trying as we slip into winter, we’re obviously running out of time.  Till next time …………