Fishing Reports

It would be fair to say there has been reduced fishing  days in the Gulf due to the constant battering from these fronts that sweep out of the Tasman.  We got 4 trips away last week and with mixed results. Fishing in the shallows has up until last week, been pretty good but with the swell and all that fresh water around in close, it slowed down and we headed out deeper. This paid off and we've been fishing deeper since then with limit bags of snapper on some trips especially when we get into the work ups. Chris hit a good one yesterday and had 100 snapper by 2pm and got back in by 3:30 just ahead of the rain and wind. They (work ups) have been few and far between but we have found them pretty regularly in the same area for the last 3 trips. Snapper to about 5-6kg and an average size of 2-3 kg make up the catch. A few fat gurnard and the odd john dory pop up from time to time.

Some of the deeper reefs out wide have been pretty good too although we are still finding the majority of our snapper on the sand and mud. Guess there has been plenty of feed exposed with all the swell. Kingfish are still an option on the reefs hower along with some good trevally. The "trevs" have soft mouths so most anglers get a bit or a "run" and then whack! the reel into gear and strike hard! This of course works a treat for a hard mouth fish like the snapper but more often than not it will rip the hook clean out of a trevs mouth or tear the fish a new hole and the it gets away, albeit injured. If the snapper are being aggressive on the bite then try taking a softer approach to the strike. Try letting the fish run a short bit (1,2,3 normally does it) then just click the reel into gear with the rod raised a bit. If the fish is fighting hard its more than likely a trev so you can play a softer fight and snapper dont really fight so you just wind them on in. Trevs are good fresh (raw) or smoked and the smaller ones make good baits for kingfish (live) or snapper (I smash them round a bit to make em bleed or cut them up into strips) Put the baby ones back though eh.

The kingis have been getting into the livies. Actually let me re-phrase that the "better size kingis" you know, the ones over a metre (15kg +) have been scoffing the live baits. The jigs don't seem to be getting the bigger fish but are responsible for latching onto the rats that are still about. We're going to head out to Cuvier when the weather/time allows and get on some of the pins out here for a decent shot on the jigging and then maybe do Cape Barrier the next day.

Should be a bit of fun. Flick us an email if your keen. This trip will take 6 anglers and will be $450pp BYO (weather dependent and minimum numbers required) and probably on July  Sat 31 returning on Sun Aug 1st. Get in quick!

The kahawai are back in force and I had the pleasure of scoffing a few back last week straight from the Bradley Smoker. They were mint  and the meat also made a dozen fat fish cakes from my old Nans recipe. Some of the work ups around Whangaparoa have been fizzing away all afternoon. They are kahawai only but for a few small snapper and the odd rat kingfish in them, but for the landbased anglers they are an easy target being only metres from the shore some days. The few hardy ones that fish Army B in small boats have been getting them along the coast from Army Bay to Tindalls and around the coast to the Tiri Channel. Further out in the bay they have been roaming along the Tiri - Kawau line and are easy to spot most days.

We have plenty coming up for young and old. Most of our trips during winter leave early and are back about dark or just before to make sure you have stacks of time on the water and as the fish move out so will we. Check out our website for more info on the Big Day Out Trips, Kids Trips, Friday Fish Fest and others. Keep in mind, as most of our fishing is done on the drift, you can softbait, jig and bait fish as you please. It may pay to book your end of year trip too as GST will be going up in October and that means a price rise for just about everything. Book your trip now and we will honour the current rate.

Stay warm and dry out there, play it safe and tight lines.

Damian(Damo)Clayton

The Charter Connection - Where fishing is catching!©