Fishing Reports

 Espresso...?
More like iced coffee mate!
While the South Island Cod catchers may not think the temps around here are that cold, I’m obviously no Southern Man and prefer the pending warmer spring days, even though the water temp in the Hauraki Gulf is not that low this winter it’s not quite the Bahamas out there either. Although with the Tri Nations rugby going so well for the All Blacks the country seems to be holding off depression, both economic and otherwise despite the usual annual temporary downward trend in just about everything, except for unfathomable taxes of course. A quick flick back to last year’s Espresso reports http://www.fishing.net.nz/index.cfm/pageID/16/view/true/ReportID/2830/  confirms the seasonal regularity and fluctuations of fishing.

Plunging into the online world can provide a blissful and cheap fishing escape in winter time especially, reading various fishing exploits in reports from around the country (and the world) in the fishing.net forums, even those forum subcategories you’d not normal venture into I hasten to add. Some interesting stuff to be found when you have time such as now. Links to Youtube with great summer footage can help stave off negativity and provide some commiseration for less eventful fishing forays of late. Anyway the point being is that winter is a great time to expand the event horizon, even if just a smidgeon. New insights, techniques, and enjoyment from reading scripts from the heart, pictures from the fishermen’s real eye-view… well you can get there instantly and bask in the sights and sounds created, almost like being there with a spot of imagination. It’s all online and it’s all free. Similarly interesting was the ITM Fishing show recently with its backcountry adventures, great viewing even for those not into fresh water fishing, or fishing at all for that Matt’r.
 
An entertainingly eclectic bunch of people are regulars on the fishing.net forums, and I’ve been meeting more of them lately  myself by smoking a few fish for various people, lots of information, opinions and stories to be had, always containing something useful or at least confirming your own particular preferences. Whether it’s subtleties, technicalities or nuances - like whether to use mono or fluorocarbon leader or one or two hooks on a jig….personal preferences, it’s what helps make this such a rewarding pastime/hobby/sport, dare I say addiction.
While having a chin-wag with a fishing mate just the other day, appreciation and excitement at the sight of his overseas fishing photography buzzed my head like a Mozz, definitely one Fisho that has now accomplished a great deal in very short time sport fishing and to see & hear the tip of the iceberg in terms of experiential knowledge, hands on stuff out in the big wide (real) world, what a privilege. Fortunately for more mortal Fisho’s the media and internet suffice while the winter doldrums of fishing twist the mind of even the part time hobby Fisho, let alone those more afflicted – such as those that should belong to some sort of Fishanonymous group, me included.

Gulf Snapper
For me there seems to be one common thread working at securing a few fish at the moment. Squid.  

Both predator and prey virtually at the same time the ubiquitous Cephalopod is durable, easy, cheap and most species of fish will take a taste (including Squid themselves) even while hibernating as many fish are at the moment. Also since there’re a fair bit of Squid about the Gulf, predisposition to this form of treat goes down well when winter lethargy has priority. Squid on flashers, small whole Squid straylined down and along the burley trail, Squid Soft Plastics, and a personal preference when using Pilchards as bait is to cut a small long strip and after the Pilchard is on the hook, just attach the flap of Squid once over the point as a stopper and a flapping visual enticement.

In summary sparking fish up out of their humdrum requires some thought into your target area right now. Just like most of us on a cold winters morning, we need a darn good reason to brave anywhere but the confines of a nice warm bed. The Snapper need a good reason to awaken their desire and spend energy to chase and grasp at some potential morsel as well. Reasons like good flowing burley (or a mussel barge working) right into habitat like this spot at Tiri recently, getting their hunger amped up, or other fish noisily feeding up large like Dolphins, Whale(s), Gannets, or putting a wounded live-bait or imitation (Soft Plastic) right in front of their face – but with not too much action to it, it needs to be dying, on its last tentacles so to speak for the Snapper to think..O.K. it’s worth the effort. Out around Great Barrier and Little Barrier is holding  a few good winter fish that can be lured into biting, but really over the mass of middle ground in the Gulf, while picturesque and wondrous to be out there on such a day, it’s lean pickings on many a sortie. 

Gurnard, a few Snapper, the odd Couta, (something I have been surprisingly not afflicted with this year) but not a lot biting right now over the main open areas.  

I’ve heard from a very good source that there is a bit of a mixed bag of fish in the low lying gutters of the Colville Channel and from personal experience last week some Snapper in the area directly north of Flat Rock (50m depth), some in amongst the baitschools that are getting driven around the place by numerous predators like Whales, Dolphins, Gannets, Fishermen, Kahawai and ‘Couta, but the bites and action are very brief and often not daily.

Water temp is still around 14c, with no sign of rising to bring Spring Snapper back in droves like those extraordinarily captivating Discovery channel pictures of Wildebeest migrations. Some days though it’s just manic out there in spring! When the mosh-pit is in turned ON , with you and the fish head bangin’, party time big time. This scene is a but several weeks away.

Patience grasshopper, the baitfish are thick all over the show, this picture taken of my sounder  last week tells the tale (lots of Mullet in Gulf Harbor right now too btw), all waiting to be turned into Snapper and Kingfish for you and me.

I’d try north at the moment....northern Waiheke, northern Kawau, northern Cape Rodney, northern Coromandel ( just out and east from Colville channel) and North Shore Bays (just off the inner reefs at high tide). All have had some reasonable catches lately, various methods, various styles etc but fish have been caught there, and some surprisingly good ones now and then too, change of light mainly.

So with fact-free reasoning I reckon this summer is going to be a good one for both Snapper and Kingfish. The clouds billowing forth from Radiata forests to the south west of me have dusted the area in yellow, the yearly early sign of a Snapper turnaround.

Winter, yes a great time to spend ogling at cool fishing stuff online, better than getting grumpy at the lack of fishing…time for selling off equipment, upgrading gear, getting your sporadically purchased rods/reels/line weights better matched, ridding the boat of random stuff that accumulates over time. Speaking of cool online stuff, there’s a bunch of keen fishermen in NZ about to launch and online magazine i.e. high quality images and information right up to date, and it’s free!  www.nzfisher.co.nz  definitely worth a click.

The Catch Patch  
Smoking Fish - although there are not that many fish being caught at the moment, the ones that are have great conditioning. I can smoke your fish for free at the moment, just a few at a time to fishing.net members. So if you catch a fish or three over the next few weeks, and would like to taste them smoked the truly gourmet way with a Bradley smoker – call me to see if there’s space, drop off/pick up Whangaparaoa 021 2460071. Cheers.