Fishing Reports

Stop Press!

What a difference a week or two makes. Scoping the various Spring signs recently around the place, wistfully thinking about the promises that the land based nature shows off - like my Kowhai overlooking the local bay providing much sugar-rush enjoyment to the Tui’s, was a sure sign of a pending spring Snapper influx…Mother Nature was right on cue, earlier by a few weeks than last year, I suspect intertwined with the higher winter water temperature amongst other things.

Out there in the Hauraki Gulf right now, today even, the Snapper have started to heed the Spring calling. The invasion of male fish has started, good numbers of perfectly sized 4lb to 10lb Snapper have been sneaking in recently under the radar, almost. The Pilchard schools are massive and are right into the Tiri channel as well as similar areas more over towards Orewa/Kawau and the Noises/northern Waiheke area, even along just 2m depths of the islands, especially when the Kahawai push them to their shallow limits.

The vibe out there has completely changed, no longer the wintry expanse of seemingly no fish. As per the Space Shuttle, we have ignition!

Genesis

At times is simply goes biblical in the Hauraki Gulf, and recently it has done just that, treating some of the most awe inspiring and thrilling spectacles out on the water. Pilchards being rounded up from massive schools like this one showing on the sounder, pummeled from above by Gannets, harassed from below until engulfed by gasping Dolphins as they gorge themselves (teaching their young ones how to catch fish all the while), hungry Snapper in tow further below, either in the very general area or joining in on the feast when the Pilchards are unable to scatter and flee their foe. After being enthralled by the massive visual and audible fracas when the workups are in full force, watching things like Pilchards swimming faster than you think possible across the surface, jumping into the air within a metre of the boat and huge Kahawai leaping clear of the water after them, the intensity of the scene is breathtaking, highly exciting and action packed. I just needed to let you know.

So whatever style of fishing, preferred fishing place and terminal tackle employed, we have waited (im)patiently long enough and although not every day, not everywhere, after all it is fishing, but the time has come, the time is now. Enjoy.

These are the typical early schooling males (5 o'clock shadow on bottom jaw line), caught yesterday

Cheers

Espresso