Fishing Reports

While weather has certainly impacted on us just lately, it hasn’t deterred the fish from cooperating.  Finding comfort has been difficult; finding fish hasn’t.  Most fronts provided good, if not excellent, stories of success.  Few tales of WOL being spoken anywhere.

Inshore

A success story that just gets better – as predicted I might add!  Snapper continues to be prime targeted inshore species – always has been, always will be.  Most anglers are achieving their goals here, if not in size then certainly in numbers.  Again, the widespread area of snapper habitation continues to impress.  While a few are still plying their wares in 40 metres of water and doing well, there’s no need to go as deep (or far).  Even nearby (and well hammered) Whale Island has produced some decent catches of crimson just lately. 

If you’ve got a favourite spot between have a look, chances are it will be firing.  A few fine (6-7kgs) fish are surfacing but most far smaller.  Terakihi play a fine support role if required as well as whitebait gorged kahawai.  The heady catches of whitebait have fallen off due to discoloured and swollen waterways.  A quirky catch was made off Opotiki recently.  In just over 50 metres of green, cold (13.5 degrees C) water a 20 kilo albacore was landed by Rotorua aquarist Ardie Drummond.  Who would have thought?!?!?!?

Offshore

The kingfish juggernaught continues with some good catches to confirm same.  Sizes as well as condition factors still vary greatly.  Slowly the condition factors are improving as spawning comes closer to reality.  Most retained fish show well underdeveloped gonads, however, but this will change.  At this point both bait and jigs are running neck and neck for effectiveness.  “Whopper of the week” has gone to veteran Auckland angler Tom Caldwell. 

Well done, Tom, on using your new jig outfit so effectively to subdue your estimated 31 kilo beauty.  Best of all it’s still out there, ready to do battle with yet another unsuspecting angler!  Few reports from the depths but shallower the terakihi are shining among the other reef fish with nice (4-5 kilo) trevally showing up more prominently in catches.  Water colour and temp on the improve.

Ranfurly Bank

After a steady diet of small to average sized fish, mainly hapuka, the tide has changed.  While the puka are still very prevalent, some good bass have also made their appearance – some of trophy size.  Several fine fish in the 40-50 kilo bracket have succumbed to anglers on three different visiting boats with the largest going to Chris Taylor at a whopping 62 kilos.  Hapuka are showing better condition weekly as they eat themselves back from spawning furor.  Redbait and ruby fish have dominated stomach contents on inspected fish.  A sprinkling of trumpeter and king terakihi round out the bottom effort. 

None of the visiting boats showed any interest in targeting kingfish but still some fine fish were landed as bycatch while bottomfishing.  A chunky estimated 25 kilo specimen was tagged and released by Ardie Drummond after the predictable see saw battle.  Water clarity and temperature is also on the improve here with some excellent albacore action a direct result.  Fish are showing in remarkably shallow (120 metres) water as well off the shelf in 1000m plus.   

They are nice sized with average between 10-12 kilos with a few topping out at 15.  A nice bonus when traveling from A to B.  Targeting them on light tackle would be particularly rewarding at the moment.  A precursor for things to come?  Hopefully!  Back inshore around East Cape the snapper in most depths (30-60m) had lockjaw with pup puka trying valiantly to make up for their absence.  This will also change for the better.

Summary

Yet another pleasing report – getting used to these this spring although some poor weather took the gloss off this one a little.  With the fishing we are experiencing and a promising long range weather forecast it looks like Labour Weekend just might be a cracker.  For those that have gotten out this should be a golden opportunity to test your skills and bring home a feed for the family.  Till nest week ………………………