Fishing Reports

This fishing report is bought to you by the respective Top Catch stores in each region.

Whangarei:

It’s been slow for most anglers from all reports with numbers well down over the traditional drift-fishing areas out from Whangarei and most anglers getting only a few gurnard in the shallows and over 50m, although the harbour has thrown up a few pleasant surprises with snapper up to 11lbs being taken not far from the Nook and the odd nice trevally as well. There are kingfish around the baitfish schools and if you hang in there and keep trying, the reards can be well worth it.

Up Tutukaka way the fishing has been better with Tarakihi at 70m with big schools on the sounder through the water column out to 100m in places, often with snapper, hapuku have been long-lined in 70m and one report of a Hapuku of 105lbs taken in around 115m.

Consistent catches of bluenose and Hapuku have been made out deep with anglers having success in water as deep as 350m this past week.

Mark from Topcatch went out to North Reef last week and reckons he’ll be invited again as he caught all the 'couta while his mates dealt to the snapper and a Hapuku.

Auckland:

There have been some nice snapper caught in just 5 metres of water, at Melons Bay and the Bottom end of Waiheke, use plenty of berley and drift the baits back into the shallows, a whole Mackeral, half a baby bonito or mullet are big tough baits that work well for this style of fishing as mentioned above.

I pulled 7 good fish out of Rangi Channel just 200m off the Rangi Lighthouse in a line towards Takapuna ramp on an incomming tide straylining. I used plenty of berley and I chummed some pilchards to get them going.

The top of the Coromandel is really going off with plenty of 10 pound plus snapper in 40 to 50 metres of water, closer to home the worm beds north of Rangitoto have been firing one day then quiet the next. Flasher rigs with cut baits of Pillies or squid are working best here.

Softbaits are proving deadly in 30 to 35 metres between Rakino and Tiri, and under any bird activity, try the New squid viscous softbaits available exclusively at Top Catch stores, The new Penny is my favourite.

Coromandel:

The fishing has gone a bit quiet recently with the moon phase not the best some reasonable patches of fish around in 20 to 25 metres, around the cow and calf, and in the farms off Deadmans point and Waikawau, but short bite times, we are all looking forward to the new moon period at the end of the month. 

In the Tauranga harbour the whitebait have been trickling through. Whitebait are the foundation food for harbour over the spring months. So if your fishing from the shore or in a boat it’s worth casting a lure or flicking a small softbait around. Chances of a kahawahi on the incoming high are very good, to improve your chances take note of where the birds are feeding.

Tauranga:

Inshore the cool 14 degree water has seen most of the snapper hugging the bottom with the gurnard. Tighter schooling fish mean having a good sounder is a huge advantage. Shorter bite times are going to give the due rewards to those that are patient. Anchor right on the sign you find and keep the berley just a few meters off the bottom.

5 mile reef has fished well the past few days, so that my pick for a spot to fish for a mixed bag of snapper and Terakihi.

West Coast:

The fishing has been pretty slow and patchy and with those strong spring equinoxial winds we have had recently not many have got out from Raglan or Kawhia but those that have got out have found some nice snapper to 6 kilo’s at the 58 metre mark but interestingly the snapper had no roe in them so they are not the usual spring fish that we will see in a few weeks time.

Product review: Shimano Sahara 4000 & Mexican Fire Soft bait Combo

I recently had the pleasure of fishing with a Shimano Mexican fire rod and the Shimano Sahara 4000 FD reel.

This rod is one of my favourites it’s crisp, light and responsive and it casts really accurately, there is no need to strike at the fish, just lift the rod tip a metre or so and wind several times and you are loaded up.

The reel is a real workhorse it’s the upgraded model of the reel that’s been around since the beginning of soft bait fishing in NZ nearly 6 years ago, many of which are still going strong, the new reel has 11 pounds of drag so it can handle anything you throw at it, a really good set, usually the rod is $220.00 and the reel $180, Top Catch have the combo for $299.99, which is great value. This combo is available in stores or online here.

Mike Anda.
TopCatch