Fishing Reports

Hope everyone has had a great holiday period and are set to enjoy the year in progress. This skipper is more than keen to get back on the water and judging by his expanding waistline it’s none too soon! Fishing, and weather, over this festive period has been the real proverbial box of chocolates. Some excellent days of fishing on glassy seas with difficult ones endured on rocky seas – and the reverse as well. Overall things have been pretty vibrant on all fronts with a few standout fish to ogle over in each area.

Inshore

A real grab bag of results here with some returning to port early with limit catches while others toil away all day for little more than a modest feed. Snapper is still the apple of most anglers’ eye with the vast majority of effort being put into this prime species. Most fish are of pan size (less than legal to 40cm) with few hogs coming in. Matata, the Rau’s and of Waiotahi/Opotiki seem to be the best areas.

Savvy soft baiters are scoring on the drift with a few fish in excess of six (6) kilos to satisfy them among their lesser catches. All other inshore species are seemingly on the chew such as gurnard, terakihi, trevally, kahawai and even some reasonable (90cm) kingfish. Of course this area gets a hammering over the holiday period, arguably receiving over a third of the entire year’s activity in just a few weeks. In that regard, the inclement weather we are experiencing now is saving a lot of fish for the future! Of course we don’t wish this on all the numerous holiday makers in the region!

Offshore

After the last nor easterlies we thought the water pushed into the Bay would be magnificent – wrong! Couldn’t believe when the water even as far out as White was warm but dirty and full of rafts of debris and flotsam from our floods. It has slowly reversed itself over the past wee and now showing patches of blue but you wouldn’t come far south of the smokey isle to go green. Speaking of White, it’s also a real mixture of angling opportunities. There have been some great catches of kingis with surface sessions reining supreme.

While most apprehended fish are in full spawn and in the mid to high teens, there have been fish pushing 40k’s ad even one larger. While this fishery was in brilliant form prior to New Years, it’s reverted back to its fickle ways this past week. Still, if you were present on the “right” day, you might need the services of a chiropractor at days conclusion! The deepwater continues to pump out the catches although not on such a consistent level as prior to Christmas. Bluenose (some over 20k’s – most pups), gemfish (one at a whopping 16kgs), hapuka and bass all doing their bit to provide ardent anglers a diversified catch.

Largest bass of under 30k’s fell to Australian visitor Mick Chrysler – well done to the Oker! Shallow water has yielded more trevally of decent size (4k average) and slow but steady on the reef species.

Ranfurly Bank

Not a huge amount of visitors here of late but the ones who made the effort have been treated well – in spades. Plenty of bottom species and kingis await in earnest for all offerings – very vibrant at the moment in spite of some big swells and currents. Standout catch was a stupendous 70.2kilo bass from a 13 year old boy! Needless to say this hotspot will attract more attention from now on with a lot of it aimed at ….

Gamefishing

We’ve pussyfooted around this topic for long enough! So very nice to have this be a regular feature of the reports now and over the following months. Some decent and interesting catches have come forward but we have been incredibly inspired by the 375 kilo black taken at nearly Mayor Island recently in less than ideal conditions.

This amazing fish spells out just what type of quality is available now and in the future in all parts of the BOP. Back closer to home there has been numerous strikes, pack attacks and singles, from shortbill spearfish in offshore waters. Problem is none have stuck thus far. Also a few stripees are on tap with Waihau Bay weighing in its first at a very pleasing 131k’s.

Also in a surprise a decent (nearly 9k’s) mahi mahi was taken NE of White so there’s plenty to spur anglers into action – finally time to spend some $ on fuel! Now would be a bad time to put some lures in the water.
WaihauBay

This coastal community swells at this time of year with holiday makers; the vast majority keen to get out on the water. With fishing being their main purpose in visiting, there’s a lot of information coming in on a daily basis on all fronts with a lot on offer. Inshore the terakihi off Orete Point and snapper throughout have been very productive, feeding many in the camp their meals.

Plenty of skippies most everywhere with similar numbers of kingis at the Cape. Problem there has been a chronic number of bronze whalers – taking most every hooked fish that comes by their way. While most are smallish (the kingis that is) one bitten remainder weighed 27k’s! Further out much attention has focused on gamefish but more about this later.

Summary

It’s all happening as we advance on the year and summer in progress. Plenty to keep anglers interested, regardless of where you plan to ply your tackle. Till next week – we should have more success stories to regale upon you.