Fishing Reports

 

Following an astonishing anniversary/Waitangi weekend, when more than 50 marlin were caught, local game fishing has gone off the boil. Tough, don’t you reckon. Since the weekend blow however, it has started to cook again. The three Bertrams operating out of the Bay: Strayline, Little Toot and Riley have all featured with stripeys. Something to do with the hull design they say. Will Sullivan is confident the warm NE weather will be good for all kinds of fishing. A feature of the recent bonanza has been Marlin right in the Bay. Several have been caught near the Bird and around the 100m mark. Dave Hill of Serious Fun, got closest to shore after he lost a couple near Kingfish Reef. “Up the coast”, says Roy Sheard, “the Whangaroa One Base tournament is getting better by the day.” With 79 boats and 270 anglers, the members and officials at the local Game-fish Club are feeling justifiably chuffed. As the tournament has progressed, the weather has improved. The final two days look very promising. 21 marlin have been caught so far. 16 have been tagged and released. A feature of the tournament has been the 19 Yellowfin landed, with a beauty of 38.4kg holding sway so far. In keeping with the east coast season to date, Yellowfin have been both more plentiful and bigger than usual. Out west, Harry Barlow and friends Logan Bell and Butler Collie have hooked into some nice snapper and tarakihi. “Best noddy around 15lb” reckons Harry. This suggests a welcome return to good fishing after a very poor summer so far. The Hokianga Club have a big game tournament coming up on the 24th and 25th of February. Watch this space. Meanwhile, on the beach, westies Milton and John Parker managed to spear a few flounder and sole south of the Maunganui Bluff last night. On a windless and surf-less west coast beach, they tripped over swarms of toheroa moving in the shallows and caught snapper, trevally and kahawai every time a line was cast. “Something eerie and beautiful about a calm, windless and warm west coast night” reckons Milton. Snapper fishing in the Bay remains hard. Phil Macomber and friends of Kerikeri landed a 16 and a 20lb snapper the other weekend, drift fishing in 60m off Wiwiki passage. Ashley Patterson and friends have been getting into a few trophy noddies in shallow off Tapuaetahi lately. And on the Capstan, Anthony Piripo and Harding Mutu of Waimate North worked to get their limit over the weekend. Best fish was about 9lb. I also have reports of some nice fish up the inlets, with the best story being a feed of good pannies in 4 feet of water over mud, well up the Kerikeri inlet. And last but not least, the Homestead Fishing Club has its annual ladies tournament this weekend. So ladies, you can’t win the prize without a line in the water. Tight lines!

 

From Steven Radich

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 15 February 01