Fishing Reports

 

“The fish are out there but the weather’s been too rough to chase them.” Sound like a classic fisherman’s tale? You betcha! How can anybody know? But in support of the theory that they’re still out there, another stripey was weighed in at Whangaroa on Sunday. Landed on Pisces, somewhere out off Stephenson’s Island. Another punter on Geoff Stone’s Major Tom II, struck a stripey in 150m, just off the Ninepin over the weekend. And don’t forget the mahimahi landed by Johnny Wilkinson on Allure out of the Bay over the weekend. So how has the game-fish season been compared with other years? Spokesperson for the Whangaroa Club, Cheryl Berghan, reports over 200 billfish caught by registered club members so far this season. This compares very favourably with a total of 144 in 2000. Pregnant anglers have shone for the Whangaroa Club in 2001. The heaviest striped Marlin, 165kg, was landed by Sandra Williams of Auckland on board husband’s trailer boat, Venom. Fourteen week pregnant Cheryl Gavin-Young, cleaned up in the Lady’s tournament with a massive 264kg Blue. Intrepid was the vessel. Another blue fell to pregnant Shayle Foley, also of Kaeo. While mahimahi numbers are up, none have been big enough - over 10kg - to feature as club pinfish. Water temperatures have been quite normal, even cooler than usual, which does nothing to explain this tropical mahimahi phenomenon. Down south, the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club has had an average year so far. With 239 stripeys - better than the 199 of 2000. Blues are down to 45 compared with 55 the year before. Yellowfin tuna fishing has been the best since 1997, with the average size up on recent years. A Club feature has been the outstanding performance of Bruce Smith’s “Striker”. The giant black marlin caught off Cape Brett early on in the season and the world record broadbill caught the other day are both outstanding performances. Amazing how the fortunes of boats wax and wane from one season to another and from one stage of the season to another. Just goes to show that luck remains an important part of the successful fisho’s bag of tricks. Speaking with experienced deck-hand, Dean Nicholls from Striker, he reckons that apart from the two huge fish already mentioned, another feature of the season would have to be the inexplicable ferocity with which billfish have attacked lures. Apparently their strike rate has been exceptional. Over all, more fish have been caught closer to home than in recent seasons. A feature has been bait-fish luring marlin right into the bay. Stripeys have been bigger than usual too. The warm, cobalt blue waters favoured by game fish, have come and gone several times so far this season. If the prevailing easterlies let up for a while, a few more fish might yet get caught. Then the season could live up to that record breaking early promise. Stay safe and tight lines!

 

From Steven Radich

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 22 May 01