Fishing Reports

 

Saltwater Looks very much like the gamefishing off the Northland coast has come to an end. The weather and diesel problems have made getting out on the water difficult for charter operators over the last month, so I’m sure a good number of marlin managed to slip away without tags in there backs. There is still a patch of 18 deg. water in 150 metres off Doubtless Bay, where the odd striped marlin is being caught, but most of the activity now seems to be focused on the Three Kings where there are plenty of marlin turning up on the banks. Harlequin Charters just returned from a light tackle trip having raised 22 marlin in 4 days fishing, including a pending world record stripy of 100.5kg taken on 3kg! Since Striker recently picked up the 332kg broadbill off the top of the Middlesex bank, a lot of operators are focusing their efforts on slow trolling for broadbill. This technique makes a lot of sense really and it’s kind of surprising that it has taken so long to catch on. But the results are speaking for themselves with boats getting up to 5 shots a night. The slow trolling has really just opened a window of opportunity for boats to fish in more inclement conditions and hence catch broadbill more consistently. The same sort of feedback is coming from the Gisborne commercial fleet, with ‘broadbill for Africa’ and some good bigeye and bluefin tuna thrown in to boot. Geoff Stone from Major Tom II also showed some innovative flare by successfully deep drifting for them in the daytime. This method has been used in Venezuala (international hotspot) for years, although the fish they catch over there are considerably smaller. Geoff picked up a 146kg fish in 500m of water off the garden patch earlier this week. All points to a blossoming broadbill fishery that is sure to come into the international spotlight, and the need to develop a management strategy to protect stock levels from commercial over exploitation. Broadbill are still not covered by the quota management system. How archaic is that! We are nestled on top of one of the best broadbill fisheries on the planet and our government still allows commercial operators to target them as a bycatch. These fish have an enormous recreational value, which must be recognised by the government before it is to late and we end up decimating the population, as has happened in most blossoming broadbill fisheries throughout the world. The Hauraki Gulf is still producing good snapper catches but the fish are now out in the deeper water. Berely and patience are required to get on to any really big fish but if your just after a feed, try the north eastern tip of Waiheke from Thumb point to Tikitikiatongi point, where there are plenty of pan sized snapper around. A 20lb plus snapper was taken on a Heletranz charter, off the rocks at Great Barrier over the weekend. Not that unusually for the operator or the location. The Coromandel and Bay of Plenty, right around to East Cape is also turning on some excellent snapper fishing right throughout the depths. The kingies have thinned out but now is the time to have a crack at the bigger ones hanging around the outer islands and reefs. I’ve had reports of kings up to 25kg taken off the rocks at Waihau Bay. Groper are also out there as well for those willing to ply the depths and tarakihi and trevally will also make up a fair portion of your catch bins. In the Hawkes Bay surfcasters are catching gurnard in good numbers as well as school snapper on the northern beaches. Off the West Coast there are still plenty of snapper about but they to seem to have moved offshore into deeper water. Charters have been picking up fish on their sounders anywhere between 30 and 60 metres of water and comfortably getting their limits. Down around Wellington the snapper have thinned right out with water temps. now down around 15 deg. The most likely targets now seem to be tarakihi, blue cod, trevally, and kahawai. There are plenty of puka and bluenose out in the trench for those willing to winch the hard yards. Fishermen in the Marlborough Sounds have been catching good sized snapper (4-7kg) both round mussel farms in 15m, and in the channels and holes up to 40m. Use a good berley and invariably whole pilchards for bait with a single size 6/0 hook. Kingfish have been lively and are keen to take the bait, especially close to mussel farms. Good catches of blue cod have been reported in the outer reaches of Pelorus Sound. In Canterbury the weather over the past couple of weeks has produced some heavy seas. When they can get out the charter boats will be busy catering for anglers targeting groper, trumpeter & blue cod. The West Coast has been pretty quiet as most of the rivers closed at the end of April for spawning. The Arnold remains opens but it sounds like most folks down that way have been concentrating on the ducks rather than the trout. The beaches do offer the opportunity to catch trumpeter close in when the conditions are right. Down in the deep south the ducks have taken precedence as well, and I haven’t heard a lot about the fishing. Someone apparently caught a 17lb trout near Twizel recently but details were sketchy! Sounded dodgy to me. Probably came out of a pond. A few slender tuna were caught off the Otago coast a couple of weeks back but the weather has prevented anyone getting out after them. The usual species such as groper, cod and trumpeter should be readily available when the conditions permit. I’ve had no reports of any tuna activity off Fiordland but a team of keen anglers were heading over this weekend to check it out and I should have some feedback next week. Freshwater The Central North Island rivers are starting to fire as recent rain has triggered the early spawning runs. The Tongariro and the TT have produced some fantastic fishing already and will continue to do so over the next few months. The upper Hinemaiaia has now closed but it turned on some fabulous fish throughout May. All the Taupo stream mouths have fished well when the moon and conditions have been right. The Rotorua region is also fishing really well with a good run of fish reported after the initial rain. The moon phase is out at the moment but by next week we should start to see some excellent stream mouth fishing, especially on lake Rotorua. The rivers close on the 30th of June and any more rain before then will definitely trigger runs. Tarawera has fished well with consistant results from Rangiruru Bay and the landing. Rerewhakaaitu is starting to turn on some good fish, especially around Homestaed Arm and Gumboot Point. Lake Aniwhenua has some really good browns still cruising the edges, which suggests that the main spawning runs haven’t really started over that way yet. The beaches of Rotoiti and Rotoma are both producing good fish with a particularly good 13lber coming from Ruato recently. More double figure fish have been reported from the log pool and the main beach at Lake Okataina. We can expect many more big fish to come from the Rotorua region over the next couple of months. Lake Tutira in the Hawkes Bay is producing some good rainbows up to 6lb for nymphers using small Hare and coppers, pheasant Tails and Water Boatmen. There are also some nice sea-run browns turning up in the lower Tukituki. That’s all for this month. Stay tuned to our reports as more writers are coming on board and we are starting to publish some pretty consistant reports from most regions throughout the country. It’s the easiest way to check out whats going on in your area before you head out for a dabble.

 

From The Fishing Website

Report type: Saltwater and Freshwater

Report date: 06 June 01