Fishing Reports

 

Kaikohe boys Moni Mann, George Payne and John Kata dove for mussels at the end of Tapeka Point Sunday afternoon. They gave the mussels a condition score of 8/10 but improving. After collecting their sugar bag of kutai, they decided to try their luck fishing. In shallow, where locals often rock-fish, they were surprised to hook into some mega reds. Landed a few but lost several at the boat. Focusing on mussels, they’d not expected any big fish and had left the gaff behind. The fish were too heavy to lift aboard. “Enough to make you cry,” reckoned George. “The noddies were only interested in floating baits. Wouldn’t touch a weighted hand-line,” explained Moni. Across the bay, Peter and Luke Watson of Waimate North tried to get out of the howling northerly by anchoring close to the plaque in the shallow sandy bay at the SW end of Roberton Island. A couple of nice snapper and some great trevally were their reward. On holiday from Hamilton, the Johnson family sheltered near Marsden Cross. They returned to Waitangi with a fish salad including a leather jacket, a snapper, a porae and a couple of kahawai. Also on holiday, but from Rotorua, the Hoskings family sheltered at the back of Urupukapuka Island and fed lots of fish. Very civic minded of them, don’t you think? But they still came with a nice feed of pan size snap’s. Meanwhile, Monty and Ken of Kawakawa reckoned the fishing round from Tapeka was very poor. Rough as guts, too. But they’d done well two weeks before. Another crew of three equally useless “bastards” from Kawakawa, Malcolm and Michael Francis along with Geff Cookson, got a nice feed out the back of Urupukapuka. Fishing was poor according to Geff. Had a little dive and frightened a few big jacks in the shallows. “They were there all right. Just not feeding,” said Geff. In thirty years of fishing and diving the Bay, Geff has learned that in October, big jack snapper take up residence in the shallows, hiding in cracks and guts during the day. Then, one day, they just disappear; presumably to spray milt over the hens swoosh of eggs. Rome Davis and Peter Richards also from Kawakwa, returned mid afternoon with a nice sack of kina. Pete went home while Rome went straight back out to try for some more big ones off Roberton. With brother in law Mat Tana, they’d cleaned up Saturday afternoon. Late Sunday afternoon the fishing was slow in the usual places. Trying to escape from the howling westerly, Rome took shelter at the Frenchman’s end of Roberton. There, for at least two and a half hours, he was assailed by mega-reds. Final tally included two 20’s, two 18’s and two 16lbers. They were taking pillys and fresh whole jack mackerel caught on the spot. So there are some big jacks in the Bay. But landing them in the shallows isn’t easy. Tight lines!

 

From Steven Radich

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 23 October 01