Fishing Reports

 

WEST COAST - OHAU POINT TO KAPITI Boat Just had a report from Jimmy The Fish (JT) from Kapiti. A 33kg kingfish was taken at the ‘southern end’ of Kapiti recently. The fish was caught on 10kg nylon. Quite an exceptional catch from our neck of the woods. Heaps of snapper around but mostly schoolies (500gm - 2kg). Some folks have been catching their limit bags quite easilly. JT also mentioned 4 hookups of kingis on his last visit to the north end. He landed two around 10 - 15kg. Some big fish have been hooked and lost on livebaits. Warehou have also been caught in good numbers. We have had good success on snaps at the ‘Wairaka rise’ out from Pukerua Bay fishing in 50 - 60 metres. Good tarakihi and school groper as well. A friend caught 12 snapper to 4kg, we caught 9 to 2.5kg and there have been many other good catches as well. I believe some nice snapper have been caught around Boom Rock and Makara as well. Haven’t heard much from Hunters of late but the kingis should be there. They feed well on first and last light. They can be taken on jigs and lure at this time of year but good berley and livebaits are a better bet. The water temp. has been 15 - 16 degrees of late. With the strong northerlies in the last few days, expect a rise in water temp. which should push the snapper southwards. Groper have been taken out wide from Hunters, the 78mtr rise and Fisherman’s Rock. They seem to be plentiful when the tides are small, but harder going with big tides. I keep away from Fisherman’s and Hunters when the tides are big and venture out further. Trevs have been around as well as a good number of john dory. They have been better the further south you go. Haven’t heard of any snapper from ‘the bridge’ between Mana and Titahi Bay but it shouldn’t be long. That area has been hot the last few summers. I still vividly remember my 20lber from there last year. Tarakihi and bluecod have been good down the fenceline (north Makara) but not so good out at ‘verns’ (south of Mana). Quite a few kingis have been caught all up and down the coast over the last week, as well as some nice snapper. After the pre xmas big southerly, the water temp. dropped 4 deg. and made the fishing a bit tougher. Should come right though. Shore fishing A few people have been fishing the channel at Paremata and catching a few kahawai and conger eels but I have not heard of anything reasonable. The wharf and rocks at the Plimmerton Boat club have produced some wicked snapper over the years and should do the same this season. Gurnard are well on the cards there as well. The low tide seems to be better than the high there. The big rock (Wairaka point) 15 minutes walk south from the Pukerua bay carpark is always worth a crack for a big snapper or kingfish. It is a bit tricky to get onto, especially on the high tide, but with perseverance you will find the easiest way around to the deep water off the front. This is a prime place to berley up for snapper and attract livebaits for deployment for kingfish. I have seen as good a action as any of the top spots around Wellington at this spot and have caught fish to 21kg in the past. I have seen more 20lb plus snapper taken here than anywhere else off the shore in Wgtn as well. A light to medium northerly is the best for blowing the warm water in close and bring the fish on the bite. WELLINGTON HARBOUR The harbour fishing can run hot and cold. It seems to go better when the water is clean. After a big rain some of the quality fish go off the bite. It is a pleasant place to fish without too much travelling time and can turn on excellent fishing from time to time. I heard a local fishing company had 50 or so bins of fresh pilchards turn up at its premises recently. Don’t know if they were caught locally or not. Boat A couple of weeks ago we had a good catch of trevs south of Ward Island. They were hanging in the berley and we would have caught 20 - 30 legal fish in the space of an hour or so. Toward the end of the session (over the high tide) some bigger fish were turning up and nice gurnard as well. Our other charter boat caught nice gurnard, blue cod, heaps of kahawai as well as losing a two rays in and around the Eastborne side of the harbour. Some good tarakihi have been caught off Greta Point, the satellite dish and the back of Somes Island. Schoolie snapper are reasonably abundant if you strike the turn of light and tide. Elephant fish are still getting caught in the Seatoun - Eastborne - Pencarrow side of the harbour. That side is my favourite place to fish in the harbour as you always catch something. That’s where Mike Stempa caught his world record 9.5kg snapper on 2kg nylon last season. Shore fishing A nice 4.5kg snapper was taken by Bernard Schiftner recently in Evans Bay or there abouts. He’s keeping quiet about the exact location. As a guess I would pick Point Halswell. There have been a lot of small snapper throughout Evans Bay recently with the odd biggie. Greta Point, Flat Rock, Miramar wharf, the mussell rafts at seas rescue, Cobham drive and the point just past Shelly Bay, are all good locations. The next few months are exciting for catching good quality fish. Gurnard, trevally, snapper, kingfish, tarakihi, rays and many other fish are all taken in and around the harbour. A couple of 20lb -ish snapper have been lost (with witnesses) right at the edge of the wharf (Miramar) of late because no-one had a suitable gaff. If you are in this situation come over to our shop - 15 Kingsford Smith st Rongotai, and borrow my extendable gaff. We are only a few minutes drive from the wharf and are open 7 days. SOUTH COAST - CAPE TERAWHITI TO CAPE PALLISER Shore Keiren Boyle - a junior member of the WSAC fishing club caught a 4.6kg moki from Wainui recently to lead the heaviest for the season. We are really in full swing for blue moki fishing at the moment, but the weather has prevented many trips. The shingle bays around from Red Rocks have been firing a few fish. Windy and Cave Bay would be two places I would fish if I wanted to catch moki. Fitzroy, Pencarrow and Wainui have all produced moki and have the potential to produce big fish and numbers if the conditions are right. Wainui is also a hotspot for spotted sharks (lemonfish or rig) but again, has not been firing because of the weather. If you want a trevally then Fitzroy or Pencarrow are the places to go. Pencarrow Bay is now clean from sewerage which is good news. Boat Plenty of fish at Nicholson’s Trench. Although our groper fishing has dropped off in the last couple of trips, the bluenose have been great. Some big fish up to 15/20kgs as well. The near side of the trench has been firing for us especially off Terakerei. A good mix of bass, bluenose, groper, ling, hoki and even caught a frost fish and gemfish recently. At one spot we have had an abnormal amount of scates. It’s a bugger bringing in one of those from 250 metres of water, you think 3 scarpies is a pain! The local south coast has also been good, when fishable. The southerlies have been the conservation factor of late. That’s the good thing about Cook Strait, you can’t always get out, so the fishery is not over plundered. Excellent tarakihi and blue cod fishing in between Baring head and Terakerei - many fish over 1kg. The best depth has been 70 - 90 metres but if the wind is blowing then 30 - 50 metres is better. Hooked and lost a kingi at Terakerei recently. Karori light/Sinclair Head has been the spot to go when the northerly cranks up or if you are after a good catch of blue cod. The odd trumpeter is on the cards now as well. Have heard of a couple of kingis caught and lost down there recently. Regards, Pete Lamb IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHERE SOME OF THE SPOTS I AM TALKING ABOUT - CHECK THE NZ FISHING NEWS MAP GUIDE - THEY ARE ALL IN THERE.

 

From Pete Lamb Fishing Ltd

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 28 December 01