Fishing Reports

As we await the gale forces winds predicted over the next couple days, it’s a good time to reflect on the events of the past week.

Inshore

Not a huge amount of effort and, consequently, not a lot of stories to relate. Pick of the areas, not surprisingly for this time of year, is Ohiwa Harbour and adjoining waters off Port Ohope. Autumn always shines here and this season would appear to be no exception. Some good snapper in the harbour for those in the know as local knowledge is everything here. Between tides, changing channels and sandbars this area does not suffer newcomers well. Aside from decent catches of plump snapper one story must be accounted.

A kayaker fishing the entrance for snapper got the thrill of his life recently. His small offering was taken and thus began a “sleigh ride” of epic proportions. After hastily getting his anchor up, the ardent angler was steadily towed up the harbour past the wharf and all the moored boats into shallow water. After a short “breather” the fish elected to reverse its course. Back through the moorings and tethered boats, past the wharf and out into “open” water. Here it finally succumbed with one tired and bewildered kayaker having 29 kilos of angry kingfish suddenly between his legs on his small craft! A hurried paddle to a nearby sandbar was in order to properly dispatch of the large fish.

For those not familiar with the harbour or wishing to risk such an encounter can fish in 20 off metres of water out off the entrance with usually good results. A nice mixture of snapper, gurnard and kahawai with the distinct chance for a fat Trevally or nice kingi. Common practice is to drift until you find the fish, then slowly lower your anchor and begin berleying. If in a tinny, be sure to make as little noise as possible. Elsewhere the Heads at Whakatane and nearby Coastlands are producing pan snapper as well as the Rurimas – nothing over two kilos just lately.

Offshore

Little has changed here of late. Generally productive fishing throughout whether it be kingfish, deepwater species, shallow water reef fish or Trevally – there’s been success with all forms of the art. Kingis remain consistent – nothing outstanding in either size or numbers but very steady fishing. A real mixture of sizes and condition. Most fish in the 12-16kg range with the odd one over 20. Since all have spawned by now, the annual process has left some in the worst shape of the year – very slabby. Bottom denizens are obliging in good numbers with some huge gemfish (to 16 kilos, many “stove pipes” over 10) among the average sized bluenose hapuka and bass. Large spawning female bluenose *(15-30 kilos plus) should show progressively more frequently from now on in the 250-350 metre mark. Water gorgeous here with divers claiming the “holy grail” of 40 metre visibility. Trevally offering light tackle fun but size is down with few over 5 kilos and less than half the norm of four.

Ranfurly Bank

Interesting times here with plenty of change and excitement featuring. For starters, the water colour and temps vary by the day – and tide. Purple and over 21 degrees C can turn to 18 degree green custard – and back again. Trolling can be most frustrating with skippers not knowing what they will find and where. The current SE blow we are experiencing may put an end to the nice water here but don’t worry, the kingis and bottomfish don’t care! Kingi fishing is outstanding lately with fish all over the high spots and right out into 100 metres plus. Surface antics are ever so exciting to watch with poppers and stick baits (preferably with no hooks attached) really cranking up the troops! Although the omnipresent rats are plentiful there are enough surface marauding 20-25 kilo models to make one forget about tropical GT’s!

While average size has been excellent (some days over 20kgs) there has been a few boated just recently. British transplant Andrew Kennedy scored the “whopper of the week” with his estimated 32 kilo specimen. Out in the deep the big boys (and girls) have finally come out to play. After weeks of mediocrity, some large bass seem to suddenly inhabit most reef systems. Long time friends Wayne Downer and Justin Russell scored matching 56 kilo bass. This is credible but paled in comparison with what happened the day before onboard “Enchanter”. Having a good session on bog bass is nothing out of the ordinary for skipper Lance Goodhue, but he outdid himself this time around – as did his star angler.

After several drifts of which dreams are made of, the “Enchanter” made its way to the Whakatane weigh station to test their catch. One Terrance Price had what skipper Lance felt was an outstanding catch and the scales proved him right. Terrance’s big mama pulled down the scales to a massive 86.2 kilos – a new All Tackle World and NZ record claim for the species. And, just to prove it was no fluke, he also weighed in another just under 75k’s!! Such are the fish to come off Ranfurly at the moment in addition to the “normal” hapuka, trumpeter and kingi terakihi.

Pelagics

Pretty sad really. Despite beautiful warm water and a continued big fleet (Tauranga One base hopefuls) the fish are few and far between. Still a few nice (circa 200k’s) blue marlin are around as well as a few stripees and the odd yellowfin (59kg beaut recently landed in 1000 metres of water off Cape Runaway). Smallish mahi mahi also about but certainly not in plague proportions. All in all it’s not a good picture. The SE blow should serve to consolidate the warm water off Waihou and hopefully the gamefish with it but no guarantees. We should learn a lot about the fate of the remainder of this season in the next week but things don’t look all that flash at the moment with few fish for many boats.

Summary

Most anglers in the entire BOP will either not be out or concentrating their efforts in the near shore waters off Te kaha to Cape Runaway. The SE situation could prove a death knell to an ordinary season or it could give it a kick start – time will tell. Other than gamefishing, everything else should not be effected. Till next week………………..