Softbaiting on the West Coast

There is something alluring about the West Coast. Its rugged coastline is both fearsome and enticing, offering those that take the time to explore its mysteries the opportunity to chase trophy fish against a seemingly untouched backdrop.

The West Coast is renowned for many things. Perhaps topping the list are its wild weather and big fish, and while both of these factors often ring true, it is a lesser-known fact that when conditions permit, the West Coast can also hold some great soft-baiting opportunities.

It’s worth reiterating the statement “when conditions permit”, as fishing over any shallow reef structure or coastline on the West Coast is not without risk. The exposed nature of the coast, coupled with the prevailing south-westerly weather patterns, means that even on millpond days a swell can pop up out of nowhere and catch out the unsuspecting angler. It’s extremely important to always have one of your crew with their eyes on the horizon and their hands on the wheel, ready to take evasive action if required.

It’s no secret that anyone dropping a ledger rig loaded with skippy at the 50m mark is in with a fighter’s chance of landing a trophy snapper. You’ll get no argument from me that there is no more effective way to harvest fish and it’s certainly worth experiencing the magical West Coast like that – especially in the springtime. Personally, however, having to sit and wait for the fish to come to you, coupled with the diminished chances of the fish surviving a release after being fought from a depth of 50m, has meant that the traditional 50m ‘meat hunt’ has started to lose its lustre somewhat.

Several years ago, after hearing for as long as I can remember that “you can’t catch snapper on the West Coast on soft-baits”, I decided to test the theory for myself. I was on the topside after a dive, waiting for my crew to complete their dives, and had packed a soft-bait rod to pass the time. The first three casts proved that you probably shouldn’t believe every tale told over a frosty handle at the local fishing club, as three beautiful snapper were landed in quick succession. Over recent seasons, our technique has been refined and I have found a willing accomplice in fishing guru Mike ‘Fish’ Davis.

We have had some memorable adventures hunting the West Coast together, actively chasing fish while swapping theories about where they might be hiding. There seems to be no real pattern as to where the big ones lurk and we continue to be surprised where they pop up. While we’ve been lucky enough to notch up a few real beauties over the past year or so, I think I speak for us both when I say that it’s the ones we haven’t landed that are etched in our memory banks forever! As any seasoned soft-bait fisher will tell you, if you’re going to chase big fish in tiger country, you’re going to get humbled – perhaps more often than not. There are two fish, in particular, that will haunt me – two fish that I’m sure were the two biggest snapper I’ve ever hooked and two fish that I had no chance of catching from the very moment I hooked them… and that’s exactly what keeps bringing us back for more!

October 2022 - Ben Brown
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
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