The North Island is my stamping ground – I have spent my life driving down one-way roads to the beach, tramping over gorse-covered hills and even flying the coast in helicopters looking for that mystical, magic spot where the fishing is best.

There are parts of the North Island that I haven’t ventured to, though, and maybe they hold the secret I have been looking for. I wondered if Cape Palliser was such a place. It was just too far out of the way and too far south for me to consider, certainly during those years when I was fixated with catching marlin and tuna from the rocks.

Cold water sweeps this part of the coast almost year-round and some of New Zealand’s seasonal glamour species choose to avoid the place most of the time. But other species love the wild coast and its cold waters. Red cod are common. Hated elsewhere, these are the fish that keep local anglers on the beaches. If you say red cod are no good to eat, you will find an argument there.

Abundant blue moki can be caught from beaches and rocks all around the coast. They require some special attention to detail with regard to baits and tackle, but then the best species always do. They range from one to six kilos and there are probably bigger fish there as well. In mana, they equate to snapper in this region.

Barracouta are southern predators that follow the bait schools and invade the coast. They run up to and beyond 4kg, and are great sport if your tackle isn’t too heavy.

Kahawai bring some normality to the species list for those from areas further north. I call the big ones I catch ‘Cook Strait kahawai’. They are strong in the colder waters and can be found at times in huge schools.

The last one I caught there a couple of weeks ago was a fat, muscled 2.6kg fish that gave me a great fight in heavy surf and on six kilo line. They run well over 3kg, with the local surfcasting club record being a whopping 3.325kg. That is a good kahawai anywhere in New Zealand.

Spotted smoothhounds, known as rig from this point south and lemonfish from there north, are present off the sandy beaches and grow to arm-wrenching sizes. The Palliser Bay Surfcasting Club record is 10.30kg, but that I am sure this will be as much as doubled in the next few years. A heavier fish was landed for the Fielding Surfcasting Club record by a visiting angler.

Where else in the North Island of New Zealand can you catch a feed of (legalsized) blue cod from the beach on a regular basis? This area is one and there seem to be plenty of ‘blueys’ available. They are quite territorial and when you find one, you will find others fighting to claim the best rock. You can catch them on bait or fish softplastics into their hunting grounds for good results. Legal size (33cm) equates to a fish of about a kilo in weight.

Trevally are a bit more secretive but turn up in catches throughout the year. The local record is 2.85kg, a worthy capture and an indication that there will be fish over 3kg present if you can find them. They love to eat crayfish or shellfish and if you are after them, these should be your bait choice.

Fishing away from the rocks will add other species, such as gurnard, to your catch. Baits for them can be fresh kahawai, salted or fresh skipjack tuna or pilchard tails. The club record is 1.28kg, which is certainly in the upper size range for this species.

The enigmatic elephant fish can be found in these waters also. They run up to five kilos and are a worthy opponent for surfcasters. This may be as far north in their range where they occur in good numbers. They are caught further north, but only rarely. To catch them, try using pilchards for bait. The Palliser Bay Surfcasting Club record is a fish of 4.230kg.

What else do you catch there? Well, just to tempt you with a visit, there are snapper. These are becoming more and more common each year with some 10kg monsters caught in the last two years. The club record is a more modest 4.060kg, caught in 2018.

There is the usual mix of sharks about. A lot would be attracted by the outlet from Lake Ferry, not too far west of the Cape. Species include tope, known locally as grey boys. (I wonder if there are also grey girls, but have never heard anyone speak of them.) Sevengillers, carpet, spiny dogs and the odd great white cap off the shark list.

Other species include flounders, skate, conger and long-finned eels, eagle rays and big short-tail rays, banded wrasse, hiwihiwi, yellow-eyed mullet and others yet to be caught. There is something there for everyone.

In the ‘yet to be caught’ section there are two species that are fairly common and very desirable for a land-based angler or surfcaster. These are albacore tuna and kingfish. OK, stop laughing and listen to my plan on how to catch these species.

Talking to the local commercial crayfishers, albacore can be seen passing through this area on an annual basis. They talk of times when these schools can be seen very near the coast. Don’t forget that albacore school vertically and are not always on the surface, so they may be sneaking through in good numbers without being seen.

There are prominent rocks to fish from where getting a live bait to the areas they swim in is possible. There are a few problems with this and the one that stops me is the number of seals present in the same area. How to get a bait past them could be a dilemma, but I am thinking a drone may be the answer.

That’s not the end of your troubles with seals though. They are very defensive and don’t like any intrusions on their patch. They have been known to bite as they defend the bush or rock they have claimed. For that reason, I am out! And there is the stench of seal poop to put up with, too.

One way round this issue might be to fish well offshore from the nearest sandy beaches with a live-bait under a couple of big balloons when strong offshore winds blow. They sure know how to blow down in Cape Palliser Bay! Hopefully the strong winds will keep the crayfish fleet at home for the day, giving you room to test the theory.

Kingfish are present in the seal area too, but they will roam far and wide. I suspect that there is not a lot of live-baiting going on at present, but if there was more, a kingfish or two would be caught. I bet some have been hooked on inferior gear and lost in the past.

Live-baiting away from the seals might be the best approach, or even floating dead baits over shallow foul areas well away from the rocks.

Organise accommodation before you head down to the Cape and take all the food, drink and bait you will need for your stay because the nearest shop is at Pirinoa, about 20 minutes’ drive from the Cape. They have pretty much everything you might need there, though, including fuel.

The coast is spectacular: bays and coves, long barren beaches and rocky points – it’s all there. The end of the road is at the Cape Palliser lighthouse. If you are keen, you can climb the steps up to the lighthouse and get expansive views of the nearby coastline. Tell yourself that getting to the top may be the perfect way to spot a top fishing spot as you wheeze your way up the steps.

Cape Palliser is new to me, but it is wonderful. I have joined the local surfcasting club and have made friends with some of the locals. I have already caught a few fish on my visits and can see my results getting better every time I go there.

No matter what you want from your shore fishing, it’s not far away. Being on the southern tip of the North Island, with Cook Strait on your doorstep and facing into the Southern Ocean, be ready for weather like you may never have experienced before. Wind and rain with five-metre waves will drive you away, but like me, you will return. I am really glad I found it!

	This article is reproduced with permission of    New Zealand Fishing News January 2019 - Gary Kemsley Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited