Whanganui Fishing Options

.As you come into land at Whanganui’s coastal airport, you’re confronted with the expansive Tasman Sea. For a fisher, it’s an undeniably exciting prospect – so much area to fish, but where do you start? Miah Dixon spent some time in Whanganui, seeking answers to the same question.

Whanganui, on the southwestern coast of the North Island, is a rugged area with steep peaks – a feature that is the polar opposite to the oceanography of the area. Despite this, the wider Whanganui area offers piscatorial pursuits for the landbased, kayak or boat angler, as well as lakes for freshwater species.

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Species

The waters off Whanganui are home to a variety of fish noted for both their table-fare and their fighting ability.

The all-popular snapper are present, as well as the sporting kahawai, bright gurnard, and the odd kingfish further offshore. If you’re inclined to go out a bit further, hapuku and bass can be found in the deeper waters, with blue cod also a tasty addition.

John dory are an unusual catch for the area, unlike spiny dogs/lemonfish which are commonly encountered, more so over the winter months.

The smallest catch of the day, ready to be released.

The smallest catch of the day, ready to be released.

On the water

The Whanganui River feeds out into the Tasman Sea and is very exposed to westerly winds and swells. The day we visited, while there was only a minor swell running, its effect on the rivermouth was clear as we rose and fell through the raised bar waves on our way out.

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The rivermouth itself is a popular fishing location, with many trying their luck off the wharf structure and breakwater extending out past the loading dock.

While there are a few ramps in the area, the silty nature of the river makes some of them hard to get out from. The ramp on Wharf Street is by far the most accessible. On fine fishing days, you’ll need to be there early, with lines stretched down and around the road – some locals report up to 300 vehicles and boats either parked up having launched, or waiting for their turn to drop in. The ramp sits alongside a fixed height boardwalk, making low tide loading a bit more difficult, so it’s best to get all your gear into the boat before launching. The channel from the ramp out to the main river has recently been dredged as previously it had only been navigable in mid to high tides.

For those looking to get a bit of exercise in with their fishing, kayaks are a great option. On the day we dropped our lines in the area, it was evident that kayak fishing was popular, with numerous ‘yaks out and about in the area we were fishing near the coast, outnumbering us on our boats two to one.

The seafloor directly out from the Whanganui rivermouth is predominantly sand and mud, with the occasional patch of reef dotted around. It’s hard to canvas an entire area in a day, so a quick look at charting online (I checked out the CMap Genesis community-generated charts as well as the regular CMap charts) showed plenty of sandy holes and changes in the contours in the inshore areas up to 35 metres. For inshore fishers, the area off Kai Iwi beach is a regular provider – the day we visited terns worked the surface in consistent patches and a trolled lure did the damage on some nice kahawai.

Two for the price of one off Kai Iwi beach.

Two for the price of one off Kai Iwi beach

While traditionally a bait and berley fishery, lures and soft-baits are proving their worth in the area, with kabura style lures a favourite.

By the water

Landbased fishing is a stalwart of the fishing scene in the area, with numerous beaches perfect for surfcasting, kontiki and drone fishing.

Castlecliff is a popular spot for surfcasters in the spring and winter for its easy accessibility and variety of species on offer, including red cod, snapper and gurnard. Further up the coast, Kai Iwi beach offers similar fishing, but is best fished at low tide in the autumn and summer months.

Kahawai are regularly encountered in the rivermouth, caught by those fishing off the wharf, or further upstream from the boardwalk.

Whitebaiting remains a favoured pastime for many Whanganui locals, with Upokongaro Stream, the Whangaehu River and Matarawa Stream in Kowhai Park regularly providing during the season.

If freshwater fishing is more your thing, the area offers several good options. Lake Wiritoa and Lake Kohata near SH3 are good spots for perch. Lake Namunamu is topped up with trout annually by Fish & Game with harling a popular technique to reach the fish sitting deeper down. The Lower Mangawhero River holds brown trout and is a great spot to fish when the river is low and the water is clear. All land adjacent is private, so ask permission before crossing. Be sure to get your licenses from Fish & Game before wetting a line.


April 2021 - Miah Dixon
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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