South Island land based fishing spots

Although there are a few strongholds, saltwater land-based fishing and surfcasting is not as embedded in South Island outdoor culture as it is in the North Island. I put that down to a variety of factors, including an enviable variety of outdoor opportunities to choose from (think trout, salmon, deer, tahr and chamois) and a smaller population to exploit them.

However, surfcasting in the South Island is well worthwhile and if there is still such a thing in this age of social media, the South Island represents a frontier of as yet untapped and little known surfcasting and rock-fishing opportunities. At very least I can vouch for the fact it is under-appreciated, having fished around it extensively and had a some great days on its rocks and beaches.

As a young lad in the South, I cut my teeth surfcasting on the North Otago coast and rock-fishing around Otago Peninsula where I caught a rich variety of species. My experiences cemented land-based fishing as something special in my mind.

As an aside, my review below doesn’t cover the possibilities for anglers chasing salmon and sea-run trout, as these species require special techniques and are a genre all of their own!

 

Nelson-Marlborough

Starting in the north of the island, Nelson and Marlborough is an interesting fishery that, like Wellington in the lower north, sits at the confluence of warm and cold currents with a mix of species to match.

Starting in Nelson, the Tasman Bay fishery comes under pressure from the large resident fleet of commercial fishing boats, but there is still good fishing to be had. The Boulder Bank in town is a known haunt for kingfish while other beaches within Tasman Bay comprise a mixture of flat sandy and deeper gravel types. Snapper, kahawai and gurnard are present and watch out for big rays that take baits cast over sandy bottoms.

Many of the beaches around Nelson are shallow and the same goes for those further west in Golden Bay, so waiting for dark or prospecting around rocky points for deeper water are worthwhile strategies that will improve your catch rates.

Undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of the Marlborough fishery is the Sounds. Incised, plunging into deep water and providing a range of sheltered positions, these provide brilliant fishing positions for boat and shore fishers alike.

The impact of fishing on the signature local fish, the blue cod, is a political football and local catch and size limits apply. However, other species like snapper, kingfish, gurnard and blue moki are present and turn up in the enterprising angler’s catch bag.

The best fishing is from deep rock platforms, which are plentiful, but watch out for rising tides which can be difficult to retreat from when fishing against steep faces. Currents fair whip through the narrow channels and can be problematic in terms of keeping a bait on the bottom, so thin diameter lines and breakout sinkers and other techniques such as stray-lining, spinning and live-baiting are useful to have up your sleeve.

Overall, the better fishing tends to be in the outer Sounds further to the west, away from the popular anchorages at Picton and Havelock.

South of the Sounds down the eastern coast of Marlborough the fishing takes on a different complexion with lower water temperatures dictating a more southern mix of species. Snapper and kingfish numbers diminish and a lot more effort goes into fishing for blue moki, kahawai and rig (spotty-shark/lemonfish) in this neck of the woods.

The coastline is dominated by steep gravel beaches interspersed with rock outcrops. South of Cape Campbell the coast is very exposed to southerly winds and swells.

In kind conditions these beaches are simple to fish, even for the novice angler given the ease of casting into deep, fish-holding water. However, in swelly conditions waves crash down on cast lines, burying them in the gravel resulting in break-offs. Either avoid these conditions or come prepared with long casting gear and keep your line high above incoming waves (rig fishing can be productive in rough conditions).

Fish are present year round in the upper south, but the east coast fishery is better in summer and autumn when the sea temperatures are higher and wind and swell conditions more favourable.

 

Kaikoura and Canterbury

The Kaikoura coast (and the Marlborough east coast further north) suffered massive upheaval in the November 2016 earthquake. I’ve not been back to survey the area since, due largely to coastline access restrictions.

Changes will have occurred to the fishing areas and it will take some time for these to be fully understood. However, for the shore angler the Kaikoura area is characterised by mouth-watering, steep gravel and sand beaches.

For many years I flew over and drove by beaches that I just knew I had to fish well and so my first foray into the area was a dedicated Christmas-New Year trip that delivered kahawai, gurnard, moki and rig – in numbers! These are typical species but blue cod also turn up close to the rocks and elephant fish are present too. Crab, crayfish and shellfish baits are a good choice given this mix of species.

Such is the richness of the sea here, and the proximity to deep water, that land-based anglers also take very big sharks from time to time, These include pelagic species like threshers. Generally speaking the fish are big and vigorous and the beaches abrasive (think shingle and gravel) so relatively heavy gear is recommended, along with the ability to cast long to keep your line above dumping waves in the shore break.

The Canterbury coastline from Hurunui south to Timaru is characterised by a similar coastline, although long continuous stretches of steep gravel beaches are more common. In these areas, moki tend to thin out due to the lack of reef country to hold them and gurnard numbers fall away to the south.

Kahawai concentrate around river mouths and non-scale species become a larger proportion of the surfcaster’s catch bag. These include rig, sevengill sharks, spiny dogfish and elephant fish. Elephant fish is an especially popular quarry, growing large, tasting good and looking great.

Pegasus Bay, just north of Christchurch, is a known elephant fish fishery that attracts a lot of attention from surfcasters, particularly in late spring.

In between the big gravel beaches are a few rocky points and shallower beaches that don’t generally offer the land-based angler much. However, the wharves at New Brighton and Timaru are worthy of mention as popular and easy fishing spots.

Banks Peninsula is the most significant geological feature along this whole stretch of coast, with deeply incised bays that provide shelter from southerly swells that can make surfcasting impossible along most of the rest of the coast. There are also some deep rock platforms such as Black Rock that provide rare opportunities to fish really deep water along this coast – kingfish will turn up in these areas during the height of summer

Weather-wise, avoid southerly winds and swells along this coastline – light northerly and nor’west winds are best – and wait for the water to clean up for best results (unless you are chasing rig and sevengill sharks). The best seasons are summer and autumn when the sea warms up and the weather settles.

Some productive spots for anglers to consider include Conway Flat in the north, Birdlings Flat immediately south of Banks Peninsula and the large gravel beaches south of the Raikaia River near Ashburton.

 

Otago and Southland

To my mind the Otago and Southland coastline is a bit of a surprise package. Growing up in Dunedin, some of my more serious early efforts involved venturing north to the gravel beaches of Oamaru, which fish in A very similar way to Canterbury beaches.

There, as youngsters without much track record, we caught lots of red cod, spiny dogfish and carpet sharks and got dealt to plenty of times by big sevengill sharks we weren’t prepared for. Had we been a bit more sophisticated in our methods and used crab or cray baits, we would have caught rig and elephant fish too. Fortunately I’ve was able to put this right later in life!

This coast is just as exposed, perhaps more so, than the Canterbury and Kaikoura’s further north but it is even more adversely affected by the seasons. Wicked southerlies rip through here, building up huge seas and dropping the water temperature so much that many species, particularly the more desirable ones, depart inshore waters until the season turns again.

Even kahawai can’t be taken for granted this far south, being very much a summer species and barely bothering to turn up in some years. The best place to target them is around large rivermouths, particularly the Waitaki, where a lot of salmon fishing is done too.

Further south towards Dunedin, the beaches transition into shallower, surf beaches where surfcasting is more difficult and less productive. However, Otago Harbour and peninsula present some excellent reclamations and rock platforms with a variety of species present.

For serious rock fishers the high cliffs and rocks on the seaward side of the peninsula around Cape Saunders and Sandymount offer excellent prospects for blue cod and trumpeter. The positions are generally extremely high above the water, so heavy gear that is capable of bringing fish up long vertical faces in needed. Even then it may be necessary to hand-line heavier fish up, as most fishing reels do not make good winches!

Inside the harbour the fishing is easier going. The inner harbour wharves provide comfortable fishing and fishing off the side of the road into the main channel just north of Carey’s Bay is popular. The harbour is characterised by sandy channels and is more tidal than it appears at first glance, so look for the deep channels and find fishing positions that enable you to reach them. Blue moki, blue cod and sevengill sharks are among the species taken and barracouta can make a nuisance of themselves at times.

Casting shellfish baits onto the bottom with conventional surfcasting gear or 8-10-foot (3m) rock rods will set you up for success.

Very little surfcasting and rock fishing is done south of the Otago Peninsula, mostly because this area does not present many fishing positions that are easy to fish from. However, there are some excellent rock fishing areas in South Otago (around the Akatore area an hour south of Dunedin) and in the Catlins. Blue cod are the staple species and often the fishing is into foul ground.

A strong rock rod with heavy nylon (15kg is a good bet) using squid bait and flasher rigs is a good technique. Spoon sinkers that enable you to lift up above rock and weed and avoid snags are a good investment.

 The Catlins area is an untouched rock fishing destination with some stunning rock platforms dropping off into deep water offering endless possibilities. In addition to blue cod, trumpeter, hapuku and large sharks are potential catches, as well as some distinctly southern species like the Maori chief and jock stewart (sea perch). Barracouta will also turn up, especially if berley is deployed or you are catching a solid stream of fish.

The weather, seasons and sea conditions pose the major limitations this far south. Any weather from the south makes the whole coast difficult to fish, low water temperatures affect fish numbers and behaviour in the colder months and southerly swells make many of the above mentioned areas impossible, or at least very dangerous to fish, so take care when planning your trip.

 

West Coast

The South Island’s west coast is a veritable outdoor playground with world-class fishing, hunting, whitebaiting, tramping and climbing on its doorstep. From Jackson Bay in the south, all the way up to Farewell Spit, there are superb land-based fishing (mostly surfcasting) opportunities. With a small population and the tempestuous Tasman Sea acting as conservators, the fishery here is healthier than most other places around New Zealand.

Beaches predominate, but these vary from steep gravel to shallow golden sand types. The water is warmer here than on the South Island’s east coast and snapper make a reappearance, although they are more common at the northern extent of the area. Elephant fish, rig and kahawai make regular appearances and the fishing can be spectacular at times.

The key to success is picking the right weather conditions. Onshore winds and heavy seas predominate, so you may wait a long time, even weeks, to get suitable conditions. Settled conditions are more likely in late summer and autumn, though winter southerlies can also have the effect of calming the seas and producing good fishing. Some shelter from onshore conditions can be found inside the headlands at Jackson Bay and Bruce Bay in South Westland, but even here it is generally better to wait out bad weather.

Serious surfcasting gear – long, stiff rods, 10kg line and sturdy beach spikes – is a good bet along this coast. Flat-calm swell conditions are rare and the ability to cast long and hold line above the oncoming waves is essential in most places. The average fish size is large, and like Kaikoura in the east, plenty of big sharks are taken from the beaches, so some extra stopping power is good insurance.

 

Stewart Island, Chatham Islands and Fiordland

These remote areas present genuine ‘last frontier’ fishing locations for land-based anglers. Their isolation and exposure to heavy weather and seas has kept the fisheries healthier than most other parts of our coastline.

The fishing opportunities are endless in all three areas, with a variety of terrain and species available and a range techniques required to snag them. I have fished all three areas, though not from the rocks in Fiordland. Because of the weather and steepness of terrain, safe land-based positions are difficult to find, but if they can be located, spectacular fishing into very deep water is available.

A list of key species available in each location is listed below:

  • Stewart Island – blue cod, red cod, trumpeter, rig, sevengill shark and blue moki.
  • Chatham Islands – blue cod, blue moki, red gurnard, kahawai, kingfish, hapuka, sevengill shark.
  • Fiordland – blue cod, red gurnard, kingfish, kahawai, blue moki, hapuka, sevengill shark.

Of particular note is that hapuka can be taken from land-based positions in the Chatham Islands and possibly in Fiordland. Tuna and pelagic shark hook-ups are also possible in both these locations, judging by boat catches.

***

This two-part series should give you an idea of the prospects and key factors influencing success in New Zealand’s fishing regions, as well as some specific spots to try out. Assuming you are serious about exploring new waters, I would encourage you to study a map of the coastline before leaving home. I would also suggest you make a visit to the local tackle shop to purchase some bait and tackle in exchange for local tips.

In the end, though, you will have to take your best educated approach and get out there and do it, but casting baits into new waters is one of life’s great pleasures!

 

   This article is reproduced with permission of   
New Zealand Fishing News

November 2018 - Andy Macleod
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Latest Articles

Gear Preparation for Marlin
March 2024

Ben Brown shares his tips and tricks for prepping gear for marlin fishing... Read More >

One-pan Tomato Poached Snapper with Leek Recipe
March 2024

A one-pan tomato poached snapper recipe is shared... Read More >

How Social Media Is Influencing Fishing
March 2024

Social media is changing people's perception of fishing, writes Sam Boothroyd... Read More >

Raymarine Axiom Pro Fishfinder/Chartplotter and Cyclone Radar Review
March 2024

Nick Jones Reviews the Raymarine Axiom Pro Fishfinder/Chartplotter and Cyclone Radar... Read More >

Brent Condon - Fishing Art
March 2024

An artist profile on illustrator Brent Condon... Read More >