BOP Spring Report

Finally, some wind after a great stretch of weather – not that we want it!  Let’s face it, anytime you get more than several days of good weather in this country, you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the impending change!  Get a week of the good stuff and you’re well overdue.

Inshore

The big mover this week, capitalizing on both great weather and a lot of effort on the water, after being in the doldrums for the preceding fortnight, things really came around on the weekend – perfect timing for the Whakatane Sportfishing Club annual Ham Tournament. Over 600kgs of hams were awarded to participants with some nice fish crossing the weighstation scales. 

Snapper, in particular, came back strong with many fine fish between eight and 12 pounds landed topped out by a splendid 21 specimen.  The crimson gang are being found in many locations, depths and bottom terrain but heavy foul complete with kelp has come on strong for the larger fish.  Predictably, stray lining large natural baits, in other words reverting to old tried and tested ways has yielded best results on these larger “kelpies”. 

Still available in good supporting numbers are terakihi, gurnard, kahawai and, in increasing numbers, trevally.  More “red tide” streaks can be seen as the mixing of waters create the perfect breeding environment for these dinoflagelettes or mini shrimp.  Water slowly warming but still under 17 degrees C in most areas.

In a nice trend, kahawai – a lot of them – can be found up the Whakatane River on any incoming tide.  Anglers are shouldering side by side lining the river bank sharing on the bounty.  The last of the whitebait run and lack of rainfall the reason for this.  Long may it last.

Offshore

In general, better angling prospects here as well.  While little has been done, deepwater fishing has perked up – a little.  Dominated mainly by pup bluenose, the deep is at least able to provide a feed – something it wasn’t capable of for some time.  A nice bass of 30 kilos spiced up one boats catch of otherwise two to four kilo bluenose. 

Back closer to the island; kingfish have gone to another level with some excellent fishing on tap.  The last few days’ anglers have given up before the fish did in a rare treat.  With sheets of saury being chased by kingfish and birds alike, the scene was that of a battlefield over large areas at times!  In addition to the feed trough. 

Not only are the numbers there but the quality has improved as well.  With many finely conditioned (read that barrels leading up to spawning) fish in the 20 kilo range, even approaching 30.  Bucking the pleasing trend was retiring Auckland plumber George Holden with his lovely 31 kilo “Whopper of the week”. 

Fish are keen to accept all offerings with livebait no real advantage at the moment.  Closer to the island again in shallow water, light tackle fishing is uncharacteristically quiet.  Normal big fat pre spawn terakihi are lining up to come aboard to reward anglers – often two at a time! 

This year has been very different and while there have been a few decent sessions; they are very poor and thin on the ground at the moment.  Might change soon but don’t bet on it.  In a similar vein, trevally – normally offering good sport by now, are nearly absent. 

Water green but achieved a clear 17 degrees C now – still well off the 18 required to trigger spawning.  Understandably, given current conditions, the vast majority of effort will continue to be focused on kingfish as we enter “summer”.

Ranfurly Bank

More interesting situations down here – good news first, kingis, in a similar vein as their White Island cousins, have really perked up.  There are fish in all depths but a general migration into the more shallow environs – somewhere they have largely shunned until recently.  Not only are they there in numbers but most anything goes in enticements with some super quality coming through now. 

In fact there were no less than five 40 kilo plus fish landed with another couple near misses!  This is world class stuff, the type of quality seldom seen anywhere here or anywhere else!  While several in the mid 40’s have been sling weighed, photographed and released, there were a few retained to be taken to the weigh scales.  Of those the largest was also the shortest – an absolute barrel. 

Auckland builder Kevin Neil registered a beauty of 45.4kgs at “only” 140cm long.  At nearly 10 centimeters longer but a kilo back was well known Auckland reel repair man “Big Al” Haagner.  His jig caught beauty worked him over, resulting in lower back pain!  Both of these fish will be mounted but well known saltwater taxidermist Kevin Flutey so the anglers will remember their moments in perpetuity. 

Some days the fish are on the surface chasing saury and offering great top water action; other days they are strangely absent and back out in the depths.  All in all a great fishery which is finally manifesting itself.

Now for the bad news – bottomfishing.  We’ve been documenting all season that it’s not anywhere near it’s normal productivity and things haven’t changed!  Not only are the fish, mainly true hapuka, small but anything but plentiful.  To secure the “ole feed” one needs to work hard and then get a little lucky to catch enough predominantly eight to 15 kilo fish. 

A few small bass, trumpeter and king terakihi do their best to augment the catch but, overall, it’s pretty tough going.  We’ve seen these “phases” before, sometimes lasting months, so we’re fairly confident it will pass.  Water still green and on the cool side, even well into the north in 1000 metres plus.  You can forget the prospect of the introduction of gamefish well into the future.

Summary

If you like kingis then now is your time.  If bottom grabbers are your thing – good luck!  Now that we’ve arrived at the official start of summer you can expect ………… well, nothing different!  For awhile at least. 

Looks like we’ve slipped back into a westerly trend for the next week although nothing as nasty or consistent as we saw in early spring.  With the downsides there’s still plenty to celebrate – get out there and enjoy it.