Getting schooled by anchovies

As the anchovies make their way closer to shorelines, including the bustling city of Auckland itself, we’re noticing the usual rise and fall of bait schools – often rapidly, especially around the recent ‘Wolf Moon’. This celestial event influenced the inshore bite with typical, “Now you see ‘em, now you don’t,” mini workups, highlighting the powerful effect this heavenly body can have. It's surreal watching masses of fish boil the sea surface off Auckland’s North Shore bays and towards Rakino, only to vanish in minutes, making you wonder if you had imagined it. But don’t be fooled; even if the surface activity seems to disappear, there’s a good chance the subsurface party is still worth attending. Smaller softbaits and jigs, especially those with silver or white glints mimicking anchovies, are ideal right now, and not just inshore. Rangitoto Channel is also a very good place to be using the smaller, lighter tackle to catch pannie snapper.

Further out in the Gulf around either the Craddock or Colville Channels we’ve had some impressive workups, with multiple whales in attendance. The general drift fishing approach has been worth a steady-Eddie effort as high wind speeds put the damper on chasing the dragon – particularly considering the workups move several miles a day. But you'll probably hit a few thumping workups before getting to the Colville Channel as they have been heading in. North of Waiheke is worth a good 'stop, look and listen', with prime bait schools congregating there right now – a free buffet just waiting to be eaten. The inner islands and their surrounds have been kind to many anglers, but not all, whether drifting and casting smaller 4-5” softbaits or up to 10g microjigs. Lightweight setups are crucial for casting 10g lures or less, as a standard spin rod, braid and 20lb leader is often too hefty to effectively cast such light jigs. Yet, a 10g jig remains lethal for inner channel snapper of the deliciously pannie size, especially during slow bites times. Personally, I’ve missed the thrills of kahawai on lighter spin gear lately, so fingers crossed for clearer waters and calmer weather soon.

There’s still excellent gamefishing within a day trip from so many ports along the North Island, including Auckland central. The eastern side of Great Barrier Island has had good action for yellowfin tuna – the best in many years – and striped marlin. Has anyone noticed skipjack tuna in the Hauraki Gulf yet? These little barrels of extreme speed and fun visit for a short while and are top of the list for many. Just a couple of seasons ago, the waters right in by Tiritiri Matangi were alive with silver bullets blipping the surface – an incredible sight. Getting these little tuna to strike can be challenging when they’re surface feeding, but more tips on that are coming up.

As we enter the last phase of summer fishing and move towards autumn in March, the fishing can be outstanding. Whatever the season, there are always days when you wonder, “WTF? Where’s The Fish?” – even with great sounder sign. 

With the frenzied speeds of the SailGP yachts now a memory, the downtown area is worth exploring for snapper again. And if you’re into catching some of the most delicious fish around, aji have been on fire in the inner areas lately, showing early signs of inshore anchovy schools.

Remember, there’s always someone you can help with their fishing journey. Whether it’s a keen youngster or an adult starting out, or those transitioning from bait to lures – lend them an honest helping hand. Remember how overwhelming it was for you with the plethora of opinions and confusing media? Imagine how much quicker, cheaper, and more exciting fishing would have been if someone had shared what you now know, avoiding years of trial and error.

The Fishing School

The Fishing School is such a great opportunity to learn through personal interaction, gleaning knowledge from 30+ years of experience, and putting it to good use. For the last-minute decision-makers – yes, there are still some extra seats available. And what about helping a mate who's only tried bait but wants to use lures? Let them know, shout a session or two, and come along.
 

The Fishing School. Five different limited series classes available here.

Inshore or offshore, some fantastic fishing awaits, whether it's easy fast 'n furious stuff, or you need to use your fishing wits, have a great and safe time out catching your favourite fishes.

Cheers!

Captain Espresso

http://www.fishingcoachpro.com/