Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 180220

  • General Saltwater, Auckland and The Hauraki Gulf



You are not alone if you have struggled to catch a decent feed of fish in the last couple of weeks. No matter if you have been out chasing the work ups in 25-35 metres or fishing the channels and shallows, unless you were in the right place at the right bite time, it’s been bloody tough fishing.

Not very often will you hear me saying, “I wish it would rain,” but I sure wish it would bucket down for a few days.

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No, I don’t give a stuff about the state of the lawns. We desperately need rain to stir up the nutrients in the water to bring back the bait fish and kahawai schools. Having taken four days off targeting the northern side of Waiheke, Rotoroa and Pakatoa, I didn’t catch a single kahawai but got a grand total of two jack macks. With a really bad moon phase, big tides and a lack of bait fish, I knew it was going to be hard fishing but it being this hard damn near turned me to drink. When conditions are like this, the snapper are spread out on the sand. More often than not, the bigger fish will be where the current is stronger in either deeper water or particularly around headlands.

To be fair, I enjoy a challenge as it makes you try different tactics and think outside the square. For example, my Furuno TZ Touch sounder will show the actual size of any fish that goes through the middle of the transducer beam. As any pilot will tell you, no matter what you think or believe, trust your instruments. I spent time looking on a flat sandy bottom close in from 5 metres out to 20 plus metres – as expected, the fish were all smallish and spread out. Around headlands or foul ground where there was stronger current, there were a hell of a lot more and bigger fish.

Knowing this, I targeted Area 5 spot 14 and 15 and Area 6 spot 20 as the Furuno sounder was showing good numbers of snapper hard on the bottom. Despite plenty of current and big fish showing on the sounder, I struggled to catch a legal size fish or get a decent bite. By thinking outside the square, this quickly changed. I took off the sinker and cast the bait well ahead of the boat so by the time it got to the bottom, it was directly below the stern. Closely watching the line for movement and keeping in touch with the bait, I would strike as soon as I saw line movement and felt a slight weight come on the line. Those tiny bites turned into snapper from 2-4kg. The two livebaits were sent to the bottom and only lasted five minutes before they were both monstered by big snapper which bit through 50lb trace. The moral of the story is to never stop trying as it’s the only way you learn and it’s a hell of a lot better than sitting doing the same thing being bored as.

The last few days have still been tough and again, 80% of the fish caught have been on drifted unweighted baits.

Looking forward, the moon phase is changing for the good. I would recommend you set a game plan and just target the one spot over the run of the tide to maximise the spread of the berley, and use plenty of ground bait. From what I have seen in the way of fish sign, I will suggest targeting Area 1 spot 3, 16.

Area 2 spots 7 [ I did well there on Saturday] and 3 .

Area 3 spots13 and 18 .

Area 4 spots 10 and 14.

Area 5 spots   1,20,13.

Area 6 spots 2, 22, 14.

Area 7 spots 8, 20 [did well last week] 11, 22.

- Bruce

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