Fish your feet first

The winterless north has turned it on over the last month; the sun has come out of hibernation, and the seas have been flat! Many have taken this as an opportunity to go far and wide in search of the fish of their dreams. But, as some have proven, you only have to fish at your feet to find those trophies. 

Daiwa angler Ben Brown and his good friend Andrew Hall recently spent a week fishing out of Rangiputa on their annual birthday trip. Fishing aboard Ben’s Surtees Mini Metal, the duo spent their time flicking lures around the various islands and structures that Cape Karikari has to offer. Fishing in 18m of water around the Moturua Islands, Andrew was casting Bait Junkie lures when something of substantial size took attraction to his offering. After a quick fight, Andrew was rewarded with a very respectable snapper that, if weighed, would have definitely been over the 25lb mark.

Fishing in the shallows produced these two nice fish for Ben Brown and Andrew Hall on a recent Far North sojourn. 

In the harbors, the excellent fishing has continued. Snapper up to 10lbs have been plentiful, with many having success using the good old bait and berley mixed with a bit of current. At this time of year, you can commonly find fish in as shallow as knee-deep water right up in the mangroves. I recommend everyone give this type of fishing a go, as the fish really fight hard when there isn’t a lot of water for them to swim in; it's plenty of fun! 

Out deeper, the wreckfish have started to congregate. Those making the trip out to the deeper waters have been rewarded with some impressive fish. Using a quality sounder and spending time in areas like the Garden Patch should see you returning to the ramp with a chilly bin full of some of the best-eating fish out there. A useful tip is to keep an eye on your sounder while traveling to and from these areas, as quite often around this time of year, the fish can be sitting in water less than 100m deep. Any sharp drop-offs, rises, or areas with rubble-type bottoms can be worth a quick drop, as the fish will move into the shallows as they begin to spawn. 

The next time you hear from me, we will officially be into summer. Hopefully, the good weather continues, and the winds stay light. I won't be surprised if a marlin is caught by the time it comes to writing this report next. Good luck to everyone heading out! 

- Jordan Hensen