Autumn smorgasbord

We’ve had a nice run of weather with some great fishing to boot. Whether you’re chasing workups, hitting the reefs and coastlines for kingfish, or venturing wider for tuna, swordfish, and marlin, autumn really is a fine time to be fishing the Hauraki Gulf.

The workups have been very consistent lately from the middle areas of the Gulf south of Anchorite Rock, north of Gannet Rock, the Firth of Thames, or further afield off the top of Coromandel, the western side of Great Barrier, and also out from Omaha. As per usual, sliders have been the most productive lure to drop down, although mixing it up with larger lures like the Daiwa Pirate jigs when the gannets are cranking will yield bigger fish.

The size of kingfish is improving through the Hauraki Gulf as autumn progresses.

The rat kingfish seem to be thinning out thankfully, and some nicer kingfish are now hitting the deck. Livebaiting with jack mackerel has been delivering the best results for us.

There have been plenty of reports of yellowfin bust-ups in very shallow water close to Little Barrier and on the inside of Great Barrier, but you need to be quick as the action is typically boom and bust!

See ya out there!

George Bourke

Hauraki Express