Spring winds delay play

Like many, we are being bombarded with the annual spring westerlies. Due to the conditions we postponed a few trips, but we get out when we can. After nearly 20 years of chartering, I'm over fishing the rough weather and certainly don't want to put my clients through it for a few measly bucks. The wind often limits where we can go and this in turn can result in a poorer catch... no-one wins.

When we have made it out, we have had mostly slow jiggers and soft baiters on - a breath of fresh air. Seeing anglers adopt these new techniques and equipment is pretty rewarding. We have spent a great deal of time lately coaching new anglers in the use of the Jitterbugs, Sliders and soft bait techniques. And it's paying off too, with pretty good catch returns and better size fish.

The usual colours all seem to be working for this time of year. Green and orange are predominate but chrome has also featured! Go fugure huh... its the same colour as a scarpering anchovie, which the Gulf is full of.

Long knife jigs and Ruslers' new prototype jigs have been working pretty well on the bigger fish. The Rusler jigs are NZ made from polished stainless steel and have paua embbeded into the lures angular faces. There is even an articulated jig which "wags the tail" for extra flash from the paua and an agressive action that gets the fish swiping at it.

Kingfish will bust in on the action with these jigs and slow jigs being dropped 8-10 at time from Diversity. At times the action can be frantic especially if you can get a work up to yourself... seldom happens though. The weekend madness can get pretty frustrating. No-one really wins when 40-50 boats charge around the work ups.

We've been finding the kahawai and kingfish with the bait schools and are catching them as a by-catch without really targetting them. The only negative is the occasional barracouta strike or shark biting off a fish or two.

On the chart below I have indicated in red  the areas where we have either fished successfully or had favourable reports for. The dark band is the Telecom (Spark) Cable Area and you cannot fish or anchor in here. Think of it as a marine reserve as if left alone it will become (if it's not already) a feeder zone for the areas around it.

Micro Jigging is the new trend developing within the tackle trades at the moment and I can tell you after trying it I'm hooked! Think of it as "finesse" fishing. The gear is very light and well balanced, the line is very light braid (I'm using 4 or 6lb braid, the leader is a light fluorocarbon (I'm using 10,16 and 20lb) and the jigs are light too of course. 28, 30, 32 and 40 gram are available in various colours and shapes. 

The key to this style of fishing a slow drift and trying to keep the jig as vertical as you can which will keep you in the strike zone longer. Diversity is the ideal platform for this style of fishing as she is 30 ton and nearly 6m wide which allows us to do a slow stable drift. Smaller boats may struggle with too fast a drift, though this can be combatted a little with the use of a drogue and sinking baid like Spiderwire Ultracast Fluoro Braid. 

There will be seminars coming soon. An evening theory class will be followed by a micro jigging trip the next day. Once you try it you'll be as hooked as a big snapper on a feed of kina!

This westerly trend will continue for another week or maybe 2 then things should settle down. Stay safe out there, especially around the bigger tides and and make sure you know your vessels limitations.

Join us on our facebook page - Diversity-Fishing and keep up to date with "on the water real time" reports with locations and GPS marks, other usesul and not so useful tips and tricks.

Damian (Damo) Clayton

The Charter Connection - Where fishing is catching!©