Wellington Fishing Report 181018

  • General Saltwater, Wellington/Lower North island

Boat fishing
Boat fishing on all coasts has been rather challenging because of the traditional spring nor-westers and the southerly fronts sweeping through. Having said this, there has been a good smattering of snapper nudging the famous 20lb mark being caught. The West Coast will become the predominant coast for snapper, trevally and kingfish in the summer months, but the South Coast and Harbour will still provide good gurnard, blue cod, tarakihi and a few early season snapper.

The bluenose and groper fishery has been very challenging out on the South Coast due to the southerlies and the big swells they bring. Those anglers that have managed to get out have reported very challenging fishing with not much to report in the way of catches. The kingfish on the West Coast have been on fire one day, and gone the next. If you strike it lucky you could expect to get close to double digits of fish in a half day's jigging. Pictured is long time Wellington angler Andy McEwan with a fantastic spring snapper.

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Shore fishing
Gurnard is the word on everyone's lips, particularly from Wellington Harbour.

Over the last couple of weeks it has not being uncommon for there to be twenty plus gurnard caught in a morning or afternoon session. Any oily fish baits or fresh kahawai seem to be the go to bait, with 2/0 or 3/0 flasher rigs or squid rigs proving to be really enticing to the fish. Those anglers fishing rocky and weedy areas are catching a few trevally and some nice moki. Trevally and moki are challenging fish to catch so don't be disheartened if it takes you many hours of fishing to achieve a catch of these species. These are best targeted using a one hook ledger rig, with best baits being mussel, prawn, paddle crabs or crayfish.

Moki are a nice white fleshed fish and can be cooked in many ways. Trevally are a fantastic fish to smoke, and is one of the nicest fish to eat raw, or if you are not into raw fish you can always fillet it and put it in the freezer as it makes great bait for both the boat and shore.

Over the next month we should start to see the odd kingfish being caught, along with a few more snapper.

There is a special fishing event coming up for kids too, with the Capital Trout Day on the 28th of October. This is an awesome event for kids aged up to twelve. You can pick up licenses in store, and for a gold coin donation on the day your kids can learn to fly fish and catch a trout. No need to bring anything other than a bag to put the fish in and a camera for some awesome picture opportunities.

Our local angling club, the Wellington Surfcasting and Angling Club (WSAC) had their second Shore Competition and first Boat Comp of the current season. The catch in both sections was a perfect reflection of what fishing you can expect this time of year with lots of gurnard some nice moki and a handful of healthy kahawai. If you are interested in joining a club or are interested in what is being caught, have a look at the Wellington Surfcasting and Angling Club Facebook Page.

The fishing is getting better all the time, the days are getting longer and it is getting warmer, so start getting out there and doing it. If your rods are still covered in dust from being stored over winter, then now is the time to get them out. If you haven't used them yet, you have already missed out on some awesome spring fishing.

Tight lines, Felix

 

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