Wellington Fishing Report - 210220

  • General Saltwater, Wellington/Lower North island

1. Albacore are getting caught out wide from Kapiti and Hunters at present. The water temp is around 19-20 degrees. Hapuku spots often have albacore around them at this time of year so it’s worth having some tuna lures in your kit.

 

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2. ‘Puka, bass and bluenose – the trench is fishing pretty well when you can get out there, particularly for bluenose. There are good numbers of small to medium fish south of Baring Head with bigger ones on the far side spots.
The back of 5 mile (woba) has bass on it, and gemfish and tope have been common bycatch at most spots.
The ‘puka fishing out west is good. Most spots are producing fish at present on the turn of tide. We have been fishing Makara and Ohau with good results lately but I hear Fishermans, the South Mana Patch, 78m rise and other spots are firing on and off.
 

3. Snapper – they are pretty much widespread up and down the west coast now. Limit bags and 20lb fish are on the cards. Fishing on the sand or reef (25-70m) will produce fish with the help of berley, as will slowly drifting over hotspots. There have been a lot of small ones (1-2kg) around Mana and down to Boom with the bigger ones (3-5kg) holding north of Pukerua bay. Slow jigs have been working well, as has bait and berley.
On the south coast, the Airport Reef and east of Sinclair Head (35-45m) have been producing nice snapper and good numbers occasionally.
Surfcasters in Palliser bay, the harbour and out west have all had good results, with 3-4 snapper around 7-8kg caught recently. It's prime time for the snapper fishing north of Fisherman's Table to start firing off the shore.

 

4. Tarakihi and other species – out west, Boom Rock (50-70m), Makara (25m), Verns (70m) and south of the bridge (40m) have all been producing fish.

 

5. Kingfish – it’s going well in the harbour for landbased anglers. Lures, livebaits and dead baits have all been producing fish up to 20kg over the last week. Slidebaiting live mackerel has been the best method and Oriental Bay, Sunshine Bay, Greta Point and Flat Rock have produced good fish up to around 20kg recently.
In the boat, places like Hunters, the north end of Kapiti, Aeroplane Island, Fisherman's, Wiraka Rise, Ohau, Boom, Ward Island, The Wreck, Point Halswell, Jenningham and Barretts Reef should all produce good kingfish at this time of year.
If you want to catch a kingi, use your heaviest tackle with a good drag and put a livebait or two out, tow a rapala or get into some mechanical jigging.

 

6. Harbour – if the weather’s good, Ward Island has been great for kingis, snaps, trevally, gurnard and kahawai. Around the leading light is a good place to start. Point Gordan (20m) is always worth a crack, as is falcon shoal. Point Jenningham and Halswell in 20m are good southerly spots.

 

7. Surfcasters have been doing well on snapper. The fish are in really close on the west at present so if you want snapper off the shore, now is prime time! There has been a sprinkling of moki around but kahawai and gurnard are the mainstay for shore fishers, particularly in the harbour.

 

Tight lines,

Pete
https://www.petelambfishing.co.nz/

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