How was the water colour? Was it reasonably clear?

Warehau should start turning up at the north end soon.

Thanks for the report.

We catch them spearfishing.

I think the first schools arrived in Sep-October. They hang around the pinicles off the northern point and were often schooled up with Kawhai along the bolder bank.

Normally you could spot them from the surface, so about 5-6 meters down.

Im not sure what there diet was at this time as we never saw them feeding, but a mate reckoned they were munching on the large blobby jelly fish that turned up about the same time.

Did you get any Kingfish last season?

 

That is a damn fine series of questions...

This summer I intend to find out.

Me and Lance did a bit burleying for snapper at a couple of likely spots this summer gone but only managed to attract humungus conger eels.

The line guys catch a handfull of snapper every year in the 20# class, but they all look like schoolies not the darker uglier kelpies that mooch around the shallows up north.

I think the key would be to set up a burly on a point that will get washed out to deep water by the current.

One nationals (they used to have them in Wellington) a guy got a 14# fish out of a school of 20 or so.

Also legend has it that some guys were gutting a kingi out at kapiti, and after jumping back over scared a school off the guts on the bottom.

Its hard, cause when the warm water arrives, we concetrate on kingfish, as we only get a small window when they are availiable to us. But the plan is to try and put some time into snapper.

My dad used to spear them up to 28# around Te-Tahi bay area, but that was 30 years ago, and I suspect you probably could'nt shoot your gun off without hitting one by mistake back then. He used to find them while looking for crays, they would be sleeping in open ended caves and often he would see the siloette.

5 weeks to daylight saving starts..... sweet!

Seals: Arnt too much of a problem, depending where you go. I had a real friendly seal out at Kapiti basically beg a butter fish off me ounce. Then he proceeded to swim with me for about 10 mins. No sh*t, he was begging like a dog, and took the fish real gently right out of my hand. When I saw those monster teeth I questioned the wisdom in hand feeding wild seals. But it was a pretty special thing.

Yes, what I get in the shallows are definitely not schoolies as their feeding is sporadic. They behaved more like resident fish of the local reef.

Cookie,

Good to hear about the water temp back in early September.  Been out since then?  How did you go?  What was the Temp?

We have quite a few groper spots near (well, probably not so near actually) Kapiti.  Generally the North Western coner of Hunters reef systems will produce.  About 90 to 100m deep around here, some real tiger country on the sounder is what to look for.

"Out Wide of Hunters" is our most consistent producer of groper.  The water varies between 90m and around 150m.  We catch most of ours in around 110m.  Look for the pinnacles, ridges and rises, most have produced for us.  As for location generally, head out 12nm from KBC on a heading of 135 and you will be in the area.  You will cross a deep valley 150-160m, then it will rise sharply to around 120m.  Any structure up on the rise is worth a crack.  If it is a nice day (which it needs to be to get there), there will be a number of other boats out there.  We counted 20 one day.  Great area for Tarakihi up to 3kg and blue cod of 3kg as well.  Had a couple of 30lb puka bitten clean off behind the gill plates oout here, so there are some good size bities around too.

Don't bother trying Hunters on outgoing tide, you will never hit the bottom current is so fast.  top or bottm of tide only here really.  Out wide you can fish the incoming tide no worries, but will have to back up while fishing.  Out going tide pretty swift here too, but fishable on a good day.

As for your gear, I have caught puka, tarakihi and blue cod out there on 15kg gear loaded with 50lb braid.  Take it a little easy on gear this light and you will have fun.

I have heard of groper been caught in close to the island near the SW point, but never had much luck there myself.

Thanks for the updates guys.  Saturday looked good, but also real lumpy out wider.  We did not get out, but hope to get out there tomorrow(tuesday).   Will post results if we do.  Water sounds too cold for the snapper to be shoaling up yet.  Bring on a few strong northerlies next week and hopefully better and warmer water will come.Weather will go sh*ttty again wed or thursday, but at least from the North.Fingers crossed for the weekend.

Went out to Kapiti Island for a fish yesterday (8/10). Plan was to have a look for a snapper and shoot out wide for a shot at a few �puka if the weather allowed.

We had a look around for a snapper in The Raoterangi Channel, and had several promising looking returns on the sounder, some of which were starting to group up. Difficult to try and catch due to wind and tide, but we had a few drifts (with backing up), without any success (but with a few green ones over the stern) before running up north in search of a more pleasant spot.

Up the North End (on Tokahaki Reef) there were some really nice big green backed blue cod around, some kahawai in great condition, and a few small tarakihi, legal, but not worth keeping.

Water was very green, 12.9 to 13.1 degrees, poor visibility. We spent most of the day hiding from the weather, which was worse than predicted.

All in all a little disappointing, but a good day on the water and we came home with a nice feed. Gotta be better than working.

 

Looking forward to hearing how you got on Cookie.  If successful, please be specific on bait and advise general area.

I had Wednesday (9/10) with the kids (2yrs 9mnths and 1 yr 4 mnths), so took them out to see if we could catch an early season snapper off aeroplane island in the channel.  We came across many promising shows on the colour sounder and fished many of them.  Absolutely sure there are some snapper there, but could not get them to bite.  I caught snapper there in June last year.  We fished over the end of the flood tide and start of the ebb, but this was the middle of the day.  I have never had much success with snapper during the middle of the day.

Thinking about a change of bait too.  Squid and pillies good when they are feeding strongly, but don't seem to entice them when they aren't hungry.  We didn't have any fresh kahawai (my fav), will try some crab soon.

Alas, the Southerlies will be upon us again this weekend.

Tide times look really good for Raoterangi Channel next week for an evening fish.  Hope to get out then.  Weather might be OK too.

Cookie, do you use crabs for bait as well as burley?  Much success?  Snapper in the channel normally full of small crabs.  What do you find is the best way to rig them?  I have used crabs about 100mm across the shoulder of the shell.  Never very satisfied with rigging, tried heaps of ways.

Hi Paul

you asked if there's a secret to nailing warehou. Can't thnk of any . Often a by catch of bottom fishinf but the commercial guys usually set net 2-3 metres off the bottom to catch them.

Telltale sign of when you have one on thugh is if it takes off you make have yards of line to wind in before it catches up as speed is a strong point of these guys.

If shorebased you never get a strike these guys unless winding flat out with a lure on 4:1.

On the Westcoast probably peak in numbers around March-april with the snapper.

Lance