Mussel farms

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    Posted: 31 May 2016 at 7:58pm
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Hey

Going to be fishing the mussel farms below orere point this weekend for the first time ever, just looking for any tips and tricks on how to fish them

Thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote corokid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2016 at 8:16pm
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Don't anchor , go into farm and  hook up to backbone line which is normally a 28mm rope. Either by carefully hooking a rope around and tying off on the bite or using a short rope on a steel hook , not anchor. So allow for wind to set you back off rope. Look for floats a bit higher in water with growth which means recently harvested.
Mussel farmers are usually more than happy for you to fish in farm as removing snapper means more mussels.

Their pet hates.

1. Tying up too close to working barge , 50m . Unless you know them and helped them get there skippers ticket LOL.
2. Anchoring , even outside farm can cause a lot of damage and cost.
3. Securing to backbone in a manner that causes abrasion.
4. Fishing with light tackle or braid which is a nightmare when becoming entangled in droppers.

Have not fished farms in question and rarely fish any farms these days but word is look out for big Trevs.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote brado2050 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2016 at 8:51pm
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thanks for those tips didnt realise theres so much to know lol

also just what sort of bait is best and do you need to berley?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Muzzfishing Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2016 at 9:36pm
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Everyone has there favourite bait, Skippjack tuna is as good as any or try squid or pilchard they all work.  Berley always helps to get the fish biting and bring them to you.  I will usually try without berley first give it half an hour or so then use burly.  Either a burly bomb in a wobbly pot or use the burley bucket and hand mulcher that is built into boat. If after a while no bites trying moving to another row.  Soft baits also work well when the fish are there.
As Corokid said dont anchor in the farms, you will lose your anchor.  Pays to motor slowly (carefully) through the farms as there can be buoys and ropes under the water that are hard to see until you hit one. Have a look around and see which way the other boats are hanging when pick a row/line to tie up to. Generally the boats will hang with the tidal current unless it is windy.  Lastly and most important have fun. Can be very rewarding and frustrating watching the Kingies swim around your boat. 

    A Good Skipper Keeps the water on the outside of the boat.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote skunk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2016 at 10:00pm
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Good stuff Coro..great info.
Yeah Brado a hook like a Shepherds crook works great.judge the wind so boat hangs away from any lines.the usual baits will all work,
Yes burley will increase fishes feeding around you.if the current is cranking get your burley pot close to the bottom .judge your sinker weight so your bait kind of ends up where your burley would be.
It's not that deep maybe 15 m on the outside rows so you can keep sinker weight down helps for me.
Don't be afraid to try different rows if no action after burleying for 3/4 hr move to another area.sometimes the snapper are in a defined spot.
Small lifebaits on bottom can be dynamite for John dory in there.
Drifting on the inside or outside with softbaiting can be very productive as well if you're into that.
Is a great spot and can be fished in quite strong winds if they have plenty of west in them.
Good luck when you go


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 9:05am
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Ist time I went into a farm....asked around etc.... lots advice, the settled on was trow a hook / rope over either side of the row to hold postion... which in the end didnt do..
Was a week day so no other boats around, cruised down the opposite side of the rope to the harvesting badge... near direct to the badge and asked the guy what to do and how to stay out of their way.
Like guys say above , the crews are excellent...
 He pointed out best position in the burley, damn near next to the barge...  tie off a short rope to the stern cleat, drop around the top muscle rope ( they are working the rope on the other side) and loop over the cleat.
As the barge moves down the line simply pull yourself along on the looped rope every few minutes.
The barge guys where so good they would wave us up when we started to fall out of the burely line.

I tied a 2nd loop further to the bow to stop our boat swinging.
Yeah use heavier gear, hit a small king that snapped us off, thru still pulled in few nice snaps and couple trevs.

The guys on the barge thru us a few broken muscles for bait....before leaving asked if they wanted a couple fish to take home.
Very rarely hit the muscle farms any more, unless fishing gets real hard...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote strx7 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 10:01am
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make a fair bit of noise & banging - just like a mussel barge

have a radio blaring on either The Rock or Hauraki - just like a mussel barge

ground up mussels is the best burley - just like a mussel barge

very light sinker, strayline a bait which a 40cm snapper can inhale in one go, like a whole pilly, jack mack fillet etc.   Allow the bait to slowly drift toward the bottom, await for the fish to grab it, give it 2 seconds then hit it, and wind in your dinner.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Clifftastic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 10:33am
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LOL strx7 is right. Act like a mussel barge and you're in!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote CarlosTheBeekeeper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2022 at 8:59pm
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hey bro, I went out for the first time to the mussel farm out from the Waikawau boat ramp. I struggled to find the backbone rope to hook up to, is it under the water surface or does it sit on the top?

also the wind and current had me going over the buoy's, if the weather is a bit rough would it be better if I hooked up to two lines instead of one so that im sat in the middle?

any help would be appreciated 

cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cosmo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 7:14pm
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personally i have 2 hooks and a anchor rope which i have halved for each one, and a kayak thingie so can wind each rope onto  for storage they work well and put the front out and the then drift across to the other side and put the other one out, keeps you on a nice angle in the centre, the bouys floating on top of the water have been harvested
i just want to go fishing..........amd ignore all my adult problems
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John_Ra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jun 2022 at 9:29am
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Originally posted by CarlosTheBeekeeper CarlosTheBeekeeper wrote:

hey bro, I went out for the first time to the mussel farm out from the Waikawau boat ramp. I struggled to find the backbone rope to hook up to, is it under the water surface or does it sit on the top?

also the wind and current had me going over the buoy's, if the weather is a bit rough would it be better if I hooked up to two lines instead of one so that im sat in the middle?

any help would be appreciated 

cheers

your Not allowed to tie off to both sides, make a bridal up to tie from front & back of boat.
If your getting pushed onto the bouys, fish on the other side.
If rope submerged, hook in thru a bouy. Have fished the Coro farms for years, know most of the Charter skippers too...  have Never come home without a feed...learn how to fish the farms & you will always get a feed, Tip: use the jack macs that are there...

good luck..
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 3:09pm
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Originally posted by John_Ra John_Ra wrote:

Originally posted by CarlosTheBeekeeper CarlosTheBeekeeper wrote:

hey bro, I went out for the first time to the mussel farm out from the Waikawau boat ramp. I struggled to find the backbone rope to hook up to, is it under the water surface or does it sit on the top?

also the wind and current had me going over the buoy's, if the weather is a bit rough would it be better if I hooked up to two lines instead of one so that im sat in the middle?

any help would be appreciated 

cheers

your Not allowed to tie off to both sides, make a bridal up to tie from front & back of boat.
If your getting pushed onto the bouys, fish on the other side.
If rope submerged, hook in thru a bouy. Have fished the Coro farms for years, know most of the Charter skippers too...  have Never come home without a feed...learn how to fish the farms & you will always get a feed, Tip: use the jack macs that are there...

good luck..
https://coromfa.co.nz/fishing

no mention of not allowed to moor across the row
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 3:32pm
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Originally posted by Pcj Pcj wrote:

Originally posted by John_Ra John_Ra wrote:

Originally posted by CarlosTheBeekeeper CarlosTheBeekeeper wrote:

hey bro, I went out for the first time to the mussel farm out from the Waikawau boat ramp. I struggled to find the backbone rope to hook up to, is it under the water surface or does it sit on the top?

also the wind and current had me going over the buoy's, if the weather is a bit rough would it be better if I hooked up to two lines instead of one so that im sat in the middle?

any help would be appreciated 

cheers

your Not allowed to tie off to both sides, make a bridal up to tie from front & back of boat.
If your getting pushed onto the bouys, fish on the other side.
If rope submerged, hook in thru a bouy. Have fished the Coro farms for years, know most of the Charter skippers too...  have Never come home without a feed...learn how to fish the farms & you will always get a feed, Tip: use the jack macs that are there...

good luck..
https://coromfa.co.nz/fishing

no mention of not allowed to moor across the row

I know we used to, but it's probably a bit dodgy especially now the farms get so much traffic (I'm guessing I haven't fished mussel farms in maybe 15 years. Probably not good etiquette these days.
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fish Addict Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 4:00pm
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Originally posted by smudge smudge wrote:

... Probably not good etiquette these days.

Now there's an oxymoron for you, the use of the words 'etiquette' and 'these days' in the same sentence.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 5:19pm
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Originally posted by Fish Addict Fish Addict wrote:

Originally posted by smudge smudge wrote:

... Probably not good etiquette these days.

Now there's an oxymoron for you, the use of the words 'etiquette' and 'these days' in the same sentence.

Yes
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Turnright Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 5:54pm
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There is no such rule as to not tying across rows, if another boat was to come down same row as you were tied across then that's there problem as be lucky to have room to get past anyway and shouldn't be so close to another fisho

I have worked on plenty of mussel barges and have never heard of said rules, some people just love to make up there own rules to Maybe suit themselves and there fishing style or something along those lines
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 6:26pm
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Originally posted by Turnright Turnright wrote:

There is no such rule as to not tying across rows, if another boat was to come down same row as you were tied across then that's there problem as be lucky to have room to get past anyway and shouldn't be so close to another fisho

I have worked on plenty of mussel barges and have never heard of said rules, some people just love to make up there own rules to Maybe suit themselves and there fishing style or something along those lines
Thanks. There first tough unless the barge wants to work it

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John_Ra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2022 at 8:53pm
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Originally posted by Pcj Pcj wrote:

Originally posted by Turnright Turnright wrote:

There is no such rule as to not tying across rows, if another boat was to come down same row as you were tied across then that's there problem as be lucky to have room to get past anyway and shouldn't be so close to another fisho

I have worked on plenty of mussel barges and have never heard of said rules, some people just love to make up there own rules to Maybe suit themselves and there fishing style or something along those lines
Thanks. There first tough unless the barge wants to work it


A farm we tied upto, yes both sides. The barge was a couple strings over doing maint, yelled at us " Don't Tie up like that!! F#@&^ ^&  His farm soooo sweet as... 
Like on some of the barges have don't come within 30-50m, which just gets ignored.

So from then on we just used a bridal rig!! Have seen heaps tie up both sides.
But hey, treat the place how you want....
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2022 at 1:17pm
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Having just read a interesting article on farms,how/what or not do,worth a share.Planning to do a trip Sunday


The number-one rule for any vessel fishing within a mussel farm is not to use an anchor designed to hold the sea floor.
The marine farm association requires any vessel that fishes within a mussel farm to attach to it using the main line the droppers are attached to. The best option is to use a purpose-made hook,
Sometimes vessels can be pushed into the lines, which can make fishing more difficult, so to overcome this it may be necessary to use two hooks with a length of line on each. This will allow you to connect to opposing main lines and keep the vessel positioned between them. That way you can fish in a clear area away from the mussel dropper lines.

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