Out with the "Twelves"

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote betterthanwork Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Feb 2022 at 2:28pm
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Hi FQ, it's been strange not seeing you posting regularly, not surprising as there is not a lot happening.

We have been out quite regularly, always catching something, but never red hot.  We have taken three groups of newbies to Sargents Channel to try softbaiting and each time have managed to put them onto some fish. It's a bit of a go-to place for us with the opportunity to then land on Motuihi to give our guests and nice 'catch fish then land on an island' experience.  The last time was last Sunday where we managed 11 between four of us.  Size not flash with four between 35 - 38cm and the rest around 32cm.  Best bait seems to be Zman smokey shad 5" jerk shad with motor oil also scoring OK.  Worm hooks with bait wired on outfishes jigheads hands-down.  Sargents isn't like it used to be but can still give up a feed.

Had one session drifting city side of Rangi lighthouse last Thursday.  Very slow but accumulated 6 keepers eventually - nothing big, except for one at 42cm.  Stunning day though. 

We have now moved to Kerikeri for three months, renting about 10 minutes drive from the Windsor boat ramp. Went out yesterday keeping behind the islands to escape the winds.  Very slow, lots and lots of throwbacks and just one nice kahawai - yum, makes great sashimi when bled and iced quickly. Anyone from up this way care to make contact?  We would love to meet some fellow fishos. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote fshnut Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2022 at 10:20pm
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Sat 26 Feb

Lots of anchovies in Sergeants Channel.

I had a good morning session with wind and tide in same direction, deep drifting with clousers and got some big kahawai and decent snaps in between the yellowtail and goldfish.

After the tide turned, it was Towkay's turn to get into them with Gulp Fire Tiger and Zman bruised banana .

We kept 13 for the pot.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Mar 2022 at 2:59pm
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Finally got out today,not the most comfortable in the morning but got better. Launched KKB 6.00am around to Byrants Bay First fish took off like a rocket,eventually got it too boat and and it was a lousy Hammerhead,Good fun for 15 minutes and my knots held bonus.and for 305/315,everything else was well under,sitting in a se chop not fun,round to Ruths in between 2 rocks and just out of chop. for a 495 and 450 .More sub 30 so around to Sunday rock but busier the queen st on a Friday night so called it quits.

Met by mpi/maf at ramp(yes they are about despite covid)measured the 305 and he got 310 so all good(there sticker).
Amateur's built the ark. Professional built the Titanic
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2022 at 2:43pm
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Hmm east or west,turn right so guess its east. Got out KKB about 6.00am went to go out to the 16m but se chop and tide nah wont be comfortable. So went back to basic dinghy fishing in 3 to 4 m in amongst the moorings to the west of the ramp. 

Wife got a nice kahawai so deemed for the smoker,got 48cm and 6 around the 320/330 mark so not too bad using floating lines and blue mackerill.

Good way to fill in 4hrs and a red wine head.
Amateur's built the ark. Professional built the Titanic
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2022 at 3:55pm
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Titanium
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Amateur's built the ark. Professional built the Titanic
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2022 at 3:56pm
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The 29.3 is distance travelled,must reset one day,still 20.3c so water still warm
Amateur's built the ark. Professional built the Titanic
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote brmbrm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 9:49pm
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Haven't been out from Auckland for months, ut later this week is looking good.  OK, so where are the fish?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 10:25pm
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Titanium
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From Rangitoto Light around the shoreline towards Motutapu is full of life at the moment, with kahawai feeding on the anchovy schools, and mostly pannie snapper trailing along behind. 

I was out in that area on Sunday morning to give my motor a decent run after ages out of the water and got a nice feed. The kahawai are tanks and great fun on softbait gear. Severely under-rated as fresh sashimi and/or raw coconut fish in my opinion.

I hooked a jack mack on sabiki and drifted with it out the back while I softbaited (a trick wily ol' Redfinger showed me), hoping for a kingie - but no takers.
If not drifting with a livie, I'd have had a grub style softie dragging behind on a heavy jighead.

Good luck, wherever you go - Thursday in particular is looking mint...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2022 at 9:41pm
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Moderator - Brown Belt
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Sunday 27/3/22  6:30 to 9am

Fished the city channel to stay out of the southerly winds - which didn't amount to much.  Used soft baits, kaburas and microjigs.  The Catch blue/silver small jig (20g?) wasn't getting much interest while actively fished, but got a couple, including the largest, while in the rodholder.  The orange/yellow kabura was pretty slow, but the blue/silver one got one, also in the rod holder.  Zman 4" smoky shad and the red/orange speckled one caught snapper and a 4" new penny curlytail also got one.  Wasn't fast or flash but kept 4 from 32 to 40cms, and released several at 32cms. Low tide at 9, so called it a day.

Rest of the summer has been a bit slow.  Best fishing was with smelly bait and berley off the Takapuna cliffs about 6 weeks ago.  We got 9 up to 44cms in about 2 1/2 hours.  George took home a few yellowtail for the deep fryer as well as snapper.

I've fished the City channel, Rangi channel, Motuihe channel and Sergeants channel several times and also out near Matiatia harbour.  It has been frustrating, with good fishing only a few times.  Probably the discovery of the summer is that microjigs can catch the biggest fish, and sometimes from well out behind the boat.  They work best when jigged, but are surprisingly good in the rodholder.  In previous years they have caught mainly undersize fish but at that stage I used to fish them fairly vertically, similar to a kabura.

Occasionally the orange/yellow kabura works well when fished vertically, wound in very slowly about 10 winds, back to the bottom and repeat.  But it's very patchy and a good bite might only last a few minutes.

I've used Gulp occasionally and the 5" shads still catch fish, but they're not smashed like they used to be.  They get chopped up too quickly.
Far Quirk - I'm goin' fishn!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote brmbrm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2022 at 5:07pm
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First trip in Auckland for ????  Wednesday didn't work but Thursday was flat as.  Out while the sun was coming up but the tide was pretty flat and nothing in Rangi channel, so decided to go and fish the wash around Mototapu.  Had 3 pretty quickly - 35, 40 50+ then when the sun came up too high the bite dropped.  Back via Administration Bay, kahawai work-up, found myself the host to a big anchovy bait ball for 10 minutes.  Kept 1 KY.

Sashimi test: KY preferred to snapper by 3 people, the fourth won't touch raw fish
Ceviche test:  same.

Better texture, flavour not dissimilar (red meat cut off)

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2022 at 4:14pm
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Great to see The tamure kid and far quirk yesterday behind Rangi. Long time no see. 
I ended up in the shallows in 8m berleying up - plenty of snapper in the 30cm range but we managed to keep a dozen up to 43cm , couple o ftrevs to 48cm and whenever the kahawaii went past hooked a few for fun with my mate Henry keeping a couple . 
We started at sunrise as we were keen beans - great fun was had with the flyrod with the top couple of snapper and the two trevs caught on the fly rod - the trevs can really pull with the bigger one going round boat twice.
Great day
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2022 at 6:46pm
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Moderator - Brown Belt
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Sunday 3/4/22  6am to 11:45am

Good to see RF and The Tamure Kid out there.  Started north of Rangi in about 12m and drifted in with the tide.  Caught and released a 31 and 32cm snapper and a lot of babies.  Went around closer to the lighthouse to get a faster drift and that worked but the bites weren't there.  Just before 9 headed right into Gardners Gap and found Lester, who pointed out RF.  There were lots of anchovies in this area but casting 4" Zman smoky shad and 5" Gulp blue neon peppers into them and using a variety of retrieves failed to find KY (absent?) and snapper (small tentative bites).

Went and said hello to RF and Henry, who had a ball with bait, berley and fly.  Tried a cheeky cast or 5 into their berley trail, but nada.

Gave up on the Gap and back to Rangi channel near 6 buoy, drifting out towards 1 buoy.  Some good hard takes on the Gulp blue neon pepper, but lots of undersize snapper.  Kept just one 38cm snap and went home chastened.



Far Quirk - I'm goin' fishn!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2022 at 7:03pm
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Titanium
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yes, great to see the big man (Mr Redfinger) who not only sold me my wicked little FC but is also generous with his fishing knowledge and trip invites. I didn't know you had a berley trail going, mate, honest!
Then who should come cruising into the bay but the legendary moderator aboard Far Quirk II, who was on a very enjoyable crew with me aboard Redfinger at Rotoiti one time. 

Fishing among Forum royalty, I found it fickle. There were massive anchovy schools completely unmolested by predators, which was strange. The small outbreaks of surface action seemed to be from small sippers zeroed in on tiny bait.

But i was lucky enough to track down a school of big kahawai right near the reef north of Gardners. I could see them slashing through a huge cloud of anchovies down deeper, and with them were several decent kingies which zoomed through at speed every so often. The kahawai took a silver 5" Daiwa Bait Junkie which was much bigger than the real thing. Kept two big ones for sashimi and ceviche, and returned the rest.

I also hooked several nice snapper (two in the mid 40s) which must have come racing in to hunt near the reef, as they were on the retrieve as well. But once that action finished, like FQ, found mostly small fish across the rest of the bay.
no luck with the kingies, unfortunately.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Sufishent Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 10:52am
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I'm sure I launched next to RF on Browns Bay beach on Sunday morning - was just after 6:30

Headed straight across to Gardners Gap to hunt for the anchovy schools I've read/seen of so much on social media recently - but saw little or no evidence and no Kahawai work ups or birds working. Very quiet where we were but did manage to pick up a couple of 38cm snapper on a Gulp Pepper Prawn (my fav color during anchovy season).

Gave up and went around the corner to drift the last of the incoming/first of the outgoing down to the lighthouse - so  missed seeing FQ and TKK. Damn!

Decided to head up to Billy Goat Point but saw the birds working around Administration Bay - headed in and kept 4 nice KY for the smoker (fish pie tonight).

Back at the beach just after midday.
You can never have enough fishing tackle
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 1:56pm
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Yes we launched Browns bay but probably closer to 6ish i think -(4m centre console) the kahawaii were at gardners where we were and would bust up every few minutes around the boat but dissapeared whenever boats came close only to pop up when they were a few 100m away.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 9:46pm
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Using your fish whispering powers to hide the KY from me RF?
Far Quirk - I'm goin' fishn!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2022 at 8:15am
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Titanium
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Originally posted by Sufishent Sufishent wrote:

Gave up and went around the corner to drift the last of the incoming/first of the outgoing down to the lighthouse - so  missed seeing FQ and TKK. Damn!


Sorry we missed you, mate. Weirdly I saw a boat at Admin Bay that looked familiar, and wondered if it was you...

Anyway, my take on the anchovy season fishery in that particular area is that there are better options if you're just after snapper. I've got a neighbour who's been doing very well on softbaits out by the Noises (on the Maria side), for example. Much bigger size snaps on average.

I've been out to the Gardners area three times in the past month (plus once in a mate's boat after work) hoping for big kahawai and a very lucky kingie. I regard hooking a decent snapper there as a big bonus, as there seems to be a lot of small fish.

 It's reinforced to me that it's a game of odds, and quite reliant on tides. 'No run, no fun', and bigger tides better (maybe to concentrate the bait schools?). Maybe 1 out of 3 you'll have a dynamite session. And just because some guy on Facebook did a live feed two days ago with great fishing, it doesn't mean the next day will be firing too. I can testify to that! The first time i went out it was almost dead; second time, I was 800m away from the one big bit of sustained kahawai activity where someone I know hooked a good kingie on softbait; and on Sunday it was very sporadic.

I tend to cruise around at a slow speed if I move. Whereas it was pretty busy on Sunday and some guys were zooming right up to bust ups in some pretty big runabouts and even trolling lures through them.
No surprise that, as RF indicated, the action dies off.

Each time I've come home with a couple of big kahawai for raw fish dishes or fish cakes. And they are fantastic sport on softbait tackle. I got a rat kingie on the late afternoon trip, 65-70cm which hit on the drop, and so far have had a follow or two, and one big kingie materialised under a kahawai I was about to land.  I've also been experimenting with some home-made 'skutes' to imitate the anchovies, and that's been fun catching fish on my own lures.



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2022 at 8:57am
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Titanium
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yes TTK - Gardners gap seems to hold mainly panny sized snaps in the many times i have fished it (the odd good one but few and far inbetween) - good variety of fish in weekend around us - rat kings and good sized trevs in the berley with snapper mostly small just out of sight. The kahawaii were sporadic but would appear around us many times but quickly vanished for a few minutes when boats got near them.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2022 at 7:11pm
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Saturday 9/4/22  7 to 11 am

Chose to fish the city channel because the incoming tide works well with a southerly wind - if you hug the city side of the channel.  Surprise of the day was a Kavemen Hornet 60g in silver lumo.  Left in the rodholder and trailed about 10m behind the boat, it outperformed various Zman softbaits and Gulp 6" grubs - destroyed by pickers.  Kept 5 36 to 40cm snaps, a lot better than last week, chasing anchovies in Gardners Gap.
The police launch visited me about 11am to say that while I was within my rights to drift in the city channel, it was getting up the nose of the ferries, so I accepted their advice and pulled the plug.
Far Quirk - I'm goin' fishn!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2022 at 4:33pm
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Titanium
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Off to kaiaua at 6.00am,sat till 7.00am for nil,back to my gps mark.Hell not looking good and wind died to zero. So out to new ponui farm last row and anchored within 50m of farm and swung close enough,2Hrs limit of these little 48cm models,so now a few to friends and freezer stocked..

Then a FIRST for me ,I caught a John Dory ,big deal. well there is a story to it. Been using the soft bait  and if no fish lure gone.This time lure gone but foul hooked a little yellow tail(ended as 2 baits)Johnny ate the foul fish and hooked himself.







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