Whangarei Harbour report.

Page  <1 115116117118119 129>
 Rating: Topic Rating: 1 Votes, Average 5.00  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 1Daz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2020 at 8:13pm
1Daz View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 12 Jun 2010
Location: Kamo
Status: Offline
Points: 1432
Massive Pillie schools are everywhere in Bream bay at the mo... some very fat gannets and dolphins around for sure
Go the Warriors!
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 9628 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 2:02pm
9628 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 120
Went out to number 2 buoy last week at dawn picked up 1 at 38 and lost a couple, the fish are there as a few boats drifting out from 2 were hooking up using rubber.
Came in to harbour mouth and got one at 52 and a further 5 smallest was 32 most in the 38cm plus bracket using skippy as bait.
Great feed of snaps I think they were all males starting to come in,may go again this thurs. 
Definetly starting to pick up.TongueTongue
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 4:34pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5535
I went out on Friday. It was hard not to catch snapper. I was targeting blue macs, but snapper were hitting the jigs all the way up to the surface! Nothing big enough to get excited about, 50cm was the biggest. After giving up on the macs, I went after kingfish and got a nice fattie 😀
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Parua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 7:22pm
Parua View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 21
What depth MB? Did you find the Macs?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 8:17pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5535
45m, but not confirmed as macs Embarrassed
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 9628 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 9:10am
9628 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 120
Over the years have heard alot about bream bay and big snapper but have failed to get onto them anyone prepared to share any intel on where to get them?
off the power station in late autumn has been the only time i have done well, very well indeed 
Tried waipu and ruakaka river mouths etc three mile reef I typically anchor up maybe thats the problem and dont use burley.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 10:47am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5535
From memory, I've never caught really big snapper at the river mouths. I usually get them over foul or close to rocky coastline. One memorable fish from Smugglers Bay, but I think that was the exception.

I rarely fish with bait, so am not the best person to comment, but I don't think anchoring and fishing without burley is the best strategy. I would either drift with flasher rigs or anchor with burley. 

Interestingly, five years ago, I was catching big snapper all the time in that area. Every trip would produce at least a 15 pounder, more or less. That doesn't seem to be the case now. No shortage of fish, but they are smaller. 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote FizFisho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 11:21am
FizFisho View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Location: Matakana
Status: Offline
Points: 4102
Trying to figure the harbour spots out and the buoy numbers.

This or Tutukaka will be my home in 10 years or so and I like to get up there often.

Do any of the Heads beach points provide decent spearing, or am I better off using my rods?

Also any Scalls in/near the harbour?

Im likely to head out to the chicks if I cant figure the harbour out. But patience I have found is the best way to find solid spots.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchelot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 11:30am
Catchelot View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Oct 2008
Location: Whanga-Vegas
Status: Offline
Points: 47773
Originally posted by 9628 9628 wrote:

Over the years have heard alot about bream bay and big snapper but have failed to get onto them anyone prepared to share any intel on where to get them?
off the power station in late autumn has been the only time i have done well, very well indeed 
Tried waipu and ruakaka river mouths etc three mile reef I typically anchor up maybe thats the problem and dont use burley.

Along Peach Cove towards Bream head I haven't had much success but some do get lucky, I suggest to drift along to prospect the area, work out to the end of the weed line about 30+m or find structure holding fish and then anchor and apply berley... plus it is a busy traffic area being on the edge of the main channel and in my opinion is thrashed...divers and fishers.

47-50m off the "ole Woman is the winter tarakihi spot, they will leave us soon, find last 2hrs towards high best, sometimes at mid tide the current is too great and fish move off or rather the boat moves off the correct angle, you need to anchor here, although some still drift and do ok.

End of Fairway bouy during an incoming can be a good indicator of if the fish are coming into the harbour, but we find not until Nov and then in the harbour itself, jan feb and march are best months.
But inner harbour fishes diffrent to outer harbour so two different ball parks.
 
The end of Bream rock or the "Ole woman has some good under water reefs off it worth prospecting and from there northwards between the beach and Guano is lots of rocky foul, drift and softee it...

Bream Island or Guano rock can be good with schooling fish (kahawai, trevs, macks) and big arse kingis have been regulalry taken as do Back marlin in the summer.

From here northwards you can explore ocean beach and head towrds Kauri Mountan coast which is great rocky reefy area all the way up to Taiharuru with the odd bays and rocky headlands all the way up. At the end of Oceans is Awarua Rk many big snapper have been taken here, 3 big reefs out the front that awash on the tides to watch for...but the area can be amazing, years ago my mad mates used to swim out from the beach (400m) at NIGHT and fish it and yes regular 26 up to 29lbers!
 
Head east of here and some good lumps and bumps from 30m out to 60-70m and so these continue all the way back to the Chicks Islands. Good for Tarakihi, reef fish, snaps and small puka, blue cod, sharks, etc.
 
Coming back to exiting the harbour there is Busby Point which if you anchor about 200m towards Peach Cove can have great kingis come past at the right time of the year (50lb) (used to be 100lbers in the old days)Ouch if you are patient to deploy livies or strayline pipers, otherwise during the season have a cast and throw poppers around the harbour channel marker bouys, even stickbaits or tow rapalas too.
 
Carry on out of the harbour following the bouys all the way out to the end - Fairway Bouy sort of head to the Hen Island on the right of the chicks and about a mile away you should be approach 3 Mile Reef, this covers a wide area and is basically low level foul, it is home to many reef species and other fish like snaps and pilchards school up and around it, it is a hit and miss place, sometimes it is a place to save the day with a John Dory and Fat Blue Cod to have for dinner where all the best spots failed...but myself have never done great there...
 
Between that and the Fairway bouy in about 22m of water can be a good place to start drifting if the wind is ok and you have a sea anchor, use a bait straylined off a ball sinker or two and drag reasonable sized baits over the bottom, even flasher rigs with baits work, put these gears in your rodholders and drag them with a medium drag to set the hook when you get a hit, and then deploy your softbaits, so using two techniques to maximise the attraction and capture methods on the day.
 
So drift around 22-26m before 3mile reef as above, also try in at 16m and work out to 22m, by all means if you go over good bites then mark it on your gps and go back and repeat your drags over the area. This area you will get gurnard and snapper. (my mate took a 15lb Hapuka here over the sand!)
 
Look at the shore at Ruakaka where the power station building used to be, directly in front is 4 large yellow bouys, sometimes you will pick up kahawai here and the odd small just legal kings, trevally and other baitfish...
 
Out off the Power Station in about 10m is a hole sometimes Gurnards and sometimes good Snapper, in fact drifts any where along here off the beach can be very rewarding fish up to 16lb.
 
Then carry on south looking at beach Ruakaka again and find the Racecourse building - white and low rectangle, again 10-16-22-26...
 
And then repeat the same process and depths heading furthersouth off Ruakaka river mouth, Uretiti, Golf Course, Waipu River...and all the way down to  
 
Of the Waipu river mouth is a small reef in 16m that is worth dragging everything over and also deploy your rapalas and have a bit of a troll as there can be great kingies along here.
 
Further out off the river is another bit of foul and reef in I think 28m, another place to have a drift passed and see if what is awake.
 
About end of Oct early Nov should see big workups of pillies schools with snapper, kingis, makos and other predators feeding with gannets galore, go out to about the 35m mark and drive southwards and then easterly areas out at 40-45m (towards Hen Is) and you should find those spring snapper workups, hit them again with either softees, dragging baits or even metal with jigs and inchikus...
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote 9628 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2020 at 9:01pm
9628 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 120
Had another go today in bream bay off racecourse and ruakaka river mouth- not good even drifted around a pilly trawler fishing in close to the burley trail as the net was wound in nothing haul of pillys not big either
Most boats were out at the 3 mile reef.
Seemed a dud day the wind even though not much around 5 knots was freezing
Came in and hit a deep spot in the channel and bagged up best 55 quite a few around 40cm and 1 trev at the end for sashimi.
Conclusion- its still very early days yet for sure the snaps were not even near roeing up but were very hungry as guts were empty condition quite good for this time of year.
water temp low 15's 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Ecko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2020 at 7:21pm
Ecko View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Location: AKL
Status: Offline
Points: 415
Hi team
Looking at a Sunday trip maybe to the chicks if the weather holds up otherwise around the bay work ups.

Any advice to nab a king? Been too long since we did last and it was a fluke I think!

Worth trying to catch the bait and drop a livey?
Or better to jig or what.

I'm all ears!
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 9628 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Oct 2020 at 8:50pm
9628 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 120
The fish are in!
SmileTongueWinkBig smileLOL
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchelot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 6:32am
Catchelot View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Oct 2008
Location: Whanga-Vegas
Status: Offline
Points: 47773
Originally posted by 9628 9628 wrote:

The fish are in!
SmileTongueWinkBig smileLOL

Good stuff where did you go?

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Parua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 7:40am
Parua View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 21
Was insane fishing the other day in 25 under the pillie schools. Snapper every cast for a while. Almost got boring once I'd caught my 4 I usually take. Almost. First the fish in the morning were 10lb 12lb and 15lb. Put then back and kept nicer models.

Kingi here and there. Good fun on the softy. One softy caught 30plus fish.

I stuck with the gannets but noticed that I was getting snapper even when off the work ups.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Parua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 7:41am
Parua View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 21
Was insane fishing the other day in 25 under the pillie schools. Snapper every cast for a while. Almost got boring once I'd caught my 4 I usually take. Almost. the first fish in the morning were 10lb 12lb and 15lb. Put then back and kept nicer models.

Kingi here and there. Good fun on the softy. One softy caught 30plus fish.

I stuck with the gannets but noticed that I was getting snapper even when off the work ups.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 9628 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 9:35am
9628 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 120
In the harbour usual haunt same every year, best was just under 50 some 40s rest were 34 to 38. Picked up 7 so all good no small ones yet-- champagne snapper fishing for me.
Looking forward to getting into the big stuff out wide again this year havnt heard anything yet but the water temp in harbour was 18 to 18.5 last evening which seems crazy it has changed so fast this year.
 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 11:30am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5535
I can confirm that the fishing is hot at the moment. Too easy in fact. Snapper are a bloody pest if you're targeting other fish LOL
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Parua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 12:16pm
Parua View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 21
Mb are you on a jet ski?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 1:58pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5535
Originally posted by Parua Brae Parua Brae wrote:

Mb are you on a jet ski?

Yep Smile
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchelot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 3:00pm
Catchelot View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Oct 2008
Location: Whanga-Vegas
Status: Offline
Points: 47773
Originally posted by 9628 9628 wrote:

In the harbour usual haunt same every year, best was just under 50 some 40s rest were 34 to 38. Picked up 7 so all good no small ones yet-- champagne snapper fishing for me.
Looking forward to getting into the big stuff out wide again this year havnt heard anything yet but the water temp in harbour was 18 to 18.5 last evening which seems crazy it has changed so fast this year.
 

Cool, we hope to find them out Bream bay 2mro...
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau
Back to Top
Page  <1 115116117118119 129>
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.684 seconds.

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bay of Islands Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites