tauranga fishing

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote GregS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 7:51pm
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I decided mid morning Sunday to go fishing as conditions looked good and forecast was OK. Launched at Bell Rd ramp 10.30 and crossed Kaituna bar where it looked nice outside. I spent half hour getting livebaits and then the southeaster turned up quite strong so hid in the Maketu corner towing a livebait and casting softbaits for one 40cm snapper.
About 1pm the wind dropped some so what to do,I haven't been to Motiti this year and softbaiting the Knoll is my favourite place to fish so went for it.
I pulled up short of the Knoll in 20mwhere conditions were choppy but water colour was nicer than inshore, did a big heave and leave forward with a softbait and then quickly set a livebait out the back. I grabbed softbait set and wound the slack out to feel good weight and after a good tussle 56cm snapper, stoked good start.   
Strong drift towards Mount on top of southeaster so repeat drift, boom 50cm fish so feeling pretty good by now. Repeated the drift but no takers so continued to reefy hilltop which is 7 to 9m deep and it was alive with fish. Kept this up getting a snapper each time, very short drift crossing the Knoll each time.
The 7th snapper was the one I was hoping for, good fight in 7m of reefy water, 70cm, stoked.
So the South wind didnt close ther mouths, nothing ventured nothing gained.
No interest in Jackmack livey.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote GregS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 7:58pm
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GregS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 7:59pm
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GregS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 8:00pm
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Could only post one photo at a time?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kitno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 8:07pm
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Great report GregS. Sounds like a awesome day out fishing.
Top 10 finish
2024 Grunter Hunter.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Coutta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2022 at 10:40am
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Great fish Greg. Just a query, how was the Kaituna Bar and at what stage of the tide did you go out and back in. Haven't been out of there for a couple months.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GregS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2022 at 6:06pm
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Cheers Kitno, I get my share of slow days so appreciate getting a hot bite.
Hi Coutta, the cut is quite wide at the moment and not a very defined channel. I crossed two hours after low angling at Motiti where there was a bit more depth. Came in before 5.00pm so plenty of water as high was about 3.00pm.
Two hours each side of low has always been doable for me so long as not too much swell.I have got my 6m tinny out on low tide, but tides were super small, good channel and no swell.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rancher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Mar 2022 at 9:44pm
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Originally posted by tedc tedc wrote:

Had a great session in the harbour last night. 3.5m of water up by Motuhoa, burley and change of light.

Had 8 snaps between 34-52cm in the bin by 8pm, all in very good condition.

Yeah, we did well early morning Sunday on the northside of Omokoroa in 3m too on changing light. 50cm snappers and 45cm trev's just hammering half pillies immediately.  I imagine it will go well for another month or so.

Had a well legal kingi chase my trev upto the boat too. Wish i had my stickbait onboard, but then would of regretted it if i hooked it, trying to boat it by myself.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Coutta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2022 at 4:50pm
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Thanks Greg
Since they put the diversion in I've been a bit gunshy. Been out a few times but only gave myself a max of two and half hours either side of high. Looks like I'm being a bit over cautious. I've got an FC 535 CC so depth not an issue within reason.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Waihime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 2022 at 5:40am
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We went to Mayor on Friday. Plenty of skippies from when we started trolling at 50mtrs all the way to Mayor.
We then headed out deeper for some Bluenose but only managed several gemfish. We found the deepwater bottom fishing quite tough going.
Headed back in to 30mtrs along Matakana to pick up a few snapper at the end of the day. While there was reasonable sign on the sounder they didn’t seem that interested in our softbaits or sliders but managed 4 pannies before heading in. Conditions were great with a following sea heading out in the morning and with a wind change in the afternoon the same for the trip back.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote lizid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 2022 at 6:45am
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But how big were those skippies? I got a few on Friday as well but they were all the miniature variety that I found to be too soft / mushy for bait. I suppose I could have salted them but the whole lot went into my burley pile. Last night up the harbor two of us had our limit of 40+ snappers in just on an hour. Only one under 40cm kept - that was gut hooked. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Coutta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 2:25pm
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I did another big day yesterday looking for skippies. The little pricks and I mean little are hard enough to hook but a bloody site harder to land. Four from nine hookups. Jacindarella will have to drop the fuel price more to make that effort economical. Looks like trout bait again this winter.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote lizid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 3:43pm
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I also was out there yesterday looking for the proper sized skippies that I was told about between 50 and 70m onway to Penguins from Tauranga. Coming from Bowentown I intersected that line at the 40m depth then proceded as instructed. Result - one only, smaller even than the 11 minis the other day. Two more were hooked but fell off. Cracker day and conditions - should have gone deep dropping outside Mayor instead.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Turnright Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 6:43pm
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Originally posted by lizid lizid wrote:

I also was out there yesterday looking for the proper sized skippies that I was told about between 50 and 70m onway to Penguins from Tauranga. Coming from Bowentown I intersected that line at the 40m depth then proceded as instructed. Result - one only, smaller even than the 11 minis the other day. Two more were hooked but fell off. Cracker day and conditions - should have gone deep dropping outside Mayor instead.


Excuse my ignorance but with how much you have spent on fuel in last month or 2 chasing skippies, wouldn't you have been able to buy 30 or 40 skippies from bait shop??? Hope you are just searching for the fun of it and not actually trying to stock bait freezer up to save money??
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote lizid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 7:09pm
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I use skippy almost exclusively for bait and also make my own burley (at least 30% skippy). For bait I only use what has been frozen once only. Only way to get that is catch 'em myself. Bought ones are usually crap compared to what I am used to. Past years I have been able to get good sized ones in just one or two trips and a dozen is enough though more is better. This year has been a disaster - never seen them so small and thin on the ground. Fortunately I do work ahead so still have 15 or so 4 & 5kg burley bombs as well as 8 3kg pure minced baby salmon bombs. Also have enough (just) skippy bait to see me thru til next season. Up harbor Saturday evening we got 2 limits in just under an hour using 1 bomb and odd bits and pieces of bait. Once they are in the burley trail this time of year they smash anything - they race each other. Cast, bait hits the water and you cannot count to 5 before being smashed. I do what I do 'cos it works and works well. Gut surgery means I cannot digest meat easily but fish no problem. Still have some "lockdown" vac packed snapper in the freezer from this time last year - heh heh heh.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Waihime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2022 at 8:48pm
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Originally posted by lizid lizid wrote:

But how big were those skippies? I got a few on Friday as well but they were all the miniature variety that I found to be too soft / mushy for bait. I suppose I could have salted them but the whole lot went into my burley pile. Last night up the harbor two of us had our limit of 40+ snappers in just on an hour. Only one under 40cm kept - that was gut hooked. 


Hey Lizid. Size was about average size you’d buy in the bait shop. Certainly bigger than the baby ones I too was getting a few weeks earlier. Then we had same trouble landing them with plenty dropping off the hook like others have experienced, but larger specimens on Friday was 100% success rate when landing them
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kimber7wsm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2022 at 6:33am
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I like the caught yourself skippie as it's tough and stays on the hook well. The bruised store brought stuff not so much.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Turnright Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2022 at 7:06am
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Originally posted by lizid lizid wrote:

I use skippy almost exclusively for bait and also make my own burley (at least 30% skippy). For bait I only use what has been frozen once only. Only way to get that is catch 'em myself. Bought ones are usually crap compared to what I am used to. Past years I have been able to get good sized ones in just one or two trips and a dozen is enough though more is better. This year has been a disaster - never seen them so small and thin on the ground. Fortunately I do work ahead so still have 15 or so 4 & 5kg burley bombs as well as 8 3kg pure minced baby salmon bombs. Also have enough (just) skippy bait to see me thru til next season. Up harbor Saturday evening we got 2 limits in just under an hour using 1 bomb and odd bits and pieces of bait. Once they are in the burley trail this time of year they smash anything - they race each other. Cast, bait hits the water and you cannot count to 5 before being smashed. I do what I do 'cos it works and works well. Gut surgery means I cannot digest meat easily but fish no problem. Still have some "lockdown" vac packed snapper in the freezer from this time last year - heh heh heh.


Cool and thanks for the Insight. I too like catching my own skippies but only do it if happen to run across a school while out and about, I'm definitely not in the camp of going and spending 4 or 5 hundy on fuel to go specifically looking to stock up has have done on 1 or 2 occasions over the years and come up with zilch. It's is cool to see different people's approaches to fishing and I find it fascinating to read all the different techniques and ideas.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Coutta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2022 at 5:32pm
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I enjoy a few hours dedicated to trolling for skippies. Sometimes its productive and other times like this season its not so. I've got a 60HP four stroke so out around Penguin and back in comes in at a tote tank used. At todays rates its still the thick end of $75 but as I said I enjoy it and I've said it before, I'm going to save a **** load on fuel when I'm dead.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Uncle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2022 at 8:14pm
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Any one looking for skippies, they were in close today, anywhere from 30 mtrs  out from the Mount.
We had a good day on them today, trying all sorts of different lure colours but the standout was black/purple.
I read some fb reports where skippies were being caught on softbaits, some as close in as 20 mtrs.

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