The best way is to find spots. look at a chart such as a Navionics App and look for areas close to shore that have some form of structure. Kayak fishermen get pretty crafty when it comes to finding fish in close so areas where they tend to fish. Don't invade their space though and treat them with respect.

40 bucks gets you spotx book, enter the provided gps marks into your fishfinder, head for them
When I started kayak fishing, I did that. You do have to put time into those spots, as some of them only fish a particular tide, when it goes the other way..... kaka !!
There are heaps of spots from Cheltenham to Takapuna within 500m from the shoreline & good fishing too, right now
My home ground when fishing nth shore is Narrowneck, it fishes all year round, best is Mar - Jun & Sept - Nov
For any spots, its best to go out on bottom of the tide at spring tides, when the tides are really high & really low at low tide. You will see exposed rocks & foul, consider any channel that water would flow thru pass those rocks / foul
Best to fish last 2hrs of incoming or outgoing into change of light
Try drifting between the 2 green markers off NN on the beach side not the Rangi side using softies / sliders or anchor up so your baits are going into the foul that you saw at low, you want wind / tide the same way
Ive always fished this area from before first light & find its done by 3hrs after sunrise, the fish seem to drop off or swap sizes..... its stink fishing when there's multiple days of calm water

All along east coast bays is good and numerous launch spots where can drive on to beach and set up. As in Castor Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays, Rothsay bay, Browns Bay and Thor bay. All have fish off them, snapper all year, gurnard mainly winter, odd king Feb through till April. You can jig, soft bait and bait fish off here. Local Mack’s and big bits of fresh kahawai caught on spot are best for bigger snapper, but a nice flounder head can also work.

Haha I also started with oars, but after an hour long paddle to get to fishing spots my arms decided an outboard was essential

Richie99 wrote: Haha I also started with oars, but after an hour long paddle to get to fishing spots my arms decided an outboard was essential