good stuff doonage,,i went to durville sunday up at 4am drove to nelson boat in water at 5.45 and off me and the missus went in the dark sea was bit nasty from okiwi but then better once started going up the western side to nile head ,got there dropped jigs down and no joy on the snapper or kingi side ,it was bleak to say the least sounder showed nothing and i combed all round the head ,i did though land some very big cod and john dory just inside nile head which was good but it was hard fishing,shot up to the passage and that to produced nothing so settled for what i got and headed for home,,,,i would say with weather warming fast the snaps have headed for the sounds as they were there about 3 weeks ago as i slayed some big ones,,4 other boats were there and they all failed aswell ,,,the cod are big but you got to get mtrs away from rocks to get them right by all the white wash water ,i used a blue /white jig and yellow/green jig ,,,,,big tides this weekend would be harder to fish ,,,,sea was like a mirror all the way home was great

for sure i would bet the snapper are now on the move to shallow waters,,ive fished nile head many times over the yrs and know the signs  3 weeks ago we caught them no problem , things were so quiet there yesterday it was hard fishing ,my mate was there last week and he had same results,,,also  i know  that the snapper and kings are never far apart at nile head and there were no kings around either and i didnt see any work ups anywhere from nelson to top of stephens ,,i even got to nile head nice and early ,,thats my last trip there ill focus in the sounds from now on for snapper,,,,nile head is winter snapper it doesnt produce in the summer thats how ive known it through 15yrs experience ,,,

just thought a few here would like to know a very keen fisho i know at work scored some good snapper on a long line off ruby bay ,i trust his word so looks as though the first of the snapper are in the bay,,,,crimpy also went out off nelson that way on sunday morning he launched just before me very early still dark he wouldnt go if nothing around ,,,,,as i say thought a few would like to know 

atleast you got out there doonage and took a feed home,,,,kenepuru this weekend for me
you see the fishing programme late sat night ,adam clancy and crimp they were in the pelorous sound mussell farm fishing

Blackboat. I didn't get a chance to see the fishing programme on Saturday. Any good tips?

I have been out in the sounds this week for work, damn it I should have been fishing, anyhow the people I have been talking to have been getting some great catches of big14-18lb snapper. It's all go by the sounds of it.

Went for a lazy mid-day fish in Mahau sounds today. Paddled across to the far side and anchored up for a few hours, drifted whole squids, had a flasher rig with squid and a slow jig in the water. A few nibbles on the squid and a powerful strike on the slow jig. caught nothing. Wind got gusty and the sea choppy. Cold and wet at times.  Got back to the car just before 5pm.

Fished awatere coast Friday night, my prawn baits were untouched (again) but I took a third rod and  used piper for bait. Caught a constant stream of red cod and small school sharks. After dark landed a big doggie. Sea was calm, there was thick fog at times I could not see 200m down the beach. Between 8pm-9pm the fog turned to rain so I packed up. 

Would head down the coast for a morning fish, then maybe a evening paddle in the QC after snapper.

Spent morning Surfcaster down the east coast, got the normal suspects plus a large KY. They seem to be around in good numbers this year.

Spent evening Snapper fishing one of my spots in the QC, I used acombination of dragging a gulp crab behind my Kayak while fishing Slug-gos outfrount. Conditions were nice but no Snapper caught. Heap of spotty activity.

So far this year I have done 5 Snapper trips and blanked every time. Done double that number after Lemons on the coast for the same result. I must be a slow learner or just stubborn. 

No no snapper :( went out briefly on monday, awesome day out there! Girl who I work with her partner caught a 19lb snapper just out of portage and won the competition that was on with it.. They are around just gotta know where I guess!

Did not get near the sounds.

Just a troll in the lower Opawa sunday afternoon. Found the remains of the Sea Lion . Water is still very dirty, caught nothing.

Sunday evening I headed down to Marfells Bay with the Surf Rods and almost immediatly caught a Lemon/Rig. Also got a bunch of Red Cod.

Think I might wait until the school Snapper turn up before spending to much time in the Sounds. Saturday and Monday was to windy, wet, cold or something to go fishing.