Went up for 3hrs last afternoon (sun) and took home a dozen Gurnard plus four good Kahawai. Some small Gurnard and Kahawai were returned as undersized. Great afternoon. Only caught one small shark and no rays at all!

Today my back yard smells of the smokehouse, they were brined overnight and should be ready by this evening.

Mullet was all they wanted for bait, turned their noses up at everything else but luckily I'd taken heaps of salted bait just in case.

I think it's time for another week long camp up there!

Ross

I forgot to add that my brother landed a number of Kahawai just using his surfcaster with one of those old white plastic lures with the paua shell stuff inside. He did well, untill he couldn't hold the rod anymore!

More or less the same as we do at Port Waikato. He had a ball.

Ross

In from Tapora mate.

I think you've written about the same place before yourself.

Ross

Yep i have Ross. Was up there a few times during the summer just been.

Im headin up there this Friday evening for a fish actually. Usually would go early morning but my mate cant make it then so evening fish it is.

Any snapper been caught round the area lately?

Watched some blokes putting out a huge kite, went out some kms, but couldn't hang around to see the catch. Little talk of dnapper other than the occasional one. I haven't had anything to speak of from there yet, but it is early. Most likely i'll get them from the boat first.

Ross

Yeah guess we are still in the grips of winter. Paul did mention getting some BIG b*stards lurking there in the winter so hookin one of those beauties would go down a treat.

Will post a report how we go in the fishing reports forum on saturday.

Well i dont think my effort justifies a report in a new thread so i'l put in here.

Headed up friday arvo, got there on dark around 7. Fished til around 10 with not a single bite, bait mullet, pillies and salted bonito.

Had a talk to Paul wen we finished and apparently none of the locals ever fish at night and if they do then only sharks and rays are caugth in that area. No more night fishing at Tapora for me from now on.

Will have to make a good effort and camp there one night and go at it 1st thing.

Im out at Kumeu Dan.

Yeah i'm definately keen to have a crack early morning sometime soon-ish. Will have to wait for the right tide. Will probly be a saturday morning if tide works out that way.

Just had a look at the tide chart, not lookin ideal for september tides. Or even october for that matter. Will keep ya posted if guna make the trip tho Dan.

Wizard, Mosquito bay can give a feed if you get the tides right. Interesting place to fish and sit while the boats pass by.

Good to see there's a bunch of us "Westies" on the net.

Ross

Haha yeah gp the West.

Yep Mosquito Bay is fairly good Dan. Bit of a mission to get to. Basically drive towards helensville, then turn left and go thru Parakai and follow the road, thru South Head township and keep going til you go up a big hill and the road ends. Takes about an hour from my place i think, maybe a bit longer. Anyway u gota park at the top of the hill then walk down a steep hill.

Once at the beach then if its low tide then walk straight out to the water and wade a bit then cast and ya should be casting near or into the channel. If its high then you can stroll round to the rocks on the right and go till a cant go any further, bout 5 or 10 mins and cast off the rocks.

Apart from Mozzie Bay there's f#ck all, can try Shelley Beach wharf for a feed of gurnard or kahawai, with the odd snapp in summer.

Old shelly bearch wharf, been meaning to do a mission up there for a gurnard fish for a while now.

Too bad to hear ya didnt have much luck at Te Pora boz, dawn raid next time eh

another westie here.

had an OK day on Monday at Mosq B. 4 Kahawai, 1 gurnard, on pillies and bonito. Fishing up (and past) the midday low tide. That's all the fish I can deal with eating!

I wouldn't beat yourselves up about going at dawn, although it was hardly electric fishing at this time over about 4 hours, and mostly quite sunny. As long as I get a feed i'm just happy to be there

you are right about the walk it's very steep.

Good on you Seal, well done.

The walk is only steep comming back eh! Just make sure you empty those wee brown bottles so you don't have to carry them up with all that fish in your pack!

Good to hear the M bay is still giving up the fish.

Ross

wouldn't you know it, after two good fishes at MB by myself I took the wife and father inlaw there for the 430 low on sunday. wind was NE and blowing straight in, a bit unpleasant but had muddied the water and broke up the surface quite nicely.

thought it could be quite good but anyway, despite lots of little bites, no keepers.

a rig with small hooks revealed tiny snapper were having our baits for dinner.

oh well, if its not hard sometimes, then where is the fun when its good?

i hope the small snaps bode well for later in the season, as i've yet to catch one land based. (a keeper)

cheers all

Hey all,

Went for a fish at Shelly Beach wharf on friday, tide was midday wind was gusting straight in and for four hours fishing me and my old man caught a small kahawai (which was returned), a paddle crab and a big sprat! Another couple of Maori ladies joined us and caught one small gurnard which they threw back aswell. Not good fishing at all but as they say a bad days fishing is better than a good day at work!

I have been fishing from the shore in the Manukau though within sight of cornwallis warf and have had heaps of kahawai and at least one monster sized gurnard each time ive been. So the fish are still around in the shallows in certain places. Out to the Manukau this Friday again i feel.

laterz

Brendon

Hey Brendon

some tips for fishing at Shelly: fish the high tide, cast as far as you can straigth out from the wharf, use a BOS type sinker and good baits are mullet and salted bonito.

Good luck for the manukau mate. Shelly is generally better in the summer too.

Haha that was exactly what we were doing! yeah probly won't go back there for a while untill all the red weed that we were catching goes away  at least!

Cheers