Great Barrier Kingies
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Heavy Metal - Jig fishing
Forum Description: Anything related to jig fishing here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=108326
Printed Date: 01 Feb 2026 at 10:02am
Topic: Great Barrier Kingies
Posted By: footey
Subject: Great Barrier Kingies
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2015 at 3:19pm
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Just back from a great week at Barrier. The snapper fishing was great but we really struggled on the kingies in spite of a lot of effort with jigs and live baits. The lack of kingy sign was noticeable but there appeared to be a huge abundance of bait on most reefs. We wondered if that's what the issue was. To much natural bait? In one spot east out behind barrier close to a reef we came across heaps of schools of anchovies balled up with the gannets just sitting on the water to full even to care- they were having trouble flying and even spewing up. We were leaning out the side of the boat and scooping them up with our hands. The schools were being rounded up by skippies. Overall our efforts yielded a few rats but not one legal. Very unusual as have always done lots better than that. I would be interested in how others have been doing or opinions. Maybe we just suck on kingies!!
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Replies:
Posted By: Espresso
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2015 at 4:41pm
Hmm very interesting footey..I threw a few stick baits around Arid etcday before yesterday, no real takers which I found strange. I was also out the back of Arid a ways - no signs of any bait...where were the gannets and anchovies? West of Miners reef were a lot of skippies doing the same. Ha yeah funny watching fat gannets unable to get airborne (more southern Barrier way) and just flagging the takeoff and splash back  |
Posted By: footey
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2015 at 5:18pm
| Yep we spent a day around the reefs close to Arid. The bait was between Arid and Miners at approx 90 metre mark. Each time we got to the workups on which only the skippies were active - they died out before we got there. Not once did we see any sign under the schools. They were moving real fast. |
Posted By: Bossco
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2015 at 8:45pm
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Found heaps of rats and quite a few legals around Miners and then on the SE end on those 40m pins that are dotted around but hoards of mice on those. Where they are on the structure changes constantly with the tide Cuvier has some okay fish on the deep pins in 100-90m to the E so maybe the deeper foul and pins at barrier would be the go as well.
Also been stuff all kahawai and kings at Channel Island the times I've been over the past 3 weeks but tons of Kahawai and Kings in closer with the work ups so maybe they have moved in up the firth. |
Posted By: PhilD
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2015 at 2:30am
| Did a bit of fishing and spearfishing in that general area over easter. Schools of rats up to 700 around Anchorite. A few larger kingis mainly hunting solo or in pairs on pinnacles a little further offshore. Also a few solo rats and the occasional decent single or pair working schools of bait in close. |
Posted By: jackel
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2015 at 8:59pm
| Has anyone got any more info on the Kingi situation at the barrier at the moment please, hoping to be over that way this weekend. Cheers |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2015 at 3:00am
Late Nov is good for kings over there Karl.....Cottten cordell popper either cast or trolled....Good luck dood.......Hope you are well mate  ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
jackel wrote: