launching parakai/kaipara questions
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=110350
Printed Date: 19 Jun 2026 at 8:30pm
Topic: launching parakai/kaipara questions
Posted By: gurnard
Subject: launching parakai/kaipara questions
Date Posted: 27 May 2015 at 8:20pm
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hey guys Ive recently got a new boat its a smartwave 3500 center console, and as I live near the Kaipara was thinking about launching at the ramp on springs road in parakai. I would go to Shelly Beach but my tow wagon is no good for there on anything other than 2 hours before and after high tide (old front wheel drive Toyota), so if anyone has launched at Parakai on the lower tides can they let me know what its like? Also how far is it from the ramp to shelly beach or any fishing grounds? Is it worth the drive further north to Hoteo River? I have a 30hp on the back if that helps. any help very much appreciated
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Replies:
Posted By: Harmul
Date Posted: 28 May 2015 at 8:20am
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All depends on what sort of fishing you want to do in the Kaipara. I launch at the Hoteo for two reasons: A, its 2 mins from home, and B, I can go out and catch several 30cm snapper, a couple of gurnard and be back home in time for breakfast. Well that was before my Honda 4 stroke decided to call it a day.......... If you were after the bigger snapper, then the closer you can get to where you want to go the better. Hoteo to the Graveyard is similar distance to Omaha to Little Barrier time wise.
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Posted By: lemmy
Date Posted: 28 May 2015 at 9:59am
| Can't you just unhitch your trailer at Shelly Beach and roll it down on jockey wheel seen plenty of people do that with boats that size. |
Posted By: advtracing
Date Posted: 28 May 2015 at 11:54am
| after the same details , based in helensville and wanting to fish the kaipara ( when i find someone to come along who knows the harbour ) wasn't sure how easy it would be to load / unload a 17ft by myself at these locations |
Posted By: catch1t
Date Posted: 28 May 2015 at 7:53pm
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never put the boat in at Parakai but sussed it out. Didnt like it at all at lowish water, ramp was greasy and seemed like a lot of current. GO to Shelly, Gurnard. Your toyotamota will be ok. on the lower tides just follow the wheel marks and you should be right. plenty of people around if you get stuck. Ive used 4 wheel drive twice, both times in places I should have known better and with a fairly heavy boat. |
Posted By: catch1t
Date Posted: 29 May 2015 at 8:46pm
check your private messages mate.
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advtracing wrote:Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 29 May 2015 at 9:05pm
| Don't use Parakai have heard of cars getting broken in to. As catchit says Shelly beach is the go, just get there real early to get a park. |
Posted By: sappercatcha
Date Posted: 29 May 2015 at 10:01pm
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1. its a long way to the harbour 2 the ramp is covered in thick slippery mud and your more likely to get stuck there than at shelly beach 3. hope your car is still there when you get back or at least still has tyres on it 4. there's no café there for a coffee it honestly is a bit of a prick in less you have a good 4wd and even then she's pretty dicey at times its pretty slippery and steep (could easily end up with the car in the tide) and well known for getting **** stolen. takes me about an hour from the boat club to the green marker and springs is only a few mins closer if you want a good ramp join the boat club they have a high-pressure hose for washing the mud off the ramp 1st having said that there's nothing wrong with launching at shelly beach in a 2wd if you know that your doing I lunched there quite a bit in a mates bmw (lowered boy racer thing) at dead low when he had it never got stuck..... the only time ive been stuck was in a big f**k off 4wd and that's coz I thought we were invincible in that thing. nothing a mate in his hilux couldn't get out though thank god. there's good hard spots even at low tide just walk it 1st you'll soon find them to far left and its soft to far right and its soft the centre of the beach is pretty good in less its a real low one but if that's the case just chill for 1/2 hour rig your lines cut up your bait ready to go or go have a coffee the tide comes in very quick pm me your phone number and come out for a fish one day ill show ya how to do it without getting stuck cheers darryn ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">  keep up the good work boys
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Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 30 May 2015 at 7:16am
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As Darryn said, he's know the kaipara as good as anyone. The other thing is watch the wind. Tha kaipara hates any wind and when it's agaist the tide the waves stand streight up and can be real dangerous. Get stuck on a sand bar when the winds coming up, good luck. A North easterly is a prick of a wind be cause it blows down through Helensville and streight up the harbour and it will also blow your boat under the shelly beach warhf, good for broken rods. The only thing forget about the grave yard until you know the harbour better. I know there's been a couple a vids on here showing how easy it's supposed to be. But believe me its a very dangerous place if you don't know what your doing. You need to have the wind and tide right to keep the swells out, you need a good boat and motor. I keep the motor running because if you drift to far back and into the breakers it's all over. Anchors don't work well out there cause there's a ship load of water running through. Don't watch what's happening and you will easily take one over the back or side and its good by, the coast gaudre is all the way back in Hellensville and they take a long time to get there. But there's plenty of good fishing in the harbour without have to go all the way out there and the lagoon is very cool and well worth the drive. I live in Helensville so pm me if you want someone to fish with. |
Posted By: letsgetem
Date Posted: 30 May 2015 at 8:48am
| Whats launching like on the east side of Kaipara? |
Posted By: gurnard
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 6:57pm
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thanks for all the advice guys very much appreciated. have been taking my boat out on the Manukau where I grew up and did most of my boat fishing the last two weeks just until I get the tides right but after reading this should be fine now. Re the Graveyards I dont think ill be going near there, only around Shelly Beach itself and up near the concrete marker as Ive just got a 30hp outboard and wouldnt want to get stuck out there unexperienced etc
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Posted By: catch1t
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 7:54pm
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Have a look at some of 'fishwhisperer' vids in the DB Export Fishing Report forum. Some good views of low tide launching and some of the spots he fishes are very close to Shelly Bch..
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