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Small Boat wanganui or foxton

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Newbies Corner
Forum Description: If you're new to fishing this is the place to ask any questions about getting started ...
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=124724
Printed Date: 01 Feb 2026 at 8:25pm


Topic: Small Boat wanganui or foxton
Posted By: Rookiesteade
Subject: Small Boat wanganui or foxton
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2017 at 4:33pm
Hi everyone, just looking to see if anyone out there ever takes a smaller boat out from wanganui or foxton. I have recently bought a 4.5m steadecraft with a 70hp outboard and 9hp auxillary which i am currently fitting with all the safety gear, fixed vhf, bilge pump, navigation ect ect. I have had it out a couple times on lake taupo but when its ready im keen to get out catching some saltwater fish, And so living in palmy whanganui or foxton rivermouths are the most convienient to me. Would love to hear from anyone else who has gone out from from there in a similar boat. Cheers :)



Replies:
Posted By: miker
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 8:03am
HI mate both bars can be knarley, where as Foxton you have to judge and get to know the bar, Whangas mainley gets pressure waves, which can be a little unnerving for 1st timers.
I fish out of Whanganui, and have not had a problem, when I get there if the carpark is empty the locals know best I go back home.
If you go from Foxton talk to a local and follow him out, people dont mind helping out.
Dont forget this is the west coast, weather changes in a half an hour, be prepared, in saying that I have seen smaller boats 3 - 5 ks outside the Whanganui bar.
Get all the safety equipment but your best friend is common sense.
 


Posted By: Rookiesteade
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 3:00pm
Hi thanks for all the great info! Other than the carpark rule you mentioned, what sort of conditions would you recommend heading out in on a smaller craft like mine?


Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 4:54pm
For Manukau Bar in my 4.2M boat  (on upper west coast) 1m swell or less (metservice swell forecast) and incoming tide (on Manukau Bar outgoing tide particularly big ones it really chops up) - best to go out with a local first...either in his boat or follow out.

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Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish.


Posted By: CrayZfish
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2017 at 10:38am
Hi Rookie
I lived in Feilding for 5 years and took my 5m Ali boat with 75Hp Mariner 10-12 times per year. These were probably the 10-12 best days of the year mind you, so I took an Annual Leave day when the easterly or better still NE blew for a few days and swell was less than 1m and wind was light less than 10knots of day you are going. Some days swell map would say 1m and off shore was glass. I regularly went to 20 or 30m mark straight off bar (W) or a little towards (N) from here.
 
Best thing you can do is join Coastguard. And do trip reports before crossing and on return. I do not suggest trying to go over the bar on your Auxiliary if your motor fails, in fact I would rely on Coastguard to tow you should you need to get back safely.
 
Try not to cross bat at low or the last hour of outgoing, as I have come across the pressure waves mentioned above even on light swell days that can be daunting.
 
Best thing to do is go out with someone else first on a flat day and even a marginal day to give you some perspective on this bar in varied conditions.
 
A great fishery you will enjoy it down there it is a Supermarket of great eating fish.
PM me if you want some GPS marks I no longer need them up north...
Enjoy
 


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Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!


Posted By: Rookiesteade
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2017 at 1:22pm
Awesome thanks for all the great info guys, ill be following out a guy i know on the first good day i find once im all set up and hopefully let you all know how i get on! Cheers.


Posted By: CrayZfish
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 2:32pm
There will be dozens of boats heading out this Sunday Rookiesteade.
Suspect unless you get there early the carpark will be full and you may have to walk a way back from your car. That is always a good sign it'll be nice out there.
 
Looking forward to the report.
 


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Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!


Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 6:20pm
Great post CrayZfish. Thanks for helping out the new guy.

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Best gurnard fisherman in my street


Posted By: Joker
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2017 at 7:04pm
Originally posted by MacSkipper MacSkipper wrote:

For Manukau Bar in my 4.2M boat  (on upper west coast) 1m swell or less (metservice swell forecast) and incoming tide (on Manukau Bar outgoing tide particularly big ones it really chops up) - best to go out with a local first...either in his boat or follow out.

Agree with that outgoing tide on the Manukau South channel MacSkipper. Its  the last kick of the outgoing tide that can really make the swells stand up. 


Posted By: Rookiesteade
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2017 at 11:36am
Hey mate finnally getting a chance to write up that trip report! Went out over the bar which was almost flat at about 8am to the 20m mark and threw down the burley. Put down a flasher rig and straight away both hooks got taken by 2 good sized kahawai (put up a pretty hearty battle) and for the next hour i had the best fishing Ive experienced pulling up a few blue cod, gurnard, one snapper and even pulled up a big ugly barracuta and some sort of tanned coloured shark. The fishing slowed right down after my burley ran out but i was bloody stoked with the day as is. So took the fish home to my parents place and had a good feed!

Cheers for all your helpfull advice the day couldnt have gone so well without it :)


Posted By: CrayZfish
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2017 at 2:53pm
Originally posted by Rookiesteade Rookiesteade wrote:

Hey mate finnally getting a chance to write up that trip report! Went out over the bar which was almost flat at about 8am to the 20m mark and threw down the burley. Put down a flasher rig and straight away both hooks got taken by 2 good sized kahawai (put up a pretty hearty battle) and for the next hour i had the best fishing Ive experienced pulling up a few blue cod, gurnard, one snapper and even pulled up a big ugly barracuta and some sort of tanned coloured shark. The fishing slowed right down after my burley ran out but i was bloody stoked with the day as is. So took the fish home to my parents place and had a good feed!

Cheers for all your helpfull advice the day couldnt have gone so well without it :)
 
No worries, happy to help out, glad you found the variety i explained, certainly a supermarket for different species, in that spot i caught my PB Bluecod at 2.3Kg, and within a few 100m have caught Kahawai to 2.7Kg and my first 20lb snapper.
 
I suspect the tan shark was a carpet shark, did it's skin feel like leather? They are pretty tame and some days you will get plenty of them normally on the big bait thats been sitting down there for a while.
 
Sounds like the Mighty west coast was firing everywhere. Watch the weather again between now and christmas and try to get out to the 30m mark if it is flat, believe me it is worth the extra distance if for nothing else, just the Terakihi.
 
Enjoy
 


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Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!


Posted By: BrieDenver
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2017 at 10:35pm
Originally posted by smudge smudge wrote:

Great post CrayZfish. Thanks for helping out the new guy.

Thanks, CrayZfish! Yup, that was definitely helpful.


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Fishing Novice and Photographer at Petstreetmall, we're your http://www.petstreetmall.com/" rel="nofollow - pet supplies experts.


Posted By: jaybnz
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 9:06pm
Hi CrayZfish. New out to foxton and struggling to find any decent spots. had a couple of snapper by luck but see you helped rookiestead to get going. any chance of a spot or two where you had some luck? much appreciated


Posted By: CrayZfish
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2021 at 9:51am
Thanks for reaching out, i only fished form Foxton a handful of times before i started fishing from Wanganui and never went back. If you want some more info on Wanganui spots PM me and i can help you out. Should be more settled weather of the next few months so it'll be worthwhile going the extra distance.

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Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!


Posted By: Mrnots
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2021 at 7:37pm
Originally posted by CrayZfish CrayZfish wrote:

Thanks for reaching out, i only fished form Foxton a handful of times before i started fishing from Wanganui and never went back. If you want some more info on Wanganui spots PM me and i can help you out. Should be more settled weather of the next few months so it'll be worthwhile going the extra distance.

I must be missing something here, lol. I just created an account to PM you but for the life of me can not figure out where the direct message / private message button is at? any help? xD



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