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Hawkes bay tuna

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Work-Up
Forum Description: Game fishing related topics here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129688
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 5:29am


Topic: Hawkes bay tuna
Posted By: ninjabert
Subject: Hawkes bay tuna
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 10:22am
thinking of heading up to Hawkes bay this weekend to have a scout for albacore seeing as the water temps are up around the 18 degree c mark. Any tips on depths to target? Planning to head out to about 70+m before starting to troll, but maybe it's worth trying shallower? 



Replies:
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 5:09pm
Generally 70m is a good place to start. They will come in as close as 30m. Prob depends how clean the water is. Look for birds. Best clues. This seems a bit early, but good luck anyway.
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: ninjabert
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 9:30pm
Thanks very much - good info. Yeah, it's early, but only one way to find out for sure :) Maybe we'll get lucky with some of the all-year round residents!


Posted By: KikBac
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 11:35pm
I recall being in Napier 15 or so years ago when the Top 10 tuna competition was held. Anglers were allowed to weigh 2 x fish each. Anything less than 10 kg was discarded as they were not even close to being in the top 10. There was a huge trailer load of fish which a grateful public got to take home, albacore to 10+ kg. It was February I think ….


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2018 at 6:17am
Keep an eye out for those little black birds (mutton birds?) that sit on the water and keep peering under. If you find them, give that area a shot. Or if you see a work up, or gannets sitting on the water (have fed and can't fly).
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2018 at 6:18am
Keep an eye out for the little black birds (mutton birds?) that sit on the water and peer below. If you find them, give that area a shot. Or a work up, or gannets sitting on the water. Already fed and can't fly.
Alan 


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: ninjabert
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2018 at 10:14am
Thanks Alan - got up to Napier by 9:30am and out to the blue water by about 10:15, back in Welly by midnight :) Plenty of dolphins and gannets around though tuna were quite scarce. In 5 hours of trolling we got two hits and landed one 5kg albacore. We were out quite far in about 100 - 120m of water. Still - I guess it proves they are around. Will post a pic later when I'm home from work. Met the guy who runs rampant charters at the boat ramp - he was pleased to hear tuna are around and reckons we got the first of the season.


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2018 at 11:39am
I would say you did good to get one. Normally end of Dec I start getting interested. I am about 20km sth of Npr (fishing wise).
Have been out last 2-3 days. Just back this morning. Our water temp is 15-16. 
20knt stherly right now. But it does bring the bite on - 6 crays, 6-8 gurnard and 3 terakihi. For a morning - about 2k from home.
Regards
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: ninjabert
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 5:52pm
Here's the albacore we got...Last year I got a pair out at New Plymouth on the 27th Dec...Nice to break that date :)


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 6:18pm
You did well.
If you are that keen on them, maybe I should post you a few :-)
I will post a pic of one my mate caught last yr - off our beach - but quite a way out. You must have gone quite a distance for that fish - 120m off Napier must be around 20k?
Regards
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 6:23pm


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 6:25pm
The big guy took the lure (20kg I think), both were caught on the same lure - at same time. The small guy came to investigate and got tail wrapped in the braid.
Regards
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: ninjabert
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 9:34am
Nice fish - around Wellington a 13kg albert would be considered big. We were out a lot further than 20km. More like 40 - 50km. We started off in 70m near Cape Kidnappers, then trolled out NE across the bay for about 6 hours. Took us over an hour and a tank and a half of gas to get back to Napier port once we pulled the pin. 


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 5:16pm
S..t thats a long way to go for an albie. I go that far for bottom fish and a possibility of a sword (planning for Saturday). But don't think I would cover that ground for an albie.
Did you bottom fish - you must have been near the Banks?
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Tom27
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 5:34pm
Hey Alan are you fishing for swords off the Hawke’s bay? Have you had any success?


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 6:35pm
Been trying for 4-5 yrs. No luck yet. But we don't give up easy.
40-50k out we have a drop off that goes from 400-800m.
Has to be good country. Planning a crack at it this w/end.
We do bottom fish at 350-400 while there, then spend the rest of day at 600.
Regards
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: ninjabert
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 7:22pm
Nah, no bottom fishing, though we passed a few interesting spots and yeah, we were quite close to the banks. Basically trolled the contour where it drops to triple digit depth and then ventured further toward the banks before we finished up .The mission was to see if there was tuna around. I think that one albie worked out at around $400 worth of fuel counting the amount we spent towing the boat up from Wellington haha. Good fun though and great fishing some new water. Love the boat ramp. Hopefully we'll venture back later in the season when we won't have to go quite so far to find the fish.


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 7:46pm
If you are that keen on fishing for them, PM me.
I checked on a map - I am about 40-50k sth of Napier. If you don't mind beach launching thru surf and over a reef, I can take you out some time over summer for them. normally at 70m, about 7 k out. Sometimes closer.
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Tom27
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2018 at 9:55pm
We fish the south madden a bit over summer when weather lets us get out there. Have done a few day drops for swords only to have our baits eaten by squid. Going to have a good crack at it this summer and even try a night drift


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 12:40pm
Yes the squid seem abundant deep down - good reason to fish for a sword. We have had bait attacked by squid to. They are quite aggressive. I have a mate who pulled one up on the game hook. I am about 40k nth of the Maddens - fish a ridge straight out.
Been trying for this w/end. Canned today - possibly tomorrow (Sun). Or maybe Tues. None looking perfect, all looking 'almost'.
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2018 at 6:21am
The commercial guys are in to the albies off our beach (sth of Npr) now. But 40k out. The water will be warmer than our 15.5 deg.
Alan


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Legasea Legend member



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