Castlepoint LBG ??
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Landbased & Surfcasting
Forum Description: From rocks or beaches, here's the place for the landbased fishos to share information
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15099
Printed Date: 30 May 2026 at 6:00am
Topic: Castlepoint LBG ??
Posted By: mr.trout
Subject: Castlepoint LBG ??
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2006 at 12:57pm
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I am an unfortunate fellow trapped inland away from the ocean in Palmerston North. I have a real passion for many forms of fishing. Living in the Manawatu had seen me turn my efforts to freshwater fishing the fine rivers we have in this region - in particular the Upper Manawatu, which has simply blown me away at times with the sheer number of fish it has yielded me over the several years I have fished it.
However, my 1st true fishing love is Land Based Saltwater - however my geographical location and the rising price of fuel means that this form of our fine sport limited to the odd weekend trip (normally when the rivers are up and dirty !). One spot I have caught many a fine fish is the good old reef at Castlepoint which I have found is sometimes loaded with Gurnard and Kahawai. On one occasion around 12 months ago I had the pleasure of a mid week day on the reef fishing with the well known personality Gary Kemsley. It was just the 2 of us on the reef that day and we both landed some huge Gurnard and large numbers of medium Kahawai. During that day Gary spoke of the potential for LBG off the reef - and ever since I have been gagging to give it a try. My next trip over in Spring will see me taking along my TLD50 and newly purchased LBG rod.
Can anyone shed any light on the possibilities of any LBG captures and any hints or tips at targeting the likes of Kingies etc off this magnificent fishing structure. Any help would be greatly appreciated guys and girls...
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Replies:
Posted By: Boz19
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2006 at 1:40pm
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That reef there is damn impressive. Very deep and with plenty of current if i recall correctly, is that right mr.trout? would imagine there would be some biggish sharks that would cruise by there from time to time. Never fished there myself so cant say anything for certain. you nevre know what will turn up though, if you have a livie out there swimming around then anyhting can happen.... |
Posted By: mr.trout
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2006 at 12:19pm
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Hey thx for that Boz. Yeah it is fairly deep right off the reef and is indeed impressive to the eye. From all accounts it looks like it should produce the goods, especially with blue water pretty damn close in on occassions. I am sure that reasonable sharks would certainly cruise the area and I have seen schools of leaping fish only a couple of hundred meters off the reef that were too big to be kahawai - maybe some species of tuna ?? I would love to hear from anyone that has landed any form of gamefish from the structure. Regardless, I will be hittting it come springtime and I can't wait !! I have yet to see anyone live bait from the reef - whether this is due to lack of fish or timid fisherman, I am not sure - one thing that is for sure is the fact that you gotta be in to win !! |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2006 at 9:46pm
| Hiya Mr Trout, welcome to the froum. Unfortunately I cant help you but you can bet your boots someone will. |
Posted By: borrrris
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2006 at 11:03pm
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Wicked looking place to fish alright. Remember going there as a kid a few times. Wouldnt like to have my back turned there though. Claimed a few lives i think. Cheers |
Posted By: shimma
Date Posted: 13 Jul 2006 at 3:10pm
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Around 31 sadly so far Borrrris I've posted this before, but that trip we did there, the very next day, a guy who cant swim, was caught by a wave as he tried to jump the 'gap,' a small roughly a metre wide gap, which enables you to walk out to the end of the reef, but he misjudged the incoming wave, and was swept into the lagoon behind, where he struggled, before his mate who also couldn't swim, dived in to rescue him, but he was the one who ended up drowning in the washing machine sea action that occurs there, as more waves crash over, and ironicly, the guy who was first swept in, with his fishing rods and gear, survived, managing to get to the shallower water ....I'm not sure, but I sort of recall reading about some of the others of the 31 , who also have died at this 'gap' trying the same leap..... ------------- 
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....I've fished there once, a nice platform, but you sure do need eyes in the back of your head. Even those who have just been knocked off balance by a rogue wave, and washed back down to the bottom, are gashed and scratched to buggery. One evil mean shell embedded structure, it'll cut you to ribbons 
Posted By: mr.trout
Date Posted: 13 Jul 2006 at 6:46pm
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Now we are talking Shimma !! A real challenge. I have yet to make the leap, generally doing my fishing this side of that gap.
I guess the grass always looks greener on the other side. Mind you it will probably suit LBG from that side away from the hordes of fishos that frequent the more easily accessable area. Have you heard of any good LBG captures ???
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Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 13 Jul 2006 at 10:55pm
Surfed there a bit in years gone buy, she is a nasty streach of water thats for sure unforgiving evil b!t#H are three other words that also come to mind 
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Posted By: shimma
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2006 at 1:27pm
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mr trout, a challenge it may be, alas there are a few wives and mothers who would dearly like to be able to rewind 'lifes tape' to the day before their loved ones decided to take that leap. You gotta remember, it's a leap back again after, with perhaps a rising tide, maybe laden with some fish fillets etc, not worth the risk. Fishing off that second part of the reef, after a successful leap, -------------
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Posted By: cosmo
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2006 at 8:28pm
yep have yet to see a fish thats worth dying for
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Posted By: Mars
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2006 at 1:40pm
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I have heard of kingies, sharks and puka caught off this reef, so the bigguns are there. Have fished it a couple of times with no great success (just kahawai and the odd gurnard), but I wasn't targetting the biggies. Also saw a cray come up on a ledger rig, so there are bonuses.
Most of my LBG has been done up at the East Cape, and several spots require 'a leap'. The location you wind up on should have a bit of high ground, as you are usually there for the duration of the tide. I would do a few trips on the safer part of the reef at Castlepoint, and keep an eye on the weather/swell, and watch how the tide states affect the outer part of the reef. Maybe an inflatable for access so you can get out of there when you like rather than wait for the tide. 31 notches on the warning signs tell you to take this spot seriously. Pete Lamb would be a good contact on this location. I know he has caught kingies there and has fished it alot. Would be worth a phone call for you. Mars |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2006 at 8:01pm
Geez you'll make a 1000 posts yet Mars 
We used to fish at Paratutae (Whatipu on the Manukau Heads) and that had a little leap. would try it now because I have wobbly knees, but didn't give it a second thought back then.
My mate fell in there one day..... but he got out - minus smokes, hat and stuff like that.
Never been to Castlepoint but have read about it lots.
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Posted By: mr.trout
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2006 at 12:34pm
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Thanks for that advice Mars. Will give Mr Lamb a try for a bit more info. Cray on a ledger... now that is a top way of securing some quality bait !!
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Posted By: Boz19
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2006 at 1:49pm
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Bait!?! straight onto the barbie or into the pot with them crays mate
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Bah such blasphemy trout! Unless you are going to use it to bait a female back to your lair or some such activity 
Posted By: Mars
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2006 at 4:02pm
Haha, nice Smudge. 1 post a month should do it. Might slow down now though, as my reason for getting the 1000 was to reach Gold status, but I see they are now giving them away! 
Yep talk to Pete Mr Trout. He'll also tell you that 1 cray will catch 1000 fish, but I'd prefer to eat it. I also like Boz's idea.... 
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Posted By: mr.trout
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2006 at 12:40pm
There must be plenty of fish in your neck of the woods Boz ! Down this way the capture of such a crustacean means just one thing... spotty shark, moki and snapper bait ! Do people actually eat those ugly looking critters!!??
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Posted By: Boz19
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2006 at 1:03pm
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i will admit that it is seldom that i capture any crays mr trout, so when i do then they get scoffed pretty quick
one day when i have got a few then bait they shall be, wherever that far away moment is...
havent you heard that all the decent fish are north of the bombays too, mr trout ??
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Posted By: lambo
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2006 at 3:27pm
| yes castlepoint is one of the best kingi spots in the lower north island and one of the most dangerous. ive caught a couple of good ones to 50lb and seen plenty of others had plenth of livebaits chomped from sharks too. give me a call if you are going our there 0274 439750 or 04 3878150 |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2006 at 3:33pm
| Gidday Pete great to see you on here as well, Welcome. |
Posted By: Pole Dancer
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2006 at 12:06am
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It's always an eirie feeling fishing on a reef that has a plaque dedicated to all the fishermen who have died there!
Clark ------------- http://www.clarkreid.co.nz" rel="nofollow - www.clarkreid.co.nz FFF Certified Casting Instructor / Umpqua Designer Tier 
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Posted By: Paul M
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2006 at 3:49pm
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Couple of us spearo's in Welly have been keen on a mission over here for a few seasons, hard to get the right weather.
They catch yellow fin offshore when the bluewater is down the coast and all the little tuna quite regular.
My dad is sure he saw a pair of spearfish further down the coast at Kahu rocks many years back while diving. He saw some big ocean going turtles not long after so I always half believed him, then another spear reckoned he'd seen a spearfish there also.
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Posted By: Mars
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2006 at 6:04pm
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Nice pic Paul. Shows the notorious parts of the reef just right - swell crashing over.
Welcome to the forums Pete. I see you've been lurking there for a couple of years, just as I have been on your boards! I knew you would be the guy to talk to regarding this reef. Don't want any more names etched into the signs... |
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2006 at 9:41pm
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hell looks pretty mean out there dont it. Can ya fish the seaward ledges all the way down to the gut? ------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: lambo
Date Posted: 03 Aug 2006 at 9:46am
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its a safe place when there is no swell. check the Castlepoint marine forcast b4 you go, if its 1mtr or less from north or sth then its good.
its the same as driving on a road thats killed people. if you are sensible, prepared and careful there are no problems.
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Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 03 Aug 2006 at 10:06am
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Hey Pete nice to have ya here mate just out of interest - where on the map is the dodgy part of the reef? ------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: Mars
Date Posted: 03 Aug 2006 at 3:55pm
| JK, can you see the white water washing over the ledge that separates the lagoon from the ocean in 2 places? They are the spots NOT to be... |
Posted By: shimma
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2006 at 3:13pm
It's the 1st gap that is 'jumpable',or a real quick scramble down a bit and back up, the 2nd you need springs on ya feet...
This is what happened to the guy when he misjudged an incoming wave at it, and was in the middle of getting across, when the wave caught him, and just washed him into the lagoon, which because of the photo height, you can't see the churned up motion of the water, that it becomes after the huge volume of the waves, constantly break over on a rough day, and has that lagoon working like a washing machine, creating all sorts of problems for anyone foolish to be caught in it... -------------
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Mars wrote:Posted By: mr.trout
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2006 at 1:13pm
| Thanks for the response Pete and the rest of the guys. Just got back from an extended work trip( + fishing of course), hence no response for some time ! Definitely want to hit it when the weather gets a bit more reasonable. Will certainly be in touch soon Pete. I like the sound of those sharks and other you speak of. |
Posted By: xtremefisho
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2017 at 9:03pm
| growing up in the area spent a lot of time fishing castlepoint and the storys are true I do remember 20 odd years ago on a couple occasions seeing big game fish from the reef a marlin cruising along not far out and a large scool of tuna passing by I have seen some big sharks rays and as posted not that uncommon to get the bonus of a cray tangled up in the line. |
Posted By: LBGer
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 9:55pm
Impressive, check the video FF to 0:50. ------------- A king on the bricks is worth 5 in a boat. |
Posted By: taurangatroutmaster
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2017 at 3:00pm
| i grew up in palmy used to fish castle point quite alot, havent for 15 odd years though. used to catch heaps of kahawai, the odd kingy on livies, got bitten off by heaps of sharks, mate got a pup hapuka and ledgers dropped straight off the side got crayfish quite often. the small gap you see nailed my mate big time, he hesitated for only a second then ran and just got wiped out by a the wave, luckily for him there was an old rusty steel pole in the rocks( its proberly rusted away by now) that he got washed into and stopped him, otherwise he would have ended up in the lagoon. he only went around 3m from memory down the rock face but lost most the skin down the left hand side of his body, had to get him to masterton hospital real quick. be careful out there |
Posted By: BananaBoat
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2017 at 1:40pm
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Bloody hell, those waves coming over the top are wicked Would be truly impressive to see when huge sets pound that area |
Posted By: ITrY
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 10:36pm
| Hey guys, just moved to masterton. Only used to fishing the sand and stony beaches of hawkes bay and Manawatu , any tips on rigs for castle point? Thinking ledger with a 4-5 oz sinker on bottom.... No need for sand sinkers here? Completely unfamiliar with the area |