1.I need some help! How in the name of all things fishy do I get through all the @#$%^& pickers to the bigger fish?I know you are supposed to go bigger on hook and bait size but this doesn't seem to deter the little sods... got a spotty @ the weekend smaller than the pilly I hooked it on. This is a recurring theme-plenty of bites but theyre all from little fish-cant keep a bait in the water for more than 5 minutes before it gets shredded.Doesn't seem to make a difference what rig I use... Any suggestions before I lose what little hair I have left?

2.Fairly fresh off the boat from the UK,lived in Nelson for about 6 months now.Havent got a boat yet so all my fishing is either surfcasting or off the bricks.Have fished from Kaiteriteri to Okiwi Bay Wharf but what I want to know is where are the spots that dont get hammered-the Back Beach is more like Las Vegas some days!Any help would be much appreciated by this disgruntled Pom ...

 

The spotty problem is epic in the top of the sounds, nothing at all you can do about it really.... Even using soft plastics the little buggers just bite the tails off and stuff them anyway..... try fishing in places with a bit more current as have found they arent able to shred it quite as fast...

 

For landbased stuff where there might be a few less people you might try Cable bay.... Try and walk around to the left of the bay, but not out to the point as thats the start of the marine reserve that goes back round to the glen.

 

Or Hori Bay is a bit more isolated and on a nice day is pretty good. But it cops the weather a fair bit... If you can get a calm day, or anything from the east/south its not bad there.... You get to it following some foresty roads that turn off the main highway (SH6) about 2 thirds of teh way to the okiwi bay turn-off from Nelson. Theres a massive macrocarpa tree on the left with a sign saying whether the road to Hori bay is open or closed, it always says closed but sometimes the gate isnt locked so we jsut head up there thers normally nobody working there on a sunday.

 

Theres a  number of spots over in the Kenepuru sounds for surfcasting for snapper, Best bet would be take a tent and camp at one of the DOC camps round the kenepuru and explore the place for a weekend.

 

good luck....

 

Im sure there will be others that will give you some good advice. Andy is from nelson and knows a few good spots....

 

The key is to get their EARLY. I only really bother fishing dawn and dusk. The best fishing I have found is low tide Dawn and full tide at Dusk.

Access can be a problem so it is best to park in Parkers Rd and walk. You can fish to the left off the reef into the channel or go right and fish in front of the lagoon. There aren't too many people down there at these times so you don't have to worry about the dogs having a go at your bait .

I usually head home with a couple of pannies and/or a good scrap with a couple of eagle rays. (good sport for a bit).

Give me a PM if you want to head out sometime.

Where is hellum cove?

Cheers Trent

Headed out this morning 5.30am Back Beach. Fished the low tide and then right into the change. It gets very currenty on this type of tide phase so even with breakouts the line was moving a fair bit. Scored a large YEM and 2 just legal Snaps which were returned to get bigger. Beautiful morning though. No wind and flat as. Tried for a RIG with a 2 hook running rig with half paddle crab bait. No luck on that.

Might be heading out tomorrow morn if the "boss" allows. Otherwise it's on a mates boat Sunday. Cool.

Trent

 

I find that gulp crab bait seems to be fairly spotty proof, atleast for while anyway. The beaches in the sounds are magic places to fish even if the fishing isn't going off. Give them a try. Cheers,

 

Falcon

 

 

 

Anybody been getting any KY recently? I've not seen any for a while...

Cheers Trent

Anyone else have better luck in Nelson over Easter?

Still a week and a bit of holiday to go so I hope to get out again once this front passes through.

Might try Mapua Wharf on the incoming today. Friend of ours got 6 edibles from there the other week.

 

Try something like 6/0 and up...shouldnt catch spottys on those!

 

Normally I use about a #4 Ockie hook but yesterday we were using cod hooks. They seem to be drive by hookings  i.e. in the lower jaw, in the side, in the tail  .... mind you I think spotties are just greedy lil buggers and bite at anything! It's more a problem of there seeming to be very few other species of fish around to catch. Very small KY last week from the back beach - but no whoppers!

I've posted what I believe to be the best times for fishing the Back Beach above. I have tried a number of techniques/rigs. I normally fish two rods. I will see which is working on any particular session and stick to that. The best results I have had are using a two hook ledger rig using a breakout sinker. Hook size can be an issue depending on the time of year. I normally go 3 or 4/0 circle hooks (gammys) with glow beads or tubing.

I have fished over the winter for the past two years and although it can be absolutly stunning in regard to the scenery with the snow on the hills and very settled oily water, I haven't caught too much. A few spotty dogs and the like. Personally I prefer to take it a little easier over the winter, build some brownies, and go hard when the weather/water warms up.

Usually starts with a big influx of eagle rays from November and then the odd gurnard followed by the Snapper Jan-April.

In saying this, you never know what might turn up at any time. There are a couple of spots that I might target soon for any big fulltime residents.  . I would be interested to hear what others have done since the start of May as I haven't been out at all this month.

Baitinabucket, just re-read your posts. Are you sure they are Kahawai? I caught some pretty large yellow eyed mullet from the BB last month. They are similar to small K's but lack the spots, are a slightly slimmer and have a different fin pattern. Just wondering .......

Cheers T

 

 

Last time fishinabarrel and I went fishing it was to Cable Bay bech a few Sundays ago. Stunning day weather wise but that was it. Lost 2 sets of gear on the rocks but managed to find them when the tide went out plus one ouncer.

Friends of ours went out past the cut last Sunday and only got a red cod

( eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!) and a spotty they could fit in a very small Tupperware container and back pocket. Other friends went out to Stephens Island on the Saturday and got several decent groper and a blue cod .... which were delicious on the barbie.

 

We might head out today to the back beach ... need some fresh air.

Cheers T