Crossing the Manukau Bar?
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=30427
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2026 at 11:49am
Topic: Crossing the Manukau Bar?
Posted By: floater
Subject: Crossing the Manukau Bar?
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 1:35pm
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OK, I heard there’s the odd fish out west, so I wanna have a nosey. First thing tho, gotta negotiate the bar. Just wondering if anyone has some good advice for how to approach the bar. Only been over once, many years ago. At that time we came out through the heads more on the southern side & hung a left heading WSW diagonally down the coast for a bit till we got into deeper water. Where’s the big danger zones & what’s the best tide conditions etc? anyone have any marks they use? Cheers for any info. ------------- out of here |
Replies:
Posted By: Dohboy
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 1:47pm
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Questions. What size is your boat? Do you have a chart plotter? Can you do at least 30k when fully loaded? You could ring the coastgard and find out if they will take you through the bar for the first time(this my cost you a small amount, but if you a member i am sure it will be free if they are out there) but the best thing to do if this will be the first time in a long time is to go out there when there is no more then 1m of swell, make sure that it is bang on high or low so the tidal flow is O and have a bit of a play. I can give you some marks to help you out if you need. Dean |
Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:17pm
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Hey Dean, 7.2M alloy
no chartplotter, just handheld GPS(on bracket at helm)
Can do 30k loaded
thanks for the tip on coastguard.
appreciate the advice about zero current.
love to know which general direction to be heading. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: pennyless
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:32pm
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Anywhere between 30/50 mtrs just look for the sign on the fish finder. As dohboy said just give the coast guard a call or check the forum for someone alse going over and follow them Good luck ------------- The wife said if i go fishing one more time she will leave me, god i'm going to miss her |
Posted By: Tinky
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:35pm
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_popupControl(); When you get to the mouth itself, look to your right, and you will see two white markers. One above the other against the northern cliffs. You should line up the two markings so that they are one above the other, and keep them like that on the way out. That will keep you along your track on the southern channel. As previously said, make sure that you do it at the turn of the tide, and time your return also at the turn of the tide, otherwise it can get very nasty. If you have a chartplotter, the southern channel should also be marked on the chart. The northern channel can be easier and shorter ONLY if there is no or little swell. If you can see breakers out at the end of either of the channells forget it and try chasing snapper/gurnard within the harbour. Those breakers can be very close together, and they will sort you out very quickly if you don't know exactly what you are doing. As mentioned above if you are not sure either try Coastguard, or get somebody to go with you who you know runs the bar on a regular basis.
Good luck on that big puka you are chasing!
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Posted By: Dagwood
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:36pm
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No offence intended at all.... but aren't you underestimating the dangers here? Is it worth the risk to be tackling it on the basis of some distant memories and a few tips no matter how well intended from a website? Just a thought.... |
Posted By: deltadreams
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:54pm
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Floater, It does pay to do a trip out with someone who knows the channels, like Tinky said the markers on the northernside are a great mark to use the South Channel with, when i go over I always check swell maps, met service and the surf sites for info of conditions in and out side the heads.Or ask Coastguard what the conditions are like before leaving. Where would you launch from???.
Yep there are some good fish out there at the moment, but the swell out there today is over 4 mtr and with the S.W. it will be a few days before that settles down.
there are a few forum members who do venture out[when the conditions suit] ask and you might get a trip out before taking your own boat. Always can the Coastguard with a Bar Crossing report!!!
good luck
DD ------------- Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed |
Posted By: Dohboy
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 2:59pm
Not trying to give you $hit, but the first time i went through the bar was in a 14.6 ft boat i had no idea what i was doing but it was that carm all was good. I only ever go out when it a UNDER 2m swell and if it is that big i go at the top or bottom of the tide. In these conditions it is not the bar you have to worry about but the washing machine before you get to the channel that will give you the most $hit. In a 7.2m boat you should be ok as long as you take your time or follow someone who knows what they are doing. As i have stated Floater ring the coastguard they will help you out. |
Dagwood wrote:Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 3:30pm
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No offence taken dagwood, i appreciate Your concern & i have no intention of doing anything stupid. I have a healthy respect for the ocean. I just wanted to tap into the huge wealth of experience on this site. As always I respect everyone's views, and any help is much appreciated so keep the tips & advice coming.
Hey DeltaDreams,
Probably Matakawau would be my launching spot, maybe an hour before hightide so i have plenty time to get to the heads & check it out for slack tide. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: Wefaknis
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 3:44pm
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Ive just been down the beach...the QE2 would have a rough ride over the bar today... the bar deserves respect...a charty plotter is always nice to cross bars with... Cheers Wefaknis |
Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 3:45pm
same, it was a 14.6 fyran we launched from matakawau, me, my mate & his dog. we crossed the bar via the southern channel with no dramas and went out to the 'blue water mark'.
having said that I have been in the water on the west coast(Taranaki) when the swell went from waist high(1-2 foot to 6-8foot plus(6 metres) within 3 hours. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: nzbwana
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 5:33pm
Today was a good day to practice crossings..........i was on my way out when i realised i'd forgot my soft plastics............. ------------- MOLON LABE |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 5:47pm
and a clean set of undies for that crossing 
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Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 5:49pm
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that pic woulda excited me when i was a surfer. that'll clean right up soon as the noreaster hits it. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: The Gremlin
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 8:59pm
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You want some GPS marks of south channel?.
------------- Nothing else to life but fishing and beer!. |
Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 9:15pm
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mate, i sure would, i'd stick em straight in the gps.
cheers ------------- out of here |
Posted By: 2SHITS
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 11:02pm
Floater - what northeaster - what banks - where has piha bar gone...  sand dune and carpark reclaimation
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Posted By: Boulder
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2008 at 11:04pm
Floater Please be aware that any gps co-ords are a guide only and you still have to pick your way around whats happening that day.
Having said that, a safe starting point and a safe clear point are of great value on your GPS and allow you to position yourself properly to see what the bar is doing that day. ------------- http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz">  http://www.boulderguiding.co.nz">www.boulderguiding.co.nz |
Posted By: craysee
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 7:01am
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first up when your heading out post on here looking for an experienced SKIPPER to accompany you out, best if they go on your boat so can talk you through the area in real time, rather than just following a boat. or talk to one of your local fishing clubs
As dohboy suggests,
stick to a metre or less swell to start with, slack tides best time to cross. high being best because there is more water covering the banks.
mid outgoing tide is last choice as the outgoing tide combined with a westerly swell can really cause the the waves to stand up.
as you build up your knowledge and experience you can expand your parameters.
swell forecasting is fairly accurate and you shouldnt get caught out with a building swell these days(not saying it wont happen but do your research and you lessen the chance)
http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=95155 - http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=95155 http://www.swellmap.com/reg_forecasts.php?tag=wkto - http://www.swellmap.com/reg_forecasts.php?tag=wkto
http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav6.jsp?region=NZ&program=Maps - http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav6.jsp?region=NZ&program=Maps
these sites are all good for forecasts, buoyweather only runs out a few days if not paid up, swell map you have to be paid up but is very good and windguru is free.
good luck, spiny dogfish are a pain in the arse at this time of year though
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Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 12:05pm
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LOUD & CLEAR ..Over ------------- out of here |
Posted By: Donald Duck
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 6:29pm
| Ever the optimist, I reckon with a nickname like floater, you'll be right mate - just rip into it. |
Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 8:11pm
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lol, yeah, i guess i'm cautiously optimistic. that just means that i believe i can do something & then i try to cover as many bases as i can beforehand. including learning from others mistakes. I've had some great advice from this thread & I'm grateful. it's hard starting at the bottom but hey, gotta start somewhere huh. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: The Gremlin
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 9:14pm
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Floater I will PM you the GPS marks when I get my boat back from a
services. Prob Sat mate. If you need someone to come with you PM me and
I will come (swell) permiting of course. Been over a few times now over
the past four years. Can be hairy at times beleive me.
------------- Nothing else to life but fishing and beer!. |
Posted By: floater
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2008 at 9:52pm
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Many thanks Marlin King. ------------- out of here |
Posted By: deltadreams
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2008 at 6:56am
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Floater, we will chat at the Southern Men's get to gether and sort out a plan, date and time to do it!!!!!a bar crossing that is ------------- Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed |
the Manukau not the Stampede.Posted By: BIG DOG
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2008 at 9:08am
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Floater here are some photos from a trip report this year. Shows both channels.
We went out the north channel by the beach and light and it is very short and quick but not an option when the swell builds. Came in the south in about a 2-2.5m swell in a senator 6.2m no probs.
went out over the manakau today went out the north channel and made our way north about half way up to the cables.
 caught jacks and kawai in about 40 m straight out for livies. Water was pretty green until about 80 - 90 m where in started to get blue and temp went up from 19.8 to 21.7 at 260 m.
caught heaps of skipies starting at 80 m up to 5 kgs and albies up to 8 kgs at all depths out to 260 m. There was about a 2.5 m swell all day but no wind chop and very nice and comfortable all day. Mate on another boat out with us laned a 90-100 kgs stripey in 100 m just south of the cables this is second fish in a week off the manakau. They got one strike out of nowhere on the short corner.
Herd another boat that went south called BIG OO caught a mahimahi and lost another.
not much life out there at all no work ups at all but bait on the sounder alot of the time. Tuna all caught on pink hex heads. The third boat out with us saw another marlin straight out from the bar in about 100 m but he wasn't interested in them.
 Had a look at the north channel on the way back but it was breaking rite across so came back in the south. Was a bit of a fun ride back in and was watching out the back to make sure no swells sneaked up from behind.
   Herd another boat called FUR SEAL on the radio talking to BIG OO saying they saw 2 marlin out south way but not interested also. |
Posted By: billpears
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2008 at 10:12am
Ha, DD, thought you'ed been banned from Stampede's after your last episode of "bar climbing"
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Posted By: deltadreams
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2008 at 4:54pm
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Bill, stick to jelly licking ------------- Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2008 at 11:59pm
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Sounds like the Stampede will be the place to be on Thursday.
Big snapper time out west.....
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Posted By: Jimcanswim
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2011 at 1:35pm
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interesting thread, you could always talk to these guys, they do specialised bar crossing courses. They can take you out on your own boat and teach you how to prepare and the safest route. www.powerboat-training.co.nz |
Posted By: deltadreams
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2011 at 4:59pm
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Hey Jimmy, this subject was posted some time ago i.e. June 2008, I know that those who did post back then have ventured over the Bar several time
DD ------------- Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed |