Manukau Gurnard
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Fishing Reports
Forum Description: Share information about your latest fishing trip
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5398
Printed Date: 03 Aug 2026 at 5:09am
Topic: Manukau Gurnard
Posted By: smudge
Subject: Manukau Gurnard
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2004 at 11:33pm
|
I didnt go out as I hoped to on saturday because it was a tad windy so went out Sunday for a practice fish for the forum challenge. Just went to my usual spot , went right past a small flotilla of boats fishing in 5m just off Matakawau. The boats stayed there a while so i guessed they were catching. We started getting gurnard straight away, then they stopped after an hour or so, but we were getting plagued by little kahawai, which in turned disappeared whenm the burley ran out.... funny that. We moved into the middle of the channel after the tide mostly stopped and drifted through there picking up a couple of reasonable fish before heading home. In all we caught about 20 or so keeping 12 good ones. Three were just under a kilo and one went over so was a good catch. The biggest fish had snaffled a little kahawai frame before getting hooked, we just filleted one of the little buggers to try for bait, and thrown the frame over, would have thought it too big for a gurnard to take. One of the other large gurnard had a whole fish in it's gut, looked like a sandfish but was kind of digested. Sandfish look like a little dogfish and are about the size of a pilchard. Hmmmm live baiting for gurnard maybe??? The rest of the gurnard had been feeding on crabs, shrimps and flounder. The other interesting thing was the catch rate on light gear, we had 5 rods out in total - all rigged the same - 15kg (for the giant gurnard) it took 1 gurnard, 10 kg - zip, 8 kg managed 2, 3 kg and 2kg rods took the rest. Kind of convincing dont you think? so was a good day in all. Best bait was mullet. ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Replies:
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2004 at 11:43pm
|
another hard man...... **** im becoming a whimp not going out till it clears up..... good on you Smudge and well done to boot as well........ just dont catch em all before the Forum Comp now you hear......... ------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 12:11am
|
Some pics ... http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89066">http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89066 http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89067">http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89067 http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89065">http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=89065 ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: tobez
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 6:34am
|
good to see youve sussed out the phot0 shop smudgy...makes those small fish look real big..he he ------------- Waikato North Harbourmaster...Got a Nav Safety question for the Waikato region?...call me 021705642 or download the app Marine Mate! |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 7:15am
|
Smudges photo's
------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 7:16am
 ------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 7:18am
 ------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Grounded
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 7:43am
|
Well done Smudge, some nice looking Gurnard there (courtesy of Bushie). I hope to get out for an hour or two on Wdnesday. Tides are all wrong and my sounder is stuffed (have to take the plunge for a new one) but Katherine is keen and the forecast looks good, so.... Chris ------------- It's a mystery to me I was a Jerk On Line |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 8:04am
|
Thanks Bushie. Money where your mouth is Tobes.... Good luck Grounded. |
Posted By: Wefaknis
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 8:06am
|
Good report Smudge, I saw you motoring up the channel about 2:15, I had the whole family in the boat which made it a bit tight on space. It also limited my options as where I could go. So thats why I was sitting about a 1 Km off the ramp. Anyway the fishing was hard down the other end of the channel, with no fish caught. I would have only fished for a hour before, The wind picked up a little and the wife wanted to head for home. Cheers Wefaknis |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 9:30pm
|
nice Gurnard Smudge...... i just hope you havent done your dash for when it really counts........ ------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: groper
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 9:35pm
|
smudge nice going but i did notice that you didnt have a forum beanie on your noggin... tut tut ------------- I LIKE TURTLES ........... |
Posted By: Peter da Squid
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 9:58pm
|
Arhhh our mate Smudgey is peaking right on time. Good result mate, this has made you a clear favourite in my books. Put pay to the doubters brother!! ------------- Good for Nuthin |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2004 at 10:59pm
|
Sorry Gropes, I dont have one .... maybe one day... Thanks Lethal, as you know there's no sure thing when it comes to fishing, but I will give it my best shot . Peter, thanks for sharing the faith, I'm still trying to think of a trick or two to try out. |
Posted By: tobez
Date Posted: 13 Jul 2004 at 6:09am
ha...you trying to loose that fishing trip fund you had going... ------------- Waikato North Harbourmaster...Got a Nav Safety question for the Waikato region?...call me 021705642 or download the app Marine Mate! |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2004 at 8:27pm
| smudge: what are the chances of landing a gurnard surfcastinf in the manukau harbour on winter time? |
Posted By: Grounded
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 5:49am
|
Went after a Grunter or two yesterday, with my daughter and her friend on board. 11am on the water, outgoing tide, glassy calm and all was well with the world. 12 noon easterly blowing like 10,000 devils and we were all over the place. Then a motor would not start (electrical fault I think) and a real tricky boat retrieval because of wind and tide. All in all, a bugger of a trip. and no fish. Just a crab. Chris ------------- It's a mystery to me I was a Jerk On Line |
Posted By: Barrie
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 7:04am
|
nsane good chance...just need to choose your place |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 7:47am
|
Off Clarks or the alike would be a good place to start. ------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Wefaknis
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 8:06am
Bugger aye Grounded ,
|
Posted By: empty
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 3:31pm
|
<SCRIPT language=javascript>postamble();
that bloody zilch again pops up when you least expect it ------------- what happened to the pissing man? |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 5:57pm
| Barrie: can you share some of your secret place? :) |
Posted By: A C
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 6:31pm
|
nsane.........the cornwallis wharf will provide a couple from time to time, and winter Kahawai. ------------- Aye-Aye cloth eyes. |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 9:24pm
| ac: would cornwallis be better than whatipu or the south side of manukau harbour? |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2004 at 10:44pm
|
I dont go surfcasting these days Nsane and when I did I was no good at it. For gurnard I would fish from low tide up. Fishing is all about learning and working things out for yourself so sometimes you just pick a spot and fish it until you learn it and get success. At Whatipu where the old wharf used to be on Paratutae, try casting into the bay, but in towards the beach a little rather than out into the harbour. Gurnard likea sandy/muddy bottom that holds small crabs and juvenile flounder. Good chance of hooking a kahawai or trev there too. If you use a nice shiny pillie for bait you may strike it lucky and get a barracoutta there too.... |
Posted By: Barrie
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2004 at 7:04am
| Have never caught Gurnard at the old wharf at Whatipu, Ive got Kahawai, a couple of snaps shark and some of the biggest Kingis that I have seen (although have only landed 1) |
Posted By: Barrie
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2004 at 7:06am
|
nsane another place that I have caught Gurnard of the beach is at Murawai fishing from the beach at Rimmers Rd. Have also got Trevs and Kahawai. |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2004 at 8:18am
|
nsane, another place to try for Gurnard is Green Bay and Jinkinson Bay. Fish low to in coming. At low tide you will be able to get to the channel ------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2004 at 7:31pm
|
bushpig: is green bay past blockhouse bay? where is jinkinson bay? clarks? just hope weather wold be good next wkend..
barrie: how do you get to the old whaf at whatipu? I have been to whatipu and never noticed a wharf..
|
Posted By: Barrie
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2004 at 7:02am
| From the car park, hike towards the beach and as soon as yo get to the beach turn to the left and into the first bay. The old wharf is faceing back towards the inner harbour. Can be sheltered from the westerlies as well there |
Posted By: A C
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2004 at 9:07am
|
nsane, I would say the wharf (Cornwallis ) would be better, it's sheltered from the surf and there's a carpark for the lazy buggers like me who don't like a 20 mile hike, anything with a northerly aspect is sheltered there N/W to N/E. I think BP may be reffering to Jenkins bay ? at the bottom of Sth Titirangi rd ? I can't comment on the Sth side I don't really know it that well, Smudge has the good oil for that. ------------- Aye-Aye cloth eyes. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2004 at 9:18am
| Wattle Bay on the other side ... |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2004 at 7:12am
| smudge: somebody told me that pahurehureninlet at karaka would also produce good size gurnard.. what do you reckon? |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2004 at 9:08am
| Well if someone told you then I would give it a shot. I have never tried around there. |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2004 at 2:05pm
|
ahh.. hope the weather would turn out good next weekend.. I only got half a day on saturday to go fishing.. the bad news is.. high tide is in the afternoon which is no good to me.. my time to baby sit my kids.. any spot where I can fish at the outgoing tide.. any suitable possies which I can fish the incoming tide? |
Posted By: Phats
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2004 at 3:01pm
|
How old are your kids mate ? Take them if you can...they would love you for it ! Even if you only get a short fish at least you could scope the spots out with kids in tow.
------------- A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2004 at 5:32pm
| i got a 5 yr old son and a 3 yr old daugther.. would love to bring then if the weather permits.. only looking for a spot which would be safe for the kids.. cornwallis wharf as I have seen, my kids needs tie themselved on the wharf rails.. on a 30-40 knots wind.. they would fly :) |