Mokau Report
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=85554
Printed Date: 26 Jul 2026 at 10:34pm
Topic: Mokau Report
Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Subject: Mokau Report
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 9:59am
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Hi all, Its Geoff Preston here. After a couple of breif chats to Grunta, he convinced me to do some sort of posting on the forum.I'm a novice at this but will give it me best shot. For those of you that don't know where Mokau is, its an hour north of New Plymouth on the wild west coast. The fishing can sometimes be amazing!but like anywhere you have your fair share of bad days.Unless you beach launch like Myself, The only other way is through Mokau River Bar. Definatly requires local knowledge, and experience in bar crossings.The last three months the weather here has been bad, Westerlies and big seas. With only a handfull of days fishable. I personly joined up the measuring comp and had to wait a month and a half before i could get out. Every few days i would look at leaderboards, to see new pics and lengths. Once your out fishing here, the snapper fishing I'd rait as up there with the best in N.Z. especially if your targeting big fish.The big fish generally hit you in schools, on many occasions iv'e had 2-3 straylines go off with twenty pound plus fish on all of them! Mayhem when your on ya own in a 3.6 metre mac boat! Most boats have caught good snapper this winter, many over the 20 lb mark. Our school fish are usually 4-5 kg's on a good day, and the little ones are there but ya don't catch alot. I prefer strayliningewith huge freshly caught bait out there, big hooks and patients, wait till the fish come to you. I Have been lucky enough to hook into a real big one a couple of weeks ago, it weighed 14.30 kg's or 31.5 lbs. It was an exceptionly long fish with a big tail, making it a perfect candidate for the measuring guide. Currently it holds 1st place. Photo's of fish below. Tight lines Everyone! Cheers Geoff.
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Replies:
Posted By: aerosmith
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 10:03am
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Nice Geoff! What an absolute monster....!
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Posted By: H'd-Up
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 10:15am
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Good on ya Geoff. The more people we have from the naki posting on here the better! I'm in New Plymouth but am definitly planning to get up Mokau ways sometime in the next couple months with the boat, sounds like its the place to be for big reds!
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Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 10:16am
Solid fish!
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Posted By: Seasider
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 11:10am
Nice Snap
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Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 1:19pm
thanks for taking the time out to write a report Geoff, that is a bucket list fish for most.... you say its a long fish yet to me, fishing on the East Coast think its a real fatty... very similar shape to 30s from Napier Gisborne area, maybe its the food they feed on which makes the body shape or larger than normal waves which makes the body stumpy/powerful....interesting...
 
------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing
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Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 1:44pm
Top fish, to go with the others you have put up on the measure, a guru for sure.
Cheers
------------- The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar
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Posted By: NZFisher
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 1:55pm
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Terrific fish Geoff.
We look forward to some more great west coast reports!
Team NZFisher
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Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 4:18pm
nice Geoff well done mate fish of a life time congrates.
------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland
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Posted By: Microship
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 4:26pm
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Great fish, nice report. Thanks.
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Posted By: Grunta
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 4:28pm
Thanks for sharing Geoff.
Bloody good to hear stories like yours and love the the 3.6 set-up & "...schoolies of 4-5kg" Do I see a couple of good old VIP's in the rod-holders?
Well done holding 1st place in the http://www.fishingcomp.co.nz/leaderboards/" rel="nofollow - NZ Fishing Comp too mate - it'll be a hard one to beat.
------------- Online...
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 5:55pm
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Cheers for reply Lethal. Fully agree the fish you posted same shape as the snapper we get here. Probably based my theory on the fact iv'e got a 34.7 lb da taxidermed on wall at home, and the latest one was slightly longer with bigger tail. the differance was the heavier one was deeper and extremely fat write through to tail. Can post pic if you want. Thanks Geoff.
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Posted By: sink
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 6:34pm
Nice fishing Geoff, We weighed and measured 1 at mokau a couple of years back- was exactly 1m long and 31lb. How did the boat I pulled up the river end up geoff?
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 7:34pm
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Hi Duane thanks for reply. Yes it was an experience getting flipped on bar, in the drink for 15 minutes!The owner of boat, an Aucklander with a bach in Mokau had been hounding me to go out fishing with him in his 14.5 ft alloy boat for ages. Finally the day i went was the day his motor stalled right on the last swells, the waves formed we were sitting ducks, Flipped like a matchbox! Lost a bit of gear, but the main thing we were both safe. His boat a rightoff, Has since bought new one. Duane I'm hoping you don't get another meter long snap, as i know your in comp!!! I'm quite expecting one day i'll go on and there will be a big beast of a snap knocking me off top!!! When you got your Beauty did you weigh it at hotel on fishing club scales? Look forward meeting you,Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: sink
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 7:43pm
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Gray Haine caught the fish off my boat, and was weighed at the pub. That fish of yours will take some beating though. Havent caught any big ones this season. Had all our luck in the gamefishing. There were a few other boats that were bloody lucky that day, was glad to see you both wash up on the beach.
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Posted By: Monty
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 8:34pm
Wow thats a great fish mate. What size motor on the mac, i have had one for 8 years with a 15 on back for puttering around the rangitoto channel catching my 2 kg champions lol.
I have a bit of a story of the bar from 1997/8 involving the navy survey vessel Monowai & its Rhib crossing the bar but thats not for now.
Thanks for the post & making us green with envy, wonder if my little boat can do that for me to haha.
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Posted By: Fletch
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2012 at 8:40pm
Top fish there!Geoff, will drop you a line when I'm up on the cliff over Xmas and we can go for a fish........
------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 6:50am
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Thanks for reply Monty. Got a Merc long shaft 25 hp on back of me Mac. I'd go 30 if i was to get another motor. Youv'e got to have power to race quickly in and out of the waves when launching and zooming in back to beach. Iv'e come in on some big surf at times, with land disserpearing when your in the sets of waves. Also when two up, and some big snaps on board, its good to know the power is there. On the fishing front Monty, there must be big snaps where the little ones are? try butterflying a big fresh yellow tail mackeral or Kopopa with a couple of 10/0 , head and fillets on 80 lb trace, the little buggers don't touch them here, and along comes a big boy!! Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: pashy
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 7:18am
geoff43681 wrote:
Thanks for reply Monty. Got a Merc long shaft 25 hp on back of me Mac. I'd go 30 if i was to get another motor. Youv'e got to have power to race quickly in and out of the waves when launching and zooming in back to beach. Iv'e come in on some big surf at times, with land disserpearing when your in the sets of waves. Also when two up, and some big snaps on board, its good to know the power is there. On the fishing front Monty, there must be big snaps where the little ones are? try butterflying a big fresh yellow tail mackeral or Kopopa with a couple of 10/0 , head and fillets on 80 lb trace, the little buggers don't touch them here, and along comes a big boy!! Cheers Geoff. |
I've got a 30hp on my mac 360. She flys!
------------- dad reakons fishing is 10% brains and 95% muscle, and the rest is just good luck!
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Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 9:55pm
Sure is some very very nice fishing you've been having. Set the target high that's for sure. Thanks for the post.
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Posted By: Monty
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 10:01pm
pashy wrote:
geoff43681 wrote:
Thanks for reply Monty. Got a Merc long shaft 25 hp on back of me Mac. I'd go 30 if i was to get another motor. Youv'e got to have power to race quickly in and out of the waves when launching and zooming in back to beach. Iv'e come in on some big surf at times, with land disserpearing when your in the sets of waves. Also when two up, and some big snaps on board, its good to know the power is there. On the fishing front Monty, there must be big snaps where the little ones are? try butterflying a big fresh yellow tail mackeral or Kopopa with a couple of 10/0 , head and fillets on 80 lb trace, the little buggers don't touch them here, and along comes a big boy!! Cheers Geoff. |
I've got a 30hp on my mac 360. She flys! |
Cheers guys, MORE POWER AU AU AU.
Yeh Geoff gotta do some more early morn or dusk fish with big baits.
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Posted By: fozzie
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 10:03pm
Mokau holds some special memories for me, when I was a kid my uncle (John Coffey) was sole charge police man there, great place to holiday as a kid when one of your favourite uncles was the local policeman! Our family still have a white bait bach up the Awakau Road in the Awakino Gorge.
------------- Dont take life too seriously.....no one gets out alive any way. http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: tjm
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2012 at 10:07pm
Geoff, Ive been fishing a couple of years ago just inside the mouth from the shore and have seen large shoals of Kawhai and caught quite a few to. Do you get kings out from the river at all chasing the smaller fish ?
------------- Cant beat hunting and Fishing in N.Z
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 6:58am
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Hi TJM, Yes we do get Kingies, Not caught in or around river mouth though, probably due to strong currents, making it hard to target them. Out boat fish'n in summer often caught but not big ones. a 15 kg fish is good for here. Haven't heard of any over 20 kg, but they are further south i believe. Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 7:09am
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Hi Fozzie, I have heard the name Coffee mentioned from time to time. Know the Awakau well, and good freinds with the farmers that own land there. Roughly where about is Stand? Have you Whitebaited there in last few years? This season there were good catches up there October early November. But alot of season it was to flooded to fish. May meet one day! Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: Rob Optimist
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 8:53am
Great report Geoff, thanks for sharing. Great fish to, congrats
------------- "attitude is everything"
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Posted By: sink
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 9:00am
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Looks like a reasonable spell of weather coming Geoff, might have to put the boat thru the washing machine and get some bird**** off.
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Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 9:19am
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Hi again Duane! Yep saw the long range weather last nite, looks good! Also swellmap on the way down. At mo its Hidious, three odd meters, rough as guts. I'm hanging out to go for a fish, be interesting to see if the big snaps still here. Around mid December a bulk of the big snappers have spawned and head north. Wots the name of your Boat Duane? If your out call me up, I'll bound to be out, even if i have to take a sicky!!! Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: tjm
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 9:39am
Thanks for the info Geoff
------------- Cant beat hunting and Fishing in N.Z
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Posted By: Tomatron
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 9:44am
Nice one! I have been keeping an eye out on the comp and when you posted that horse I was wondering if it would go 30lb, my guess was yes! Well done
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Posted By: sink
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2012 at 9:56am
Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2012 at 7:12am
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Yhanks for reply Tomatron, Hi Tom, Geoff here. Noticed on comp you have some good snaps posted. Tom i lived in Auckland 25 years ago, fished a bit when i could. Are the really big snaps still plentifull round the outlying islands, or have they been fished out? Remember early days of Furuno and other comps, it was usually a 30 odd pounder that won. Good luck future fish'n. Cheers Geoff.
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Posted By: bush billy
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2012 at 12:28pm
Awesome fish mate
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