Whananaki Bar - advice please
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=86312
Printed Date: 09 Jun 2026 at 1:57am
Topic: Whananaki Bar - advice please
Posted By: beerbatter
Subject: Whananaki Bar - advice please
Date Posted: 27 Dec 2012 at 2:14pm
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Heading up to Whananaki for the first time in the new year. Think I'll be dragging the boat up and so looking for any advice up there, especially the bar. From my investigations so far, I'll be launching at a ramp inside the inlet, but what's the bar like there? Any tips and tricks? Are there alternate launch sites around? Really appreciate any advice on the area. Cheers. ------------- In the rat race, even if you win, you're still a rat. |
Replies:
Posted By: Stuck Here
Date Posted: 27 Dec 2012 at 2:26pm
What bar? I have been staying at Whannaki North camping ground for years. The only problem with this place is the river depth. I launch a 4.6mt Sea Nymph there and get out to Elizabeth reef and beyond, no worries. Watch the channel markers and stay on the correct side of them coming in and out and you should have no problems. Also watch out for the 'rise/bump' in the river bed not very far past the launching ramp . ------------- Family Law Court = SNAFU!!!! |
Posted By: Lickindip
Date Posted: 27 Dec 2012 at 4:00pm
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havnt been there for a while but uncle did launch his Mclay745 (using tractor) on the southern side of the estery off the shells/sand probably best to have a look at low low tide as above follow markers ( but not to close as there are some big rocks below them ------------- I just read an article about the dangers of drinking too much; it scared the sh*t out of me, so today I decided I'm never f*cking reading again! |
Posted By: beerbatter
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 9:21am
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Cheers for the help guys. OK, so maybe not officially noted as a bar, but it is noted as needing caution in certain conditions. At very least doesn't appear to be a clean exit?  So are there unofficial markers in the inlet? Thanks again for the advice. I'll be sure to check it out at low and have a chat to some locals too. Cheers. ------------- In the rat race, even if you win, you're still a rat. |
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 9:30am
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It's pretty sedate as far as bar crossings go, if you need to take extra care getting out of the 'bar' then the conditions beyond it won't be very safe and you probably shouldn't be out anyway.
FYI, kings on the far eastern pin at Elizabeth reef.
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Posted By: Lickindip
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 10:10am
 approx route that we took (some one please correct if i'm leading him wrong) from memory there are markers around where i have the purple dots, couple of subsurface rocks around there used to putt around without making a wake until past the markers take your time and have someone up the front looking out for shallow spots/rocks ------------- I just read an article about the dangers of drinking too much; it scared the sh*t out of me, so today I decided I'm never f*cking reading again! |
Posted By: beerbatter
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 4:28pm
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Thanks again! And Lickindip, thanks for the effort for the pic. Looking forward to exploring the area. Have a happy New Year all. ------------- In the rat race, even if you win, you're still a rat. |
Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 7:01pm
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That track looks about right to me. It is pretty obvious when you are there and, as Herby says, if you are having trouble getting out because of the conditions then I would not go out. I have played round there a lot in small boats as a kid. From memory there is access to the estuary roughly below the "whananaki" in whananaki north rd label. |
Posted By: beerbatter
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2013 at 3:37pm
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Happy New Year all! Phantom Menace - yeah there's a ramp on the north side that I plan to use. One last question - are there any fish inside the inlet? Heard you can fish off the bridge - worth a bait fish with sabiki's with the kids there? ------------- In the rat race, even if you win, you're still a rat. |
Posted By: Telecaster
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2013 at 3:41pm
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Thousands of YEMs last time I was there (xmas 2011) the kids in our group caught a bucket full off the wharf on sabikis. |
Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2013 at 3:59pm
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Schools of mullet and kahawai come up the channel to the estuary. They used to sweep through that last white sand beach (on the right as you look at the pic - next to the purple dots Lickindip added) - which incidentally is a nice, white sand beach to stop at with the kids for a swim and picnic.
Have a look over the estuary at low tide and the channel should be obvious. I reckon that aerial pic was taken on a day with bigger swell than normal - seems like more white water round than I remember (I spent 18 odd years of summer holidays in that area as a kid / teen-ager and beyond)
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Posted By: Dead Ant
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2013 at 9:15pm
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Hi Guys, I've fished out of Whananaki for the past 6 years and know the channel pretty well. It has really shallowed over the past 2 years and changed quite a bit so is only workable for me 2 hours after low. I've edited the map to what I found to be the deepest channel after walking it at low tide.  1 - This is a 5 knot buoy in the middle of the channel just off the airstrip. 2 - There are two mooring buoys in the channel to the east of the launching ramp. They almost disappear at full run. 3. Stick to the north side of the island which is different to previous. The channel around the marker is too narrow to safely navigate across the current. The sand bar comes out from the island so stay closer to the north side. 4. Another 5 knot buoy. Sta on the northern side as the bar comes out. 5. Navigate around the starboard marker. Most of the rocks around this are deeper than they look. Hug the bay around to the port marker 6. Port marker. Watch the rocks around this Hope this helps |
Posted By: triggerhappy
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2019 at 7:08am
| Just wondering if there has been any changes to launching at Whananaki since this thread was last updated in 2013. Much obliged. |
Posted By: JustAnotherSpearo
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2019 at 7:20am
Naki is pretty safe. Seems to only ever sort of change between 2 different channel paths. Main thing is to avoid the rocks marked in the enterance and there is also two sneaky buggers that get covered / uncovered with sand time to time. Will flick you a PM tonight with the nastys circled on google earth |
triggerhappy wrote:Posted By: triggerhappy
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2019 at 7:47am
Awesome thanks for that, the same 2 hours either side of low tide for launching window applies I assume.
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Posted By: JustAnotherSpearo
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2019 at 10:18am
I just walk the boat up and down at low tide. You can pull boats out at the old wharf and generally can motor up to there at all tides. 5.2m lazercraft all tides no worries but like I said. I do tie a rope to the bow and physically walk it up when its too low to motor but enough to float the boat. |