Geoff Thomas: Crayfish tops action on lakes

Crayfish are reported to be on the march from the bottom end of Waiheke out into the Firth of Thames. Photo / Supplied

Settled weather has allowed boats to venture out into the Hauraki Gulf in search of work-ups, with some good results. They can be found anywhere from east of Tiritiri Matangi Island to Great Barrier Island, and a pair of good binoculars is a great asset to have on the boat.

The area from Flat Rock to Little Barrier Island is also worth checking for those heading out from Gulf Harbour, Sandspit or Leigh.

Some good kingfish are also being reported from the bottom end of Waiheke Island and off Cuvier Island, and straylining in close with plenty of berley is also producing some action. The other attraction off Waiheke is a bonus for divers, with crayfish reported to be on the march from the bottom end out into the Firth of Thames. They are in 20m of water and for any divers coming across this rare phenomenon, it will not be hard to secure their bag of six crays. Kingfish to 15kg were taken from the deep pinnacle inside Gannet Rock, drifting over the pin with jigs or live baits.

The sea temperatures are not as cold as at this time last year, with water to 15C in places where it would have been 12C. This may be as cold as it is going to get this year.

Snapper to 3kg are reported from the foul in Islington Bay at Rangitoto Island, casting floating baits down a berley trail. Large tarakihi are being taken in 50m out of Pakiri Beach, so there are many options for those wanting to brave winter conditions.

Kahawai are thick in the Manukau Harbour, according to veteran angler John Moran, and can be a nuisance when trying to drop baits for gurnard. "One solution is to do away with bright flashers and go back to ledger rigs with plain recurved hooks baited with chunks of dark skippy or kahawai," he said.

A hapuku weighing 19kg caught off Great Barrier was found to have a 250g metal jig in its stomach. The hook had rusted out and the jig was surrounded by a ball of gristle, but the fish was reported to be in good condition - which adds evidence to the value of releasing fish even if they have a hook deep in the guts.

Snapper fishing has become patchy in the Bay of Plenty but a nice 18.4kg albacore was taken on a jig about halfway between Whakatane and White Islands. Surfcasters and those sending out torpedoes with long lines are doing well off beaches along the bay coast, with school snapper and gurnard the main catch. Fishing with a fire on the beach is a pleasant way to spend an evening.

The broadbill swordfish fishery off the northern coast will come to an end this month as the fish migrate to warm tropical waters to spawn. The Bay of Islands charter vessel Major Tom II, skippered by Geoff Stone, scored another broadbill recently. The angler, Gerry Garrett, who is in his 70s and holds a world record for a catch on the same boat, took eight hours to boat the 273kg sword.

The report of a juvenile broadbill swimming around a boat with two snapper fishermen in it just off the Whangaparaoa Peninsula raised the question of how unusual it is to see young fish in our waters.

"Adult fish with their large body mass can tolerate cold water temperatures, but the young ones usually remain in the tropics. There is a small one hanging over the door of the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club in Russell that was caught many years ago," said Stone. "The smallest we have caught was 47kg."

The Rotorua lakes are all extremely high and there is some good fly-fishing along the shore of Lake Rerewhakaaitu, but a small dinghy is useful for reaching good spots.

Trolling and harling on Lake Rotorua has been producing good results and this should improve on the eastern shoreline over the next month as smelt start migrating through the Ohau Channel from Lake Rotoiti.

At Lake Taupo the trout are still small but in good condition with a lot of trout in the 45-47cm range - an improvement on last year but still disappointing to many anglers.

The spawning rivers have been low and clear for much of the winter, making fishing hard, and light fluorocarbon traces and small natural flies are needed. Trollers on the lake early in the morning are catching fish but the best time to be on the water is when a low-pressure system arrives.

* More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 5.30pm TV3, and on the internet television channel, FishnHunt.Tv