Geoff Thomas: Rock fishers should have a plan

Former All Black Michael Jones, talks to people fishing about the simple safety aid of a life jacket. Photo / Greg Bowker

The importance of wearing a lifejacket while fishing from the rocks on the west coast was highlighted by the loss of yet another rock fisherman at Bethells Beach last week.

An inflatable jacket is ideal for this sort of fishing, and gumboots and heavy coats should be avoided. Experienced fishermen will watch the sea at all times as the occasional extra-large wave can suddenly appear, and if washed into the sea a lifejacket allows a person to wait for rescue rather than try to get ashore where swells are crashing on to the rocks, creating an added hazard.

It is also a good idea to spend time watching the sea before venturing on to the rocks, and to plan where to come ashore in the event of an accident. A rope to throw to a person in the water is also useful.

Around Auckland fishing is exactly the same as the spring fishing with large numbers of snapper north of Tiritiri Matangi Island in 30-40 metres, and reefs like Flat Rock, Horn Rock and those around Little Barrier Island all fishing well. The numbers of kahawai have not diminished at all.

The slimy red weed which is plaguing anglers fishing the Manukau Harbour is the worst seen for many years, according to locals; but the summer season has also been one of the best on record with snapper to 7.7kg, and a lot more fish up to 4kg coming from the deep channels. But fishing has also been good from a small dinghy in the shallows if a spot with no weed can be found.

In the Bay of Plenty snapper are reported to be running well off the coast in 20 metres, and skippies are still in the shallows although water temperatures have dropped to 18C. Kingfish have moved off the reefs and dispersed through the deep water, with some being hooked while hapuku fishing in 120 metres.

Surfcasting from the beaches along the Matata straight is also producing well, and those anglers using long-lines set from the beach with torpedoes or kites are doing well.

The winning snapper in a recent contest in the Bay of Islands weighed 7.8kg, and like everywhere else kahawai are prolific, which is good for the game fishing boats as they are excellent live bait. The big news is the capture of two broadbill swordfish on one boat on one night. Brad Rowe was fishing on Blue Fix, and the following day they weighed one fish at Whangaroa and the other at the Bay of Islands - gaining a pin at both clubs as the first broadie of the season.

While the fishing at Lake Taupo continues to disappoint many anglers, the indications on the Rotorua lakes are looking good for a rewarding winter fly-fishing season in terms of big, trophy fish. Two huge rainbows of 5.4kg and 5.6kg were weighed from Lakes Okataina and Rotoiti. Those trout would continue to grow even larger if they had spent another three months in the lakes, and there will be others of the same age which will be maturing to spawn later in the winter. The fish are released into the lakes as yearlings, and return two years later to the point of release where shore-based fly fishers have access to them. Occasionally an individual trout will not spawn until a year later and that extra year on the lake allows them to grow even larger, reaching six or seven kilos.

The total global commercial catch of fish is about 93.8 million tonnes, which includes 9.6 million tonnes of freshwater fish and 84.2 million tonnes from the sea. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that, since 1990, 17 per cent of the world's commercial fisheries have been over-exploited, 2 per cent are depleted and 1 per cent are in recovery. The most depleted stocks are in the North and East Atlantic, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Asia and Africa have the world's largest freshwater commercial fisheries.

More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 5pm TV3, and on the new internet television channel, www.FishnHunt.Tv.