Geoff Thomas: Snapper play it cool, but there are pickings for the keen

The soft winter bite" is how snapper fishermen describe the action at the moment, although some would argue that it has been the pattern for much of the summer. Traditionally, as water temperatures start to cool, the feeding activity slows down.

"The fish are just sucking baits, and soft baits," said one angler who spends a lot of time on the water. So small hooks and small baits and patience on the strike are called for.

But from the Takapuna cliffs to Castor Bay fish can be found in close, either straylining or casting softies. And on the northern side of Rangitoto Island the story is the same, but you have to be out early as it is all over by 8am.

The Noises is another area that has fished consistently for some time now, and the dark green soft baits in small sizes have been going well.

At Little Barrier Island, Great Barrier and Horn Rock straylining hard against the weed line or the rocks has produced some good fish. But metal jigs and slow jigs have also been producing, as well as large fresh baits like a strip of kahawai or mackerel.

This weekend looks good in terms of the tides and moon, with a new moon yesterday and big tides bringing strong currents. When combined with a change in weather all the indications are for a good couple of days on the water, providing conditions allow safe boating.

The water continues to cool off the Bay of Islands where kingfish are moving down the coast from the North Cape and northern waters, to the reefs around the Cavalli Islands and the bay. Snapper have moved into the shallows between Roberton Island and Tapeka Point, and broadbill swordfish will be the target offshore for big game boats through to August.

In the Bay of Plenty snapper are still running in close, from 15m to 40m of water from Whakatane to Matata. Drifting and fishing soft baits over the sand between Thornton and the Tarawera River mouth has been fishing particularly well, and all the way out to the 2-mile mark where trawlers are not supposed to venture inside. Tarakihi are also being caught in what is shallow water for them.

Temperatures are reported to be down to 18C and cooling, so the skippies which are still in the bay but are proving hard to catch as they are feeding on small organisms like krill, will not be around much longer. In the deep water hapuku and gemfish are still relatively easy to find.

The Whakatane River bar has filled with sand and extra caution is needed at low water when crossing the bar.

The lakes in Rotorua and Taupo are low and while this creates strong rips at stream mouths the launching ramps can pose a problem for big boats.

With low water levels anglers can walk to the Log Pool on Lake Okataina, and it continues to produce good fishing to the booby patterns. On Rotoiti regular hot spots like Ruato Bay are starting to fire, but Lake Tarawera has been slow to start for anglers. However, the rain at the end of the week will help spur the fish towards the beach at the Landing and the Te Wairoa Stream mouth.

Some large brown trout have been taken from the Ngongotaha Stream, including fish of 4.65kg, 5kg and 5.5kg; and one monster 12kg (26.5 pounds) was delivered to the taxidermist in Rotorua from the Waikaremoana area. It came from the small lake below the spillway at the Tuai power station, a piece of water which has produced huge trout for many years, some going up to 13.5 kilos. The local anglers know when the turbines in the small power station are going to be started and that is when they go fishing.

At Taupo the level of the lake is the main factor governing fishing. Anglers can walk to stream mouths which are normally restricted to boat access, like the Tauranga-Taupo Stream mouth and the delta of the Tongariro River. The delta has been fishing well, and recent rain will only improve fishing at the mouth and in the river. In spite of low river levels, fly fishing in the Tongariro with small naturals like Hare and Copper and Flashbacks has been encouraging although the quality of trout caught does fluctuate.

Trolling on the lake with good and orange lures, and the old favourite the black toby, has been consistent although some anglers are targeting deeper water than necessary; fishing down to 60m when trout can be found at 25-30m.

Duck shooters looking for some mid-season shooting combined with some of the best hospitality in the country can head to the West Coast Of the South Island for the weekend of June 19-20. Fish and Game people introduce shooters to farmers in the Grey Valley who have problems with too many ducks eating pasture and crops, and they have 45 properties for visitors to shoot on. For more information and to register contact Fish and Game, West Coast, on the internet.