Fishing: A bagful of fish just behind the surf line

By PETER JESSUP


The Whangaroa Big Game Fish Club has recorded its first two catches of the season, a shortbill spearfish and a yellowfin tuna both taken last Friday.

The blue water continues to move closer to the east coast, boats reporting 22C at the 150m mark this week.

There are heaps of baitfish and plenty of albacore tuna but the bigger predators have been slow to turn up, which has some pundits predicting a late season that will run to June.

Several marlin have been hooked off the Far North and some sighted off the Bay of Islands but none have been brought to the boat as yet.

In Doubtless Bay snapper are schooling behind the surf line and fishing about 200m off the beach at night, especially on the rising tide, will produce an easy limit of nine.

The baitfish schools in the Bay of Islands and off Cape Brett have been attracting large schools of kingfish and a variety of sharks from tigers to hammerheads, said Derek Gerritsen of the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club.

"There's been acres of baitfish schooled up by some very big kings - there's plenty of kahawai out there too and the kings have been rounding them all up - it's been an awesome sight."

Gerritsen described the snapper fishing as "going off", with many catches in the 10kg mark at Whale Rock, especially in the evening. Tapeka Point and the area off the Waitangi Golf Course have been producing for land-based fishers.

Pilchard have been reliable but the best bait is fresh jack mackerel taken from the local wharfs or netted in the estuaries.

"The fresh bait is getting the biggest fish," Gerritsen said.

There are lots of schooling fish all over the east coast and fishers should use 8/0 or 10/0 hooks to avoid taking them.

Around Auckland the fishing improved dramatically after the wind shift from sou'east to nor'west. The southerly and sou-easterly generally result in the hardest fishing conditions and so it was last weekend, with mixed bags and anglers struggling for a limit despite half-day efforts.

This week, it's been the reverse - limit bags inside an hour.

The snapper are in good condition and hard on the bite.

The worm beds off Rangitoto continue to produce the biggest and best fish but pannies are now in numbers in the Motuihe and Rangitoto Channels and further inside. Evening remains best bite-time.

The Firth of Thames is possibly the best bet.

The northwest wind has brought fish on the bite, especially in the lee of the islands so the south end of Ponui and Waiheke have been good.

The kingfish are turning up at Crusoe Rock and Shag Rock.

There's been conflict in recent days between kite or kontiki users and boaties, jet-skiers and other beach users.

In one incident at Orewa a jet-skier was injured when he hit the backbone of a kite-line, sustaining some head cuts when flipped from his machine.

Apparently both parties were somewhat to blame, the skier going too fast too near the beach and the kite line unmarked.

It's heavy-pressure time on beaches now and kite and kontiki users or people with the new powered torpedo to take long-lines out should not be using them on populated beaches during the day.

In less-used spots the lines should be well-marked.

Local council regulations cover the point but there is no consistent law. But common sense should dictate. Use clear markers.