Fishing: Great bottom-fishing for bass off Three Kings

A trip to the Three Kings last week provided a bottom-fishing bonanza but proved also that the billfishing season is finished.

The water temperature was as low as 16.5C and although there were patches of water above 20.5C in areas between North Cape and Cape Karikari, and some marlin were seen feeding, no hook-ups were reported.

On Rick Pollock's boat Pursuit we were lucky enough to get a three-day weather window that allowed us to fish the King Bank for big bass and hapuku, the best catch of 45kg going to Mike Horler from West Auckland.

The kingfish were prolific in the bays around the Three Kings and on the banks, falling both to jigs and live baits, koheru that had been caught in the bays around the islands in the early morning.

The new-style long jigs from Black Magic and Zest are particularly effective on the bottom fish. At times, they have out-fished baits, according to skipper Pollock, attracting the largest of the bass caught by his customers.

If the hook is attached to the top of the jig by split ring, the chances of snagging on the bottom are greatly reduced. A rubber band can be added from the curl of the hook to the bottom of the jig so as to hold the hook against the body of the jig and thus increase the chance of a hook-up while on the drop.

As many fish will be snared on the drop as will be by yo-yoing on the bottom, and more than with a fast retrieve. It is important to stay in touch, to keep the line taut but able to run and to be prepared to handle the run so as not to over-spool and tangle.

After three days at the Kings we were warned by a crayfisherman who was a regular visitor to the islands that the weather forecast predicting 45-knot winds was backed up by a menacing-looking weather fax. As the winds were coming from the nor-east, we headed for the west coast.

Tucked up off Twilight Beach, between Cape Maria van Diemen and Scott Pt at the tip of Ninety Mile Beach, there was little wind. The fishing was superb, stray-lining with light gear for snapper, trevally, kahawai and kingfish. The trevs were in the 3kg range and tough fighters in shallow water. The snapper were big enough to run for cover and hit rock. The bulk we were releasing anyway, fishing circle hooks in order to ensure corner-of-the-mouth hooking and easy release. The crayfish are prolific in this area, at easy snorkelling depth, mainly because the beach is inaccessible by land.

Around Auckland the snapper are still in close, probably because of the warm water blown in with the easterly gale late last week. They can be picked up by stray-lining in the shallows around Rangitoto, the back of Waiheke and at Rakino. Gurnard are beginning to move into the Manukau and the snapper fishing has slowed.