There is a lot of foul ground in the area, which charter skippers refer to as The Rubble, and it is one area that fishes best on the incoming tide.
But it does not seem to fire unless there are strong currents, and with a new moon on Monday the tides increase after that, peaking at 3.5m on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Some regular visitors to the wide area of reefs will fish there only when the tide exceeds 3.3m, which happens on only a few days of the month. For six months this will be around the new moon, and for the rest of the year it will be over the full moon.
This weekend's tides are smaller, and fishing will be better in the channels such as the Motuihe and Sargent channels where the water flow is constricted. But on the very big tides the current will be too strong for effective fishing in the channels apart from an hour either side of high and low tides. At peak flows, the answer is to move out into the wider area on either side of the channels.
Flasher rigs and long traces can be used in strong currents, but a ledger or flasher rig makes it easier to get baits to the bottom. One trick is to keep letting out line slowly with the thumb on the spool so the baits move along the seabed. When a fish is hooked the line simply pulls out more quickly, and it is just a matter of flicking the reel into gear and winding until the line is tight.
Another area fishing well is in Whangaparaoa Bay between Tiritiri Matangi Island and Kawau Island, where the better fishing can be found at 30m.
Fresh water
Cold spring weather has delayed summer fishing on the Rotorua lakes and Lake Taupo. As water temperatures increase, the deep lakes stratify and fish congregate around the thermocline where layers of differing water temperatures meet.
This results in hot fishing for those expert at jigging, and applies in particular on Lakes Rotoiti, Tarawera and Taupo.
But the fish are still spread through the body of the lakes, so the best methods are harling in the early morning and evenings and deep trolling during the day.
Harling with slow sinking lines and flies such as a green-bodied smelt and red setter works well, and deep trolling with lead-core lines and a black toby or Tasmanian devil will always catch fish. A fly such as a parsons glory or red setter above a small swivel a metre ahead of the lure also helps as an attractant, and will occasionally hook a fish.
Fly fishing at cold-water stream mouths on shallow lakes like Lake Rotorua has not started yet, although recent rain has drawn brown trout to streams such as the Waiteti and Ngongotaha Streams.
Bite times
Bite times are 11.20am and 11.50pm tomorrow and 12.20pm on Sunday.
Tip of the week
When you are fishing in a strong current and get a bite on a trace rig, drop the rod. This gives a little line and will often get a hookup. The opposite applies when using a flasher or ledger rig - strike quickly.
• More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 6.30am Saturday, TV3, and at GTTackle.co.nz.
