The Espresso Pre-Report May 14, 2020
With the aquatic world blissfully out of touch with the land dwellers plight –what we have been fortunate enough to witness from shore has been heart warming. Sea Lions, pods of Bottle Nose dolphins cruising the inner Auckland shorelines, flurries of bird life working hard in all sorts of places chasing dark ‘clouds’ of tiny anchovies around the harbours. Kahawai and the apparent influx of kingfish right into many shorelines should mean good things for land based anglers in the shallows and shorelines. Kingfish are lying in wait and many are knocking on the door.

Snapper.
The working boats on mussel farms have been a sight for sore eyes with the snapper congregations, big red snapper, lots of them. Impressive to see and well worth considering as a destination – armed with your softbaits, micro jigs and little inchiku…all dynamite choices and no doubt you have a few favourites of your own, it’s a good bet right now, burley not necessary with lures but if the big burley machine is flowing it could be a fast ‘n furious session.
Out further in the gulf will have to wait for many, the wind strength and direction doesn’t reduce just because we need to go out unfortunately, no matter how many times we check and re-check the forecast in a mental attempt to override logic and the normal interpretation of the 20-30kt winds.

I’ll be checking the fishing out personally around the Hauraki Gulf, and further afield if Mother Nature waves her magic wand and calms things down just a smidgeon out there. Big game is still out ‘n about, also they may well be freshly intrigued by engine sounds from recreational boats and keen to investigate and have a play with a lure or two.
There are still snapper in the shallow areas so if the winds don’t abate, leeside of landmass with a lightly weighted little softbait on the drift could be a good call.

Skipjack tuna should still be in the Hauraki Gulf, certainly the outer confines if this year is similar to the past several years of information in the Espresso Reports. The little bullets may in fact be in much closer, so trolling a Lil’ Squidwings could be a good thing even if sheltering quite close to land, leeside calm just out from Waiheke for instance, and definitely worth a try up around Kawau. Multiple hookups and screaming clickers is a very reel possibility.
How about find shelter and work your magic in close, safely, leeside of any land and bring home some fresh fish like a few kahawai, one or two for cerviche and a couple for the smoker?

Here’s just a few heads-up from previous years’ Espresso Reports at this time:
Skipjack tuna in the gulf still.
Good workups, solid stuff, 50m mark, with whales and dolphins, short-lived manic stuff.
Marlin still being caught out back of Gt Barrier.
Lots of Easterly winds.
Kingfish on many menus!
Good solid gurnard catches in all sorts of depths.

Over the past several weeks the Espresso LIVE series on Catch Facebook page has been helping out with technique demonstrations, Pro Tips, helpful hints to get the most out of your fishing – jump over and take a look at Catch Fishing Facebook, there are already 30 different Espresso LIVE topics so far, and more to come! Catch up on YouTube if you miss the live sessions.

Happy fishing
Espresso.