Screaming reels and bent rods – yes the bite has certainly come back on strong.

The Silver Surfer skipjack. Marvelous mackerel for miles. King Kong sized kahawai splashing the surface all hounding the anchovies with suspicious swirls of kingfish now and then. Oh, and tasty pannie sized snapper – sound too good to be true!?

The Hauraki Gulf like so many other places around NZ has so many fishing surprises at the moment. All we need to do is be out there with a rough plan, then adjust to what cards have been dealt by Mother Nature for the day. Some days the snapper are all on, others not. However with so many possible fish types to catch, the more prepared anglers are bringing home the goods consistently.

Now is certainly one of the best times of the year to go fishing. All it takes is a little bit of planning i.e. a variety of menu items. These are your imitation live-bait in a box if you like and provide instant ‘fish’ for fishing. If one lure doesn’t seem to work – try another. You will find out what the fish are after so you don’t miss out. No one wants to leave the biggest and best fish behind wondering why they didn’t put down the tasty treat the big fish were after? Whether a tiny tidbit like a micro jig (anchovy), or a squid (Squidwing or soft bait), a pilchard (top water stickbait), or perhaps a highly panicked baitfish (Betabug), a dying baitfish wafting down (Double Trouble or Boss), or a quietly

swimming along but tasty nonetheless – a Nautilus (Kabura). Presenting a limited number of baits can significantly limit your bite, species and size caught. A few different temptations are often all that is required to tip the scales in your favour. With the shiny little anchovies on everyone’s menu out there, shiny silver/white lures looking just like a little tasty anchovy belly – easy pickings! Silver style lures are working particularly well right now – try a few different ones, smaller, silver, flashy…strike! Fish on whether in close or out wide.

Enjoy.

Espresso.

Catch Fishing / Wave Dancer / Extreme Boats / Honda Marine New Zealand / Furuno New Zealand / Savwinch Drum Winches / Isuzu Utes New Zealand Ltd