Fishing high on the agenda

Fishing was high on the agenda last weekend. As the spring season officially kicks off, mother nature has been celebrating in spectacular September spring style. Those anglers that did make the most of the 5kt variable weekend did well, very well.

The spectacular run can’t last too long. Consequently the noticeably strong bite late last week/early weekend tailed off a bit by late Monday/Tuesday. Perhaps bellies were full? So many influences on fish behaviour. But surely after a fast ‘n furious few days, the bite had to slow down for whatever reason(s). The bite was noticeably longer, then shorter and less aggressive as the days rolled past.

Huge changes of weather are forecast to continue. The good news is that this helps bring on Spring and Summer style fishing which has its benefits!

Where’s The Fish?

Workup fishing was fairly dramatic along Gt Barrier for several days. Land-based kingfish action prevailed in various Spot X’s close to the city. More kingfish were also out around outer gulf baitschools north of Anchorite Rock. Squid fishing is also doing well. Kahawai schools are thriving along the end of Whangaparaoa peninsula. Relatively quiet mid-ground drift fishing south of Anchorite. There are some very good solid snapper schooling north of the rock halfway to the Pigeons. No sign, other than on the sounder and a bent over rod. A little bit quiet in the Noises area, this should change soon, further out has been better snapper territory.

Whales were spectacles just north of Tiri also closer in to southern Gt Barrier (where the workup activity has been pretty good). However they were feeding primarily on krill/plankton style of food i.e. no mega burley trail so to speak so no mega fish feast close by. Although when they surface a very short sharp spurt of activity is worth a very quiet closer look sometimes – as the usual combatants lurk and spark up in hope (like us seeing a whale spout). Sometimes some bigger snapper and a king of two enter the immediate area at the ready. In this scenario, heavier faster lures are perfect to tempt a big fish into taking a big hit. If there’s no hits quickly, change out on your other set of micro jig and light gear. Maybe even a tungsten microjig would be a better option – with its faster sink rate but a very tempting little snack nonetheless. Kingfish, snapper and pretty much most fish species can readily strike at this little shiny fluttering tidbit, famished or not.

Technique tip.

Try this next time you’re out fishing with lures, any type of lure, softbait, hard body, metal, top water, inchiku or whatever… STOP. Yes the action you impart is often vital to attract fish into taking a bite at what they see is weak or injured fish i.e. potential food. With no thumbs to grasp food first, fish will bite to see if it’s edible, once they have first determined they won’t be food by doing so. Have you ever tried bobbing for apples? You know, apples in water, no hands allowed just try and bite the apple – but it just keeps bouncing away? Fish use a rush of forward speed and allow water to pass through their gills helping to get a part of prey into their mouth to bite them successfully.

So while you create action in your lure by giving it the gift of life (motion) with your rod (and reel), you want the fish to actually get it, you don’t want to ‘win’ by avoiding the fish attack. So perhaps a bit like in the school playground at times, allow the chaser to catch up i.e. slow right down, and stop. Hold your lure completely still suspended in the water column, and wait. Particularly with light gear you will feel any touch nibble or chew at your lure – now strike! You’ve finally ‘allowed’ the fish to take a bite! Which is the point. And assuming your hook point is needle sharp, you’ll be playing a lot more fish. I find this even more useful when the bite calms down and fish are less willing to chase a fast lure down using a lot of energy. Fast, medium, slow, slower, Stop.
Then after several seconds at least, start a slow retrieve ready for the followers bite. If this hasn’t worked, time for changes. More on that in next week’s report.