One benefit to the frosty mornings, is the glorious sunny days that follow. Scrape the frost off the windscreen and get out there!

Longer light means more fishing time, and that’s great news in anybody’s books! Although with those incredibly shiny frost fish being caught in the Craddock channel, no doubt there is plenty of time to continue more of this excellent winter fishing. In fact it’s only one more month until Spring springs into action. Despite the sunny days, someone’s left the Antarctic freezer door open, the past couple of days sure has increased the chill factor in the wind, beanies are as essential as a kabura in your tackle box!

Strong winds and robust tidal currents are combining right now. Which means significantly choppier waters out wider, however combined with other factors, the bite is good and worthwhile chasing. It’s a good time to get very well prepared for the next fishin’ mission. This means being 100% ready at the drop of a hat as the weather changes are fast and can often come a day or two early. Lots of ‘Sales’ are on at the moment. Prime time to get a bargain or three – Spring is only 4 short weeks away.

Or try the simple pleasure of a land-based session (choose your coast depending on wind direction). Or right in tight, close, leeward shallow shallows (even though the wind whistles through the braid in the rod holders) and tame some hard charging reds, kahawai or perhaps a kingfish?! Among other places this week the Hibiscus coastline has had some more pop-up workup action. Here one hour, gone the next, they’ve got to be somewhere ever day. When it’s on it’s all-in action, the whole nine yards. Also Tiri channel and environs has been similarly productive (not all the time). These flurries spark everything up, so expect and target all species when the bite is on, it may be brief. Stay in the area for hours though, as the birds leave the area, many fish remain, waiting for a small opportune lure to flutter close by. Fun times in shallow water.

This week has even seen a seal bask out from Gulf Harbour for a while, probably sleepily digesting in the surface sun.

Squid are also getting caught in good numbers – big city bright lights, and night fishing.

New moon, new month, new location, new species. Winter is what you make it, what wonders will it bring for you?

Cheers,

Espresso.

 

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