Windy, but still some workups!

The barrage of winter weather continues, keeping most of us either wistfully looking at the boat/kayak/ski/rods while swiping cobwebs off in disgust. Not to mention checking the weather forecast for the umpteenth time, to no avail.

However fish don’t seem to mind the wind and rain! Our fishing eyes-in-the-sky, the gannets, are doing the hard yards lately battling headlong into 30kt winds with gusts over 40kts, in search of the workups. For those people close to shorelines around the Hauraki Gulf there has been some amazing spectacles to see recently, best through a set of binoculars.

Some of the best workups have been coming south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, dolphins have been herding up baitfish with gannets, terns and shearwaters all joining in for an aerial display to warm any anglers heart. Mackerel, however, aren’t so enthralled and the chase has been all on! These are fast moving work-ups, usually only lasting an hour or two. The bigger fish haven’t been to obliged to get in on it, but there are the odd kingfish and kahawai in the mix.

The urge is strong in many anglers to head out wide in search of prime winter fish like Hapuka (such a great fish)  one that instantly increases your number of mates when caught! Only the wind strength is keeping these fishing missions in check, but it can’t be too long until there’s a reliable forecast of a weather window that’s open long enough.

If you’re a land-based fisho or enjoy using a nice small boat or kayak you’re in luck. Hug the shorelines in the lee of the wind on flat seas, throw down small soft baits, micro jigs and use stealth as the sun rises or falls, alternatively burley big time to get those wintry hibernating fish in a frenzy at your feet. Around the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and North Shore Bays has been the best for Snapper and Kahawai lately.

So while the forecast is for yet more wind and rain, now’s a great time to prepare for those next fishin’ missions, boat in for servicing, tackle repaired with some new additions, trailer WOF, out of date flares renewed.

Be primed and ready.