Whakatane - September 2009

New season on the horizon

Tarakihi, like these White Island fish, are on the go at the moment.

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The snapper will remain patchy for a while as the bulk of them complete the journey back inshore.

Matata and the Rurimas normally attract the early arrivals. The resident adult fish will still be located in sparse numbers around the foul. These big fish are cautious, so some expertise is required to land one.

More easily located and landed are tarakihi. They will progressively mix with the snapper and populate grounds including: the Bubbles at Whale Island; patches in the large area between the Rau’s and the Thornton and Tarawera River mouths; around the Rau’s just off the foul; and in patches off Matata and further west. Mostly they will be alongside foul ground on the sand or mud, and even a slight rise of only half a metre on a flat bottom can hold fish. Once located with the sounder, it is important to position the boat as accurately above the tarakihi school as possible. Use two anchors if necessary, according to the action of wind and current.

Gurnard are another tasty meal, and as they scavenge along the bottom, this is where you should present your baits. Gurnard normally graze over a wide area and tend to arrive in groups, providing flat-out fishing followed by a lull. Patience at anchor or going for a drift is all that is required.

With the new whitebait season upon us, netters are hoping for a better season than the last one. Kahawai love whitebait, so they won’t be far away from a travelling school or the river mouths. Kahawai are often sadly maligned as table fish, but if spiked, bled and iced down, they can be cooked in every imaginable way and also make acceptable sashimi.

Out on the knolls around White Island the bluenose fishing is improving, and while fish are largely small, the numbers are pleasing. By-catches of hapuku, gemfish, tarakihi, red snapper, rays bream and pink maomao certainly do not disappoint. The kingfish are mostly obliging, with some real munters mixed with the recyclable rats.

The visibility for inshore diving is improving, while the beach and kontiki fishing will also become more productive as the weather warms.

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