Manukau - June 2010

Gurnard arrive in harbour

The late-April to early-May fishing inside the harbour was fairly inconsistent, but on the coast good numbers of snapper were available when the weather allowed anglers to venture out.

On the game fishing front, marlin were being seen and mahimahi caught into the last weekend of April, and at the time of writing the conditions haven’t allowed for any further trips. Water temperatures had been hovering around 20oC, although may have dropped below that by now.

The snapper fishing has been very good when anglers have been able to find the schools, with limit bags being taken by some people. Nice specimens are still there for the taking, with stray-lined baits tending to be the best way to entice these bigger fish to bite. The fish can be found in all depths, although the best fishing seems to be coming from shallower spots.
Kahawai have been around in good numbers and provide good sport when the snapper can’t be found. Unfortunately, the usual influx of sharks has arrived, with tope and spiny dogfish being hooked and gear losses frustrating anglers.

Inside the harbour, the fishing has been hit and miss, with one week being markedly better than the next. The snapper are definitely on their way out of the harbour, with mainly small ‘throwbacks’ remaining. Bait fishing is certainly the preferred method, although taking a good supply is proving necessary with all the small snapper around.

Gurnard have arrived in reasonable numbers, with the average size being very good. It seems that fishing the incoming tide in the channels is best for catching these, although once the tide slackens off the kahawai become the main part of the catch.

The number of kingfish being caught has decreased, as expected with winter upon us. The kingfish were the highlight over summer in the harbour, providing many anglers – both land-based and from boats – with good fights.

At this time of year, a few hardy anglers’ attention turns to drifting for broadbill off the coast at night. This is not for the inexperienced; anglers must have full confidence in their gear and take safety precautions at all times.

- © Fairfax NZ News