Waihi and Whangamata - June 2010

Kahawai and more

April was notable for the large schools of kahawai up on the coast.

Surfcasters and kontiki exponents had one of the best months in a long time. While kahawai predominated, good snapper and trevally were a regular part of the shore-based catch. Two- to three-kilo snapper were taken off the beach close to the estuary at the southern end of Whangamata Beach by some anglers fishing an hour each side of low tide one evening.

Some charter boats have had a difficult time, with kahawai and inexperienced anglers causing massive tangles and consequent frustration through loss of gear. The stomach contents of most of these fish contain krill or similar shrimp-like creatures.
Reports of purse-seiners working in our area have raised concerns over the depletion of kahawai stocks.

Good news of a sort for recreational fishers is that Sanfords, Tauranga, have for the three months up to the end of April landed no kahawai, even as a by-catch. Species targeted by the purse-seiners in the Bay of

Plenty have been restricted to blue mackerel and skipjack tuna over the summer.
From Waihi Beach all the way to Boat Harbour, regular catches of snapper around 40cm or better were taken inshore. The best areas have been Mateora Bay, Petleys, Hikirangi, Opoutere and Shoe Island. Some remarkable catches were apparently made in the late evening. Interspersed with snapper were trevally and the odd john dory. In spite of the remarkable catches, one fisho said he had his worst-ever day in ten years out of Whangamata, catching only three fish.

Kingfish catches diminished at Mayor Island, with some of these fish showing up for those targeting bluenose and hapuku on the Knolls. Snapper around 40cm were reasonably easy to catch at Mayor Island, with tarakihi best at the western side of the Twenty-Six and the drop-off southeast of the Queen.

The Alderman Islands produced regular catches of snapper ranging from undersized to over 50cm, with red snapper and tarakihi on the 80-100m-plus marks southeast of the Islands.

Crayfish seem to either be fished out or to have deserted the area close to the Whangamata Harbour, but reasonable catches of bugs are being taken in pots set in 30m or more.

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