Geoff Thomas: Good bags to be had despite winter

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Snapper fishing and diving have been producing some excellent bags in spite of the wintry conditions.

Squid have moved back in close and are being caught along the waterfront and off rocks and breakwaters around Auckland, with small five-centimetre jigs working better than the larger models.

Divers are picking up crayfish along the back of Motutapu Island, the outside of Kawau Island and around the Ahaa'a Rocks.

Straylining at the Ahaa'as has been producing some good snapper too. Live baits and pilchards are the top baits, and long-line boats working the Firth of Thames are also catching snapper on pilchards.

One party which fished all day at Jacksons Bay and Channel Island, off the top end of the Coromandel Peninsula, struggled to find fish and stopped near Gannet Rock at the bottom end of Waiheke Island on the way home and cleaned up, taking home limits of good snapper.

Berley is the key - plenty of berley - and floating baits cast down the current.

It is a good idea to thaw out one berley bomb in advance so it starts working quickly and a second frozen one can be deployed at the same time.

Current is always the key and, when targeting snapper, more fish will be found where there is a strong current flowing past a rocky point rather than in a nearby sheltered bay.

Depth is not so critical for you will hook fish in one or two metres of water, but proximity to deep channels does help.

It is the same on harbours like the Manukau and Kaipara, where gurnard are the main target during winter.

With the strong currents encountered on these huge harbours, trips can be planned around the smaller tides, so the current becomes less of a challenge.

Fishing around the turn of the tide also ensures the baits will hit the bottom and, often, one side of the slack water will yield the best results, so both options can be covered.

Planning your snapper-fishing outing so the wind and tide are running in the same direction is also important, and this will always apply for six hours of the day.

As well as berley, small pieces of fish can be tossed out in a semi-circle, to add to the temptation. This can be any old bait that has thawed and is too soft for using on the hook, but cut it into small pieces.

Freshwater

The upper reaches of spawning streams are now closed to fishing, to protect spawning trout, and there are hefty fines for those caught poaching. But there is still plenty of fishing available on lakes which stay open - Rotorua, Rerewhakaaitu, Rotoma, Rotoehu and Taupo.

Bite times

Bite times are 9.30am and 10pm today, and tomorrow at 10.35am and 11.10pm. These are based on the moon phase and position, not tides, so apply to the whole country.

Tip of the week

Keep in touch with floating baits, moving them often to ensure the bait doesn't become stuck in rocks or weed. Moving baits also attract fish.

• More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 5pm, Saturdays, TV3.