Fishing: Bay of Plenty rains a boon for anglers

Fishing in the headlands of some Taupo/Rotorua area rivers and Lake Otamangakau are closing earlier this year to allow a better spawning season.

The rivers ban applies from May 31 to December 1 instead of the usual June start. Otamangakau is closed from the end of May to October 1.

Anglers should check their licences or with local DoC offices for further details.

The Tauranga-Taupo and Waimarino Rivers were only mildly discoloured by the rain that devastated the Bay of Plenty and the increased water level appears to have improved the fishing.

The Waitahanui and Hinemaiaia are still fishing well in the westerly/sou'westerly wind, with good runs driving up when they prevail. The Hinemaiaia closes above the highway.

Glenn Maclean of Turangi DoC said fishing was expected to improve steadily over the next two months.

The Lake Taupo fishing is patchy, with the thermocline deep and only those fishing the middle at depth doing consistently well.

The river mouth fishing is inconsistent - hot at times as the runs gather but only for a day or two, then slack again.

Around Auckland there has been good fishing in the oputer Hauraki Gulf and on the Manukau Harbour but it is getting harder close in. There are few feeding fish in the Rangitoto and other close-in channels, better prospects in the very shallow water close to the volcanic reefs. Use lots of berley and cut pilchards.

Eugyn De Bruin from Sea Genie charters has been doing well at the Noisies and Aha Ahas, with snapper in the 5kg range regular.

There are also lots of big John Dory about, De Bruyn taking them on 60/80g jigs.

The bigger snapper are taking bigger jigs up to 300g.

There were still kingfish around Channel Island, he said.

The Manukau's "gurnard guru" John Moran reports his favourite species are coming straight up the harbour in numbers, with limit bags being taken high up the Papakura Channel where the gurnard don't usually venture until later in the season.

They are up in size and condition on previous years.

Moran speculates that the cleaner water issuing from the improved Mangere sewage treatment ponds might be the reason.

Best rig is a dark green or brown flasher with small cubed baits added.

He is also getting snapper in the 2kg range, the little bait pickers having disappeared.

Last weekend there were pods of orca in the harbour, frolicking, not feeding.

The fishing is still very good in the Bay of Islands and Doubtless Bay with lots of kingfish and as yet few barracouta.

The snapper have been in close on the rocks and estuary mouths and are taking pilchard or squid.