Fishing: Biggies waiting if you know where

Phil Appleyard of Halfmoon Bay caught a 23lb (10.4kg) snapper off Channel Island. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Some massive trout are being caught in the Ohau Channel, one local picking up an 8.6kg monster brown on gear that shouldn't have allowed him to land it.

John Hoanui, from Rotorua, scored the beauty on an old fibreglass rod, a reel with a broken handle and biro fitted to replace it, and with heavy sinking trace on his fly-line.

But Fish & Game's Steve Smith reckons the locals with knowledge and experience get results ahead of fly-ins with flash gear. If you want a big fish, he advises some watching first.

Fish & Game has conducted 11 half-day surveys since the season opened at the beginning of the month, weighing 211 fish. Of those, 24 have been over 4kg, and of the 24, 11 were over 4.5kg.

So more than 10 per cent of the fish checked from the Rotorua/Rotoiti area are double-figure "trophy fish" via the old pounds measurement.

"Aside from those who fish outside the salmon cages in the channels in the South Island, these are the biggest fish you'll catch," says Smith, "and a lot of people question the sport in fishing outside salmon cages."

Quite right.

The big fish run should continue through to Christmas, Smith expects.

"The smelt runs are held up by the weir structure, and the trout are in there gorging on them."

All anglers are scoring well, he says. Early morning and late evening are best, but fish have been taken at all hours of the day.

"My advice to people coming from outside the area would be to watch and learn. If you put in the time, you'll catch double-figure fish."

The biggest browns are still deep, and that's why John Hoanui got his with a sinking line.

Rotoiti is producing lots of fish in the 2-3kg range. Harling is the best method on Rotorua after warm weather has warmed the lakes.

The locals were gearing up for a big weekend after such a good week. Good news - there have been no busts for licence offences.

On Taupo, the water has been calm and the fishing excellent for those harling or deep trolling. The harling has been best early and late in the day but sometimes it has been good right through, says Department of Conservation fisheries management officer Glenn Maclean.

The rivers have been slow, with mainly spent fish coming down, but another run of pre-spawn fish is expected once there is heavy rainfall.

Maclean asks that anglers carefully release undersized fish, preferably without removing them from the water or handling - use pliers to turn the hook. Juveniles are growing at 1mm a day, so by the end of summer they are takeable.

"There's been lots of happy people around," Maclean says of the Taupo fishing this week.

The easterly wind allowed the first west coast fishing for some time, with two yellowfin tuna landed off the Manukau bar. The yellowfin should start to run down both coasts any day now as temperatures climb into the 18-19 degree range.

Trout fisherman Harvey Clark was on the Cornwallis wharf this week for some good action, with big octopus landed taking squid baits. The locals reckon the occys come in for the fattening scallops.

Sizeable schools of big piper were round the wharf in the hot, calm weather, and they were chased by large kahawai and juvenile kingfish. Best tide was low and incoming.

Big snapper have been the order of the day on the east coast. The after-work Auckland anglers have had no trouble getting a limit bag just north of the Rangitoto lighthouse, the fish schooling on the worm beds. Eugen de Bruyn, of Sea Genie charters, says the fish are good condition, mainly in the 35cm-plus range, with the odd one up to 5-6kg. My old mate Martin Brady and others have reported the same, with bust-offs on light tackle. All baits work. Best time is just before the top or bottom of the tide.

De Bruyn also reports seeing two big schools of large kingies, in the 15kg range, rolling and playing.

Bigger snapper have been taken at Channel Island, Great Barrier, the Ahaaha Rocks, off Coromandel and at the back end of Waiheke.

Anglers will soon have more information thanks to a website (swellmap.com) dedicated to predicting swell. The site, to be up in a fortnight, will allow users to pinpoint their favourite spot, be it for surfing or fishing, or to check round the country. Information on specifically logged sites can be emailed to alert the angler/surfer about upcoming good conditions