One writer of the Maori fishing calendar, which is based solely on moon phases, once remarked that he had always labelled the days around the full moon as bad fishing days but went out and cleaned up on the day of the full moon so he changed it to a good day. Such is the fickle nature of fishing expertise.
But this weekend will see smaller tides, of 3.1m on the Waitemata, which means less current out wide in the open areas and in the Hauraki Gulf.
There are plenty of trevally and gurnard in the Manukau, with plenty of small snapper, but the scallops are in top condition. And out off the west coast snapper up to 7kg or 8kg are coming from 50-60 metres, on both jigs and bait. Sharks can be a problem in the shallower water, and one answer is to use jigs rather than bait and berley is always avoided because it attracts sharks.
The gulf is fishing well when the wind allows and this should only get better over the next six weeks.
When approaching a work-up it is not a good idea to drive right through the centre, as some boats often do, but check the direction of the current by dropping some berley, then drifting down current away from the activity.
In water of 30 or 40 metres the snapper will be some distance away from the surface action as the current carries scraps down to them.
If the motor is switched off you will often find pilchards or anchovies sheltering under the boat, and the fish will come to you. A landing net can also be used to scoop up some fresh bait, which is the best option to use - you are giving the fish what they are feeding on.
But lures such as jigs and soft plastics are also a good way to find the snapper.
There are also snapper closer in, and in shallow water dawn and dusk are the best times to be fishing.
Strayling in the rocky shallows is also producing good snapper in the Bay of Islands,
And looking for birds or bait schools on the fish finder is a tried and true approach which works well. Anchor and drop berley, and a whole jack mackerel will often hook the largest fish.
Freshwater
Anglers fishing Lake Tarawera are heartened by an improvement in the size and quality of trout coming from Lake Tarawera.
Although reports since the season opened on October 1 indicated the bulk of fish caught were small, and often in poor condition, the last two weeks have seen trout averaging 2kg with individuals up to 3.2kg reported from deep water.
These are caught on downriggers at 40m, which can not be reached with conventional lines. And they are full of koura, which also means they have rich, red flesh and make top eating.
Tip of the week
If fish can be seen on the sounder but the fishing is slow, it can make a difference if you change your tackle. Rather than using the more common rods with heavy monofilament line try a light outfit with braid line of 7kg or 10kg breaking strain.
This ultra thin line allows smaller weights and lighter trace to be used, and if jigging you can also use a short trace of light mono like 4.5kg breaking strain, and a 20g or 30g lure. Snapper will often take a small bait or small lure fished with a light trace when they have ignored baits or lures attached to heavier line.
This approach also teaches people to be better anglers as you have to work the rod with a light drag on the reel to bring in a good fish. More fishing action can be found at GTTackle.co.nz.
Bite times
Bite times are 7.20am and 7.45pm tomorrow and 8.10am and 8.3 5pm on Sunday.
