Fishing: Foul weather hits fishing for most

The foul weather and high winds put a stop to fishing in many areas and caused some late-season contests to be cancelled.

In the Far North, however, the waters remain warm and big kingfish have been the target, as they retreat north and congregate off the headlands and over reefs for a last late feeding frenzy.

Fish above 20kg have been taken near the Cavalli Islands, in Doubtless Bay, off Cape Karikari and the Rangiputa harbour entrance.

They are feeding on blue mackerel, kahawai and trevally and can be hard to attract to a bait.

Fish live baits in the feeding surface-schools or stop in them and drop the big Zest jigs down. They carry hooks at the opposite end to the conventional and are tied at the head rather than the tail.

Often, a high-speed retrieval is not necessary. Float them down, jig and wind them in 10m or so, work them sideways for variety.

Snapper fishing has been good around Capstan Rock off Long Beach in the Bay of Islands. The inner bay is around 16.5C but you don't have to go far outside to hit 18C water and that's where the fish are.

Geoff Stone on Major Tom II reports lots of rat-kings over foul ground at the 50m mark. Marlin were around until very recently but the fishing effort had dropped away.

Northern fishers are gearing up for the Whangaroa Kingfish contest this weekend and the week-long International Yellowtail competition the following Sunday.

Doug McColl from Coopers Beach Sports reports good pan-size snapper around the bay, still in close when not put off by dirty fresh water run-off in heavy rain. The local club's kingfish contest scheduled for last weekend was postponed due to gale force winds. The kingfish are not coming up to Mangonui wharf but there are plenty in the bay, up to and bigger than 20kg, McColl says. The wharf is still producing kahawai, snapper and john dory.

Around Auckland, the Manukau Harbour is producing consistently with gurnard taking dark ledger-rigged flashers with baits added. The Hauraki Gulf snapper fishing is patchy, with some good, big fish taken in the bad weather and strayling pilchards near foul ground that drops to deep water.

The last satellite tag scheduled to pop from fish tagged in New Zealand waters has done so, indicating the striped marlin caught off Whangamata had made its way to 400 nautical miles southeast of Fiji. The early satellite tracking suggests fish tagged in or near the Bay or Plenty moved north and to the east, whereas fish tagged off North Cape headed more north and west, towards Vanuatu.

The tagging programme has shown that fish do move between the west and east coasts and can do so very quickly. One fish was recaptured by a New Zealand tuna long-liner working off North Cape, the tag recovered with valuable information but the satellite tag from its tail missing. The fish was released by the commercial fishermen, who are prevented from landing billfish. They would have had dispensation for this research fish so its loss was a bit of a disappointment for those involved in the programme.

One of the tagged marlin was apparently eaten by a shark. Its data recorder sent information suggesting the fish was swimming in water 3C warmer than surface temperature. Dives to 500 metres were recorded, the temperature remaining 3C warmer than surface. No data was sent about light reception, which aids mapping and confirms depth data.

After 11 days the tag started sending light data and the temperature corresponded to the surface. John Holdsworth of Blue Water Marine Research said it was assumed the marlin had been taken by a shark, the tag then passing through the shark's stomach and exiting, a good test of its robustness.

The programme is a world first, and good weather between February and April ensured it went well.

Holdsworth and others are preparing a report for the NZ Marine Research Foundation which funded the study along with game fishing clubs and the NZ Recreational Fishing Council. All hope to extend it to next season.