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It's amazing the difference a few days of fine, warm weather and a wind change can make to the fishing, with snapper now hard on the bite off both coasts.
The west coast anglers have been doing particularly well in the easterly winds, with big reds between the 35-40m mark off Auckland's beaches.
They are falling to flasher rigs baited with fresh mullet or kahawai with anglers able to beach launch this week as easterlies prevailed, shortening the trip to the fishing grounds.
Further south at Mokau, kite fishing expert Geoff Preston swears by fresh, white arrow squid as best snapper bait.
Preston and the Mokau contingent have had a great couple of months with the seasonal migration of big snapper. His best were 10.6kg and 10.5kg while the best all-up was a 13.4kg fish caught by Aucklander Julian Cox, with Preston's knowhow.
Curiously, it was hooked on September 29 - it was September 29 last year when Preston caught his biggest-ever snapper, at 15.7kg.
The Mokau locals have been out early in recent weeks with kites and submarine seahorses to tow lines as far out as 2.5km. Motel owner Murray Reid snared five fish over the trophy mark of 20 pound in one week. Greg Tuffey scored a 12.8kg fish. Cox, from Clark's Beach, is having his mounted.
Preston made traces for Cox's kite line and rejected the purple-coloured squid baits he'd brought from Auckland in favour of the white squid off the boats at New Plymouth. The line was set at 8am and left for two hours. Preston said they could feel the thumping of a big fish as it was hand-hauled in. When Cox saw the huge tail flash in the surf he waded out to grab the fish in the gills to ensure it didn't flip off the hook.
Visitors to Mokau are advised to ask for advice as the beach is littered with fallen trees washed down the river and sharp rocky outcrops. Loss of seahorses in the surf is common as the backing line snags buried logs or rocks then snaps. Preston charges $150 - around one-tenth of their cost - to recover them by kayak. Sometimes easy money for 30 minutes' work, sometimes a much longer and more dangerous job.
The whitebait runs off the west coast this year have been disappointing, with few of the smaller fish and lots of smelt. That may be due to heavy rainfall and floods, baiters hoping for better conditions until the North Island season ends on November 25.
Big snapper have come in around the Bay of Islands too, reports charter operator Captain Bucko, fish to 11kg. Mita's Foul and The Whale are both holding good snapper. He also suggests trying Onslow Reef.
Kahawai and trevally have been surface-feeding around the Hole in the Rock, encouraging bird activity and bottom-feeding snapper. It appears the easterly has pushed warmer water and baitfish closer in.
The Whale is also holding kingfish to 17kg and Bucko was amazed to hook one this week which had a spear hole completely through its body, the skin healed around it. "The spear had gone right through its tail just behind the dorsal fin and you could see straight through him, it shows how much punishment they can take and how tough they are," he said, "which makes you feel a bit better about their survival chances when they're released."
To get the kings, first nail live slimy mackerel for bait in the inner Albert Passage, Bucko recommends.
Further offshore, commercial boats are reporting large bait schools and skipjack to 3kg at 200m, around 15km out. That water is close to 20C as opposed to the 15-16C still holding inshore. Big game fishers will be hoping it moves closer as the first marlin are sure to be feeding in that water now.
Fishing is good around Auckland too, all the Hauraki Gulf islands and reefs holding school fish between 1kg and 2kg in large numbers, with regular catches up to 4kg. Flasher rigs work well at bite time. When fishing is slower, try soft plastics or squid - there are lots of squid in the Gulf now, as shows when gutting the catch.
