It's the time for carrots.
Just as hunters swap their rifle for a shotgun when the attention switches from stags to ducks, so the fishermen who never stop pursuing their love change with the seasons. The heavier snapper tackle gives way to the lighter gurnard gear. Many will continue with the same outfit, just changing the terminal bits. But the canny old salts know that a slender but strong graphite rod armed with a small reel and 4kg braid line will hook more tasty carrots - as gurnard are affectionately known - than the thicker 15kg monofilament line they have been employing throughout the summer to drop baits in the channels. In fact, soft-bait tackle is ideal for targeting gurnard with small cut baits instead of the squiggly lures they usually deploy.
It is all about fishing to the conditions and the prime carrot country is the wide flats and channel edges where currents race past, which are found on the Manukau and Kaipara harbours.
The seasonal fishing is another reminder of how fortunate we are in this country. Snapper move inshore when temperatures rise in spring and remain throughout summer and into autumn, moving back to the depths for the winter where the water is a couple of degrees warmer. Conversely, gurnard migrate into harbours as water cools, remaining through the winter. So we always have prime fish to target. Trevally and kahawai can be found all year round.
Carrots have got to be about the most user-friendly fish that swims. They are easy to catch, and make beautiful eating. Many prefer their fillets to that of snapper.
