It’s interesting the feedback from my last suggestion, you don’t need to spend a heap on fuel by “fishing your feet first “.
A few days before and after a big weather event hits the coast, the fish go on the bite, then head out into deeper water or into the lee of a land mass to avoid getting beaten up. In fact, the biggest snapper I have ever caught was many years ago after Cyclone Bolar had devastated the North Island. Although the wind had dropped to around ten knots, there was a good two-meter surge running up the Rangitoto channel, on a long anchor rope, the boat rode like a surfboard, so it was hard to stay in touch with the bait, not that it mattered, as the snapper [ all 50 – 60 cm] were just hovering up every bait.
A number of baits got big hits but failed to hook up as the hooks, a size 8/0 were crushed. Tossing a whole mullet head rigged with a 10/0 hook, it got slammed. Initially, I thought it was a shark, and the ensuing fight would be the longest I have ever had, when the shark turned into a snapper. Without a word of a lie, it lay beside the boat, making all my previous snappers over twenty pounds I have caught look tiny. I released the monster, I guessed at 30-35 pounds, without taking it out of the water, as it would not fit in the landing net.
Three days before this latest cyclone was due my Haines 485 was safely tucked away but I was desperate for a fishing fix, at the eastern end of St Heliers beach there is a small rock groin which at low tide it is dry for about 150 meters so at high tide when you cast a bait it would only be a meter and a half at most. Two hours before high tide, I thought it was worth a crack inside two hours. I caught three small but legal snapper, just keeping one, but also hooked up on a big stingray and a kingfish.
The next day, the cyclone was just starting to move in on the coast, so I had another go for the two hours before high tide, not a bite, as every fish, including the bait fish, had bailed. The good news is once the low has passed, and it’s safe to head out, the fishing is hot as with the bottom and foreshore all stirred up, exposing shellfish, dislodging mussels, crabs, etc., it's like a giant smorgasbord.
As I have said before, if you need a fishing fix, you don’t need to go far if it’s just a feed of pannie snapper. The area north of Rangitoto lighthouse, start looking at the sounder from about 10 meters and slowly work your way out in a line to Tiri, you will see small smudges of red hard on the bottom which are snapper hard down and feeding as well as bait fish mid water. Soft baiting works well, but bait fishing, especially on fresh bait, is producing some good snapper up to 45.
Look at the chart, and you will see a fair number of rocky outcrops showing which are old lava flows. The furthest to the east is quite large, so on an incoming tide and with the wind from the north to the east, the boat will lie back towards the structure. The trick here is to anchor back off the foul so the burly will spread right over the area. Very small ¼ oz sinkers will be needed to help you cast as far back astern of the boat as you can.
You need a calm day to effectively fish this spot which is a large area of foul close to the shore at the southern end of Motutapu, for the boat to lay right this only fishes on the incoming tide in a north to north east wind again anchor well-up from foul use plenty of burly and ground bait but you will not need sinkers as its is so shallow close to the foul where you baits land.
For those heading further out there have been some good fish in close around the Ahaahas but one spot that has been a stand out is Zeno Rock, with an out going tide and a south west to west you can strayline back to the rock or look at the side of the drop off to the south as often the snapper will on the edge or just up from where the bottom flattens out. Drift fishing with ledger rigs and soft baiting works well.
In all reality were are stuck with higher fuel costs for a long time yet but don’t let that stop you enjoying life with family and friends just cut out a couple of coffees a week buy a sheep to cut the grass and put the lawn mower petrol in the boat. Stay tuned for more cost cutting tips.
