Wednesday, 4 January 2012

The fishing has been hard to report this year as most days have been less than ideal for boating. There has been some action though with the Matarangi Fishing Competition today and the harbour in general has produced some good results as well. Floundering is the harbour has been good with one family getting 11 good sized fish after only having the net out for 2 hours. There are also plenty of mullet around for the keen bait fisherman (they are also fabulous smoked). Trevally (some really good sized ones putting up a fun fight) have been relatively easy to catch in the harbour and make great bait and sashimi and a lucky lady caught a large John Dory on live bait a few days ago. Plenty of Kahawai being caught with a spinner off the point, some and out front off the sand there are some gurnard. Baracudda came through a couple of weeks ago wreaking havoc with every fisherman’s gear causing a few R18 words and the loss of plenty of gear. We are pleased to report they now seem to have moved off! The bar is particularly difficult at the moment with only a narrow channel giving an opening quite far down towards Matarangi Beach due to the big sand build up at Opera Point. Make sure you check the bar carefully before crossing, make sure every one on board is wearing a lifejacket and avoid crossing on low tides at all costs. So far there has only been one boat tipped on the bar this summer, lets try and keep it that way. Off shore there have been few snapper but reports of gurnard and kahawai make up for it a bit. The scallops are fat and divers seem to be pretty pleased with the crays they have been catching. The Matarangi Fishing competition had to be postponed due to the terrible weather conditions on the original day but have still managed to lure 36 boats into the competition for today. With a bit of swell, 15 knot breeze and blue skys (finally). There were some good fish caught and these are the results: LARGEST SNAPPER 1st Shae Jones 7.705kg 2nd Brady Robertson 6.730kg 3rd Rod Cooke 4.992kg KINGFISH 1st Kirk Davis 11.680kg KAHAWAI 1ST Tony Wongkam 3.060kg 2nd Pete Murphy 2.764kg JOHN DORY 1st Nicky Abraham 2.174kg 2nd Ted Puddick 1.654kg

Friday, 28 October 2011

If I said the fishing had been good, I would be a bit of a fibber. The fish have been scarce everywhere and we have only heard one report of a local who is still getting a few snapper but won't divulge any more information. The scallops are in good condition and pretty fat but they are starting to spawn so it will take 1-2 weeks to come right. The crayfish are plentiful and we are happy to report that the water temperature has improved to a much balmier 17oC. It has been extremely cold over the winter, so this is great news for divers! There are quite a few boilups about the place but on closer investigation you will find they are small Kahawai that are best used for live bait. Flounder have been plentiful and fat, some have been so big they were worthy of filleting! A few weeks ago the locals in Whitianga were treated with a visit from an Orca family cruising up Brophy's Beach, along Buffalo Beach and to the harbour mouth. Mum, Dad and baby seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves by all accounts, along with all the locals who parked up and enjoyed watching nature at its best in Whitianga.

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

We have finally got a winter fishing report from Blue and you who are brave enough to endure the cold and interesting sea conditions will be interested in reading this! The snapper have moved out deep now but in the shallows there is an abundance of kahawai and gurnard, guaranteed to get a good feed. The guys who have Contikis off the beach have been particularly successful early in the morning and at dusk so if you are a fisherman who doesn’t like boats or getting wet – this is the best option for you. Popular spots for those Whitianga based have been Devils Point, Humbug Bay, Pink and Ohinau. Patience will be needed as the fish are pretty picky at present. Those fishing baits all doing ok but anglers using soft baits seem to be doing better. There have been schools of whitebait seen out at sea so it should be a particularly good season when it opens. I am sure there are whitebait nets all around the country currently being repaired and put in good order all in anticipation. Hapuka are on the menu. Only a month ago it was only pups being caught out at the Hook but they have come in shallower and a beautiful 24kg fish was caught out the back of the Red Mercs. A few crays about including some packhorses but be careful, some of those shells are soft so make sure you check them before bagging. In conclusion, put on your thermals, beanie, fingerless gloves and a good windproof jacket and get some Omega 3 in your diet!

Saturday, 23 April 2011

Well there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that no matter how hard you try the Flounder are as scarce as hens teeth in the harbour at the moment. The good news is that there are plenty of other fish being caught and you don’t have to be too deep to be successful. You can catch Bonito off the beach and plenty of Kahawai around with some mighty boil-ups. At around 15m there are plenty of good fish being caught and a good variety of species. A 36.2kg hapuka was caught at The Hook recently and I would say that a happy fisherman was dining on hapuka steaks for a good few days. With the recent cold snap, I haven’t heard of any keen divers out there getting crayfish! The Doris Day out was a great success with a good number of women anglers fighting it out for the prizes. There was an 18lb snapper caught on Stu Arnold’s boat which came 1st, Brenda from Piper’s breezed in 2nd with a 13lb snapper and the 3rd place getter was a 12lb snapper caught on Mossy’s boat. Not many other species were caught but the girls all had a great day out. The Matarangi Boat & Fishing Club vs Matarangi Volunteer Rural Fire Force competition was as competitive as ever with the Fireman taking out top prize again. There were 6 boats competing from each team with the total catch for the MB&FC being 28.944kg and the MVRFF with 38.857kg. Blu Lewis’ boat got the heaviest catch for the Fishing Club with 11.72kg and Grant Robinson had the biggest catch for the Fire Force with 15.11kg. Grant (Grunter) also had bragging rights to a 10.285kg beauty. Council has met with the Matarangi Boating Fishing club to discuss the boat ramp levies and given feedback. The MB&FC advised the council that they do not oppose the levy but certain conditions must be met: 1. The fees collected here must remain here 2. Permits should nominate a ‘home ramp’ 3. Any increase in levy has to match rates rises. The council is considering feedback so watch this space! A cautionary note to all boaties – there have been a few avoidable accidents on the bar again so people need to be vigilant. Don’t go out on dead low tides when there are king tides and cyclone waves. Check the conditions thoroughly before heading out and ensure that you are returning at a time that is safe. We want our Matarangi boaties and fisherman to stay SAFE.

Sunday, 13 February 2011

Fishing has remained a bit hard in this region but there is always news and there are still a couple of good sized snapper about (check out the photo of Nick with his catch in January 2011). He seems to have perfected the 'straighten arms towards camera to make my fish look even bigger' technique! Its actually a fantastic fish although it seems to be hard to get an exact weight as it seemed to grow in size during that evening! Record catches of flounder have been caught in the harbor with even the novices getting catches of 50 fish. There are snapper in the harbor and they were especially hungry after the two big storms we had. They are not enormous in size but a good feed and bigger the pan – the sweetest taste in our books. There were also a number of very big eels hitting the lines after bite time which put up a good fight but are difficult to handle when you get them in. Rumour has it that if you want to stun them, hit them on the tails, not on the head. There are a few good kingfish being caught providing plenty of entertainment and a good fight for the fisherman. Mark swears by the Terakihi Terror soft bait to lure them onto your line (he caught a whopper this way last year). The scallops are still outstanding and plentiful. They are fat, in good condition and oh so sweet. Scallop season closes on 31 March 2011 so if you want to enjoy these beauties, you had better get down here. Crayfish are a bit scarcer than they have been but that is a result of a good Christmas holidays full of diving and setting craypots. The big news about this area is the fantastic Marlin that was weighed in at Whitianga in the middle of the week. This big Blue took 6 hours to catch and word was out quickly that it was a biggie. By the time the boat came in, there were around a 1000 people on the wharf waiting to see this magnificent fish weigh in at 393.8kg (866lbs) which beat the current club record by over 100kg. Just proves there is still a lot of fun to be had down here on the water! The Classic competition is being held next weekend closely followed by the One Base so we should have lots of interesting news in the next fishing report.

Sunday, 2 January 2011

MATARANGI BOAT & FISHING CLUB PARADOX FISHING COMPETITION RESULTS HEAVIEST SNAPPER 1st Tony Goonan 9.45kg 2nd Steve Judd 8.60kg 3rd Peter Brown 7.97kg HEAVIEST OTHER FISH Shane LeProux Stingray 34.85kg HEAVIEST KAHAWAI 1st Shane Gibbons 2.92kg 2nd Chris Hart 2.83kg HEAVIEST JOHN DORY 1st Rod Cooke 2.00kg 2nd Nate 1.63kg MYSTERY WEIGHT (1.217kg) P Michaels 1.22kg There were 46 boats entered and plenty of pan sized fish caught, mostly Snapper and Kahawai. There was a big crowd for the draw but unfortunately the fish were not on display as it was too hot!

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Leading into Christmas and the fishing front has not improved as much as we would have liked. It is still hard fishing and most fishermen are coming back somewhat disappointed. So far there are no birds working and the bait fish are not here yet so there is plenty of room for improvement! It is not all bad news however. The flounder are hugely abundant in the harbour so there can be fish on the table. There are plenty of crayfish around for the divers and craypotters and the scallops have fattened up beautifully and there are still plenty of them. If you are keen on the Contiki fishing there have been some good reports of them being sent straight off the beach and some very nice snappers coming back. Might be time to get the kyak out if you don't have a boat and throw a line over. Up till the rain this week the water has been beautiful - Fiji clear. Unfortunately it hasn't been Fiji warm! The temperature is 19.5oC and climbing - no blue water yet. Orcas have been on the coast and put on a good show in Whitianga Harbour recently much to the delight of the ferry passengers. The Matarangi Fishing Club's Annual Competition is being held on 2 January 2011 and there is also a Kids Fishing Tournament on 31 December 2010. Have a look at 'Whats On' for more details. We look forward to seeing you down here and hopefully hearing some great fishing stories. If you have photos to back these stories up, you need to be entering the Summer Photo Competition here at Matarangi Beach Realty. See you at the beach. Tight lines!

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Back on board with regular reporting but unfortunately a lot of the fishing news is not great. Reports are coming in thick and fast that the fishing is hard. All of the ‘never fail’ spots seem to be lacking and if you are not there dead on bite time, you miss out all together. The fish finders are showing that there are plenty of fish around but they don’t seem to be hungry! There are Snapper and Terakihi around for the patient fisherman and you will get a feed but not much more. There have been a few reasonable Hapuku caught out deeper, but again, patience is a virtue. There are a few Barracuda hanging around The Mercs giving the already frustrated fishermen more traces to make in their spare time. We have heard reports from the Coromandel town side that fishing in the mussel farms have been outstanding if you feel like venturing over the hill. On a more positive note, the water temperature has crept up to 18°C so diving is definitely getting more pleasant. The crays are a good size and plentiful at this stage and scallops are also in good numbers although they are just legal and not really fat yet. There were reports that there were 60 boats diving for scallops in Home Bay over Labour Weekend and there are still some left! The floundering in the harbor has been really good with one report of 50 caught in one net. With the high tides at the moment and the change in the wind this should improve both harbor and off shore fishing. We are expecting some good improvements in the fishing because there are some days where it couldn’t get much worse! Tight lines!

Monday, 25 October 2010

After a long absence, originally due to Blu’s injury and long recovery process, and later battling some continuously rugged weather conditions, we are finally back in the boats and on the nets and long lines, ready to impart some knowledge. The fishing has been hard work lately. There are fish to be caught for the persistent fisherman. The water temperature had been at 15°C before Labour weekend and dropped to a chilly 14°C (someone should have told all those mad keen kids who were swimming!). Even Blu has been reduced to catching gurnard. The Matarangi Boating & Fishing Club Labour Day competition had 14 boats participating. Fishing was hard work but Grant Robson managed to take the winning prize with 3 Kingis, a John Dory and 3 snapper. Plenty of activity in the harbour and the flounder have been plentiful (absolutely magnificent eating) and quite a few mullet about. Good to see a few bait fish around for netting and in the right spot in the harbour, the snapper have been snapping. There have also been some good smoking sized kawhai caught off the rocks for some keen surfcasters. Scallops are improved and are in good condition. They are plentiful over at the Mercs and there have been quite a few crayfish caught which are keeping the divers very happy (cold but still happy!) Today, we heard of a lucky fisherman who managed to jig a crayfish on a hook and rang looking for the best way to cook it on the BBQ! Bring on summer. Whitebaiters have been out in force on the Opitinui River and been bringing in some good catches with reportedly a 9lb catch. Good perseverance and a big net are required! All in all there are fish out there but it is hard work to get a good catch. On the up side, the water is still cold and the only way the temperature is going is up so we expect some improvement. Our pilot friend David Iles has done us favour and taken some magnificent photos of the Whangapoua Bar and Great Mercury Island. Really shows how small that gap is and reminds us all how careful you have to be getting your boat across that bar.

Thursday, 1 April 2010

Our fearless fishing legend Blue was unable to help with this report, and here is the reason why. 8 local lads recently booked the charter boat Takapu for a trip through the Chalky Inlet in the beautiful Southern Fiords. One of these lads was the infamous Blue. They had a great time catching Blue Cod (some of the biggest the locals have seen at 600mm long) and Trumpeter. There were huge crayfish and they bought home 50 of them, the biggest being 7½lb, and these were Reds, not Packhorse! The paua were huge as were the scallops with the feet being as round as a coffee cup. To top it all off the boys also shot three Red Deer. What an absolutely top week! Unfortunately some time during this week, Blue had an accident and injured his leg (sea legs reportedly ok). Over the course of a few days, it became badly infected and Blue was choppered out to Invercargill Hospital. At this stage he is still residing making a good recovery and has been joined by his lovely wife June. Get well Blue and hopefully you will be back in the sunny north! We have managed to shake up a bit of local fishing info in the absence of Blue. We have recently had the Placemakers One Base Competition on 19th and 20th March. Biggest snapper caught was 12.75kg, 2nd 21.1kg and 3rd 10.7kg. This was a great event with great prizes and the weather gods were fairly kind. The Trailer Boat Tournament was really successful with a 12.96kg Snapper, 15.45 Kingfish and plenty of other good fish caught. There were 72 teams, 269 anglers and 92 fish weighed. Another tournament where there were no tuna or large billfish caught. Hopefully this is not a sign of the overfishing times. On a strictly Matarangi front, there are still plenty of fish in the harbour as long as you get there on bite time. Snapper are scarce at times but they are in close on the sand. Most fishermen are getting a good feed if not up to there limit. There are plenty of kingi out there and there have been a few good boil-ups visible from Matarangi Beach – you just need to be Johnny on the spot. One local fisherman managed to land a beautiful 20lb kingi on a Terakihi Terror rig in his 12 foot tinny just out the front. In fact we hear many stories of locals in small boats doing very well – just shows that you don’t need all the flash gear to get the good fish. A few local tournaments coming up with the Matarangi Volunteer Fire Brigade Fishing Competition on Easter Saturday - $1000 prize for the average snapper. There is also a great Kids Competition on the same day to get that next generation into it. We saw a great bumper sticker that said ‘Boys who fish and hunt don’t rob old ladies’. Never a truer word said! There is also the ‘Doris Day Out’ Ladies Tournament on 17th of April. Tickets are available from Matarangi store or at the wharf. Plenty of fishing fun to be had here at Matarangi for the whole family, so lets get into it! Tight lines Mike and Mark

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

It’s been a busy February with plenty of competitions and plenty of big fish tales (and tails!) The Game fish Classic was held from 20 – 22 February. The weather behaved throwing out some glamour days which kept the 44 teams of 185 anglers pretty happy. There were 5 blue marlin, 7 striped marlin, 3 Short Bill Spearfish caught and weighed and 12 marlin tagged and released. The worrying news was there were no tuna landed during the competition. The winner of the day was Chris Frazer-Jones on Leilani 11 catching a 222.3kg Blue Marlin. This winner last year was also on Lelani 11 so I would say there will be a fight to get on that boat next year! The One Base competition was held from 24 – 27 February and was a slightly different story. Even the most hardened boatmen were stocking up on Sea legs after the first day. It was rough, rolling and fairly unpleasant (even though ‘real men’ will say it was ok). Fishermen got plenty of rough conditions, some rain squalls and by the last day, most were staying pretty close in. One fisherman said if he had needed to cut a trace on the last day, he probably would have accidentally stabbed 3 crewmates before cutting the line! Check out the final results from the Mercury Bay Fishing Club website. In the last report, boaties were warned about the Whangapoua Bar and there had been no accidents at that stage. Unfortunately the tide has turned (literally) and we had 2 accidents in the last month. Cyclone Rene had sent some rather large waves in this direction and 2 guys tried to exit the harbour in a dinghy. The bar tipped them over and the chaps managed to get ashore at Whangapoua. Not many days after a 16ft Plylite boat got overturned in similar conditions. The 2 guys on that boat got washed up half way along Matarangi beach and the boat was wrecked. Both boats were trying to get out over the bar and dangerous conditions. Check the weather and use your brains when contemplating going out over the Whangapoua Bar. The Boat Trailer charge saga continues. In the February council meeting Councillor Mingoue’s Notice of Motion to rescind the boat ramp parking charges except in Whangamata and the Sugarloaf in Coromandel was considered. Although the Council seems very quick to accept motions, there is a much longer process to rescind them. The motion has been tabled until the next council meeting. In this time council staff will write a paper showing the significance of the issue and whether it requires consultation. Councillors will need to vote on this issue, so if you want them to vote this decision out, let them know! The fishing hasn’t been really great this month with fishermen fighting with loads of weed coating the seabed and eventually washing up on the beach. The harbour was chocka with it. This has all cleared away now. Not much snapper out in the bay but will pick up now with March and April generally being very good snapper fishing months. Water temperatures still high around 22oC.The kingis are around but no one seems to be catching them. Flounder are still plentiful in the harbour, the bait fish are returning and the scallops are in great condition. Scallop season will be closing soon son take advantage of these beauties before it is all over. A few tournaments being held this month and with improved fishing conditions, we hope to report bigger tales and tails next month! Tight lines Mark and Mike

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

What can we say, the catches have been small but the stories have been really BIG! The big story of the moment was a couple local chaps went out to Cuvier for a fish and thought they would investigate a bit of bird activity. What they found was a 300kg plus broadbill that had just been on the wrong side of a shark attack and was now minus its tail. It was still very much alive and the boys managed to gaff this monster and get it on board. This broadbill joined the fishermen in steak form for a few beers that evening . The Wilson boys (Justin and Nathan) must have learnt these tricks from their father. The snapper have not been great but should improve as the warmer waters come in. The sea temperature is currently 21°C and the good news is that the blue water is in close to the Mercs now. There was a marlin caught just off the island last weekend weighing in at 127kg. This is great news for the game fishing as the season is just about to kick off. The scallops are the best seen in years, fat and really tasty. The trick is you have to find the right spot to get them this good. Crayfish are in really shallow and so get the brandy out and throw together a good Mornay. Flounder are still plentiful in the harbour with the big tides. You could always change to another net as there are a few mullet hanging around the place too. Deep sea there is a fair bit going on. Another few locals were out past the Red Mercs fishing at 140 metres and ended up with a bigger selection of species than a fish shop! They caught Hapuka, Pink Mau Mau, Ling, Mako, Granddaddy Hapuka, Dog Fish, Terakihi, Spikey Fin Shark and even a giant Octopus. Talk about a great day of fishing! Further to our last report there has been some movement by some councillors at TCDC about the boat trailer parking. Noel Hewlett and Dirk Sieling have admitted that they got it wrong. Mr Hewlett has been quoted as saying, “I am prepared to eat humble pie on this one. The signals seemed to indicate people would be in favour of some type of boat ramp charges. However they got changed to trailer parking charges and that scheme has failed in the implementation. As a result there are a lot of angry people on the eastern side. It’s been a disaster”. That’s two councillors who have switched camps due to public pressure so if you are unhappy, get in touch some of the other councillors and let them know how you feel. Just a word of caution, there has been some big tides and some even bigger swells knocking around this neck of the woods. If you are taking a boat over the bar, take extra care and try and avoid getting through the gap at low tide. Good fishermen are the ones who live to tell the tales. Good luck for the game fishing season. With the Nationals, One-Base and Classic Tournaments being held this month, expect an interesting report next month!

Sunday, 3 January 2010

With a beautiful, hot, sunny Christmas and New Years, the weather gods have certainly smiled on Matarangi Beach these holidays. Unfortunately they did not have a word with the fish gods to make sure they were all on the same page! On January 2nd Matarangi held its Annual Fishing Competition. It was a glamour day which encouraged a great boat turnout. The fishing however, was not that great as keen fishermen had to battle the algae bloom that has struck the beach and harbour. Whangapoua also held it’s Annual Fishing Competition on the same day and fared slightly better. The biggest snapper was nearly 11 kilos and was a land based catch. There was a good variety of fish with some huge Kingis, Hapuka, John Dory, Barracuda, Kahawai and even a Grandaddy Hapuka. The flounder are still plentiful and with the lovely full moon and the wind dying off at night, it has made for some fantastic spear fishing experiences. With holidaymakers flooding the Coromandel Peninsula the crayfish have gone into hiding (at least the locals hope so!) and have become reasonably scarce. Scallops are patchier than normal but we have had such a good run of it for the last few years, it had to happen some time. They are around but you will probably use up a bit of air finding them. There have been reports of divers catching on to a good spot and getting their quotas without moving far. It is good to know that it only takes a year for a scallop to reach legal size and they only have a life expectancy of 3 years, so if you get a big one, it might be just in time! The hapuka are about but you need time, patience and a good boat. One boat recently got 9 hapuka out the back of Cuvier. Other fishermen haven’t been quite so lucky but if you gear up correctly there are plenty of Terakihi to be caught if the puka aren’t hungry. Rumour has it that the council might be reconsidering it’s decision to charge boaties for the use of the ramps and parking. Numerous small communities have been fairly obvious in their opposition to this concept and the implementation of these charges has been difficult and basically unsuccessful for the council in most areas. Watch this space. Water temperature is still 17°C but the sun is hot, hot, hot with most days reaching between 25 and 28°C. You definitely need to remember to slip, slop, slap in this weather – easier to fight the big ones when you aren’t sunburnt. The warmer waters are coming and plenty of big game competitions starting shortly. The algae bloom is slowly moving off, so the fishing should improve shortly. Good luck to all those game fishing coming down here for the season. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike

Sunday, 22 November 2009

Heading into Christmas and the news just gets better and better. The scallops have fattened up beautifully and are in perfect condition lying around waiting to be accompanied by a cream sauce. You’ve just got to get out there and get them. Snapper have moved out to 30 metres on the sand and there are plenty of good bucks around. A couple of the local guys got a beautiful 24lb snapper last week. There were a few green blokes hovering around, wishing that fish was getting photographed for their album. Speaking of jealous fisherman, Nick Gao, a visitor to the Bay area caught a whopping 67.7kg Sea Bass on a charter boat out off the Hook. I don’t know what was bigger, Nick’s smile or the fish! What a great story to take home after his holiday. The water temperature is slowly improving and has climbed to a slightly crisp 16°C. Its heading in the right direction and another degree warmer will improve the fishing. Plenty of flounder have been netted in the harbour and there have been a variety of species including lots of Yellowbelly. Some large Kingis have also been sighted in the harbour, so it might be time to get kitted up with lures and ready to have a good fight. Crayfish bucks will be shelling at the moment, so be patient and you will undoubtedly be rewarded with some lovely beasts in the not too distant future.Just over the bar there are plenty of Gurnard being caught. This is pleasant, easy fishing and a good feed for the family. There is an abundance of bait fish outside Whangapoua and the Gannets have been having a whale of a time diving for them. Flocks of a dozen or more have been seen plummeting left, right and centre.We have had an unpleasant time with huge amounts of Barracuda off the beach and in The Puddle (between Matarangi and the Mercs). There has been a lot of replacement nylon and gear being purchased and many frustrated fisherman. The good news is, they seem to have subsided now. So we are fingers crossed for the wind to keep down and looking forward to a good pre-Christmas fish. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike

Friday, 23 October 2009

There is plenty of good news for keen boaties who are ready to get out on the water. There are good crayfish being caught in the shallows on the coast and out on the islands. Snapper are feeding on the sands at 20 metres and there are some happy fishermen catching them. There are a few lovely snapper returning to Whangapoua Harbour and there are some Kahawai being caught that are a size to be proud of. There are also plenty of small Kahawai and Trevally to keep the kids highly entertained, but make sure you keep ‘em legal! A couple Hapuka have been caught off Anarake Rock near Kennedy Bay. This is great news for all those fishermen who love a good Hapuka steak! Scallops are not at their best yet and the trawlers have been working hard around Opito, Matarangi and Home Bay and struggling to get a good haul. Don’t worry - it only takes a few weeks for the smaller ones to fatten up. A few flounder are being netted in Whangapoua Harbour but you will have to bribe the locals to find out where the best spots are. Crabs are plentiful out the front of the beach and for those imaginative cooks out there, a good Gumbo could be on the menu. The Matarangi Boat and Fishing Club’s Snapper of the Year is still held by Stu Arnold which weighed in at 11.915kg. That is the monster to beat but the catch is, you have to do it before the end of the year. Water temperature is still a cool 15°C but you won’t feel the cold when you’ve got a big one on! Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike

Friday, 29 August 2008

What an incredible 2 months it's been as you will see next time you walk along the beach and see the loss of sand we have had. Fishing has been quiet due to the difficult weather although as is often the way good catches have resulted when the hardy have got out. Plenty of gurnard and snapper are around right off the front of the beach being caught on long lines, flasher rigs and especially small soft baits. The same soft baits are also picking up John Dory regularly. We can't report a lot from out wide but should be able to give you an update next month. Scallop season starts Sunday, the commercial guys reckon the quality is pretty good for the time of year. Crays are plentiful but a lot of females are still in berry. The recent storms have certainly affected the bar and Kuaotunu ramp so be aware next time you venture out. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike

Saturday, 26 January 2008

What a great Christmas holiday period it's been for snapper fishing out in the 'puddle'. We've had a lot of bird activity resulting in some excellent catches of large snapper right on the sand between 20 and 40 metres. Ledger rigs and softbaits doing the job. For the game fishers the easterlies have brought the warmer water in with the yellow fin, albacore and skippies around in good numbers and the Marlin starting to appear - one local landing a good sized blue recently. Scallops are still plentiful and fat and thousands were washed up the Bluff end of the beach earlier this week which brought smiles to hundreds of holiday makers. The easterlies that brought the game fish and scallops have also made the bar a bit more exciting than usual. We've had a number of incidents so please be careful especially close to low tide! Tight lines! Mark and Mike