Here is the latest information on where and what is catching the fish in the Hauraki Gulf !

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The Big Game

The sun's setting on a great season with over two hundred Marlin caught or tagged and released eastside this year, primarily BIG Striped Marlin, but big Black & Blue Marlin as well as a few Broadbill, although not many Tuna at all this year.

Some outstanding successes have been reported like Marlin on 3kg line by Hook'n Bull, a triple shot from Encounter with a Striped Marlin, a Broadbill and a Black Marlin in 24hrs. In addition to records

Skipjack Tuna have been caught in the Gulf at long last, a month or three later than last year and the numbers are well down. The lack of these fantastic fish is a big disappointment in my books, they are incredible to watch in their environment, fast sleek, chrome and iridescent blue bullets, great light tackle game and while they are one of the best Snapper baits, they can also make a very tasty dish or three to eat! Yes it’s true, made some myself so it can't be hard, care is needed right from capture but done right, delicious smoked. Trolling for them with small feathered lures...

“Hasta La Vista, baby” as Arnold Schwarzeneggar proclaimed, ‘09 is well gone now and no doubt the fish already caught over this summer will increase in size as the space-time continuum pulls the story line the further out it extends, BBQ tales of fishing prowess get stretched to breaking point. The Human schools have had their returning influx of growing minds, the world’s workforce is gradually re-gathering some momentum after the Christmas slowdown although with Chinese New Year yet to come it will be a while before the global engine is up to operating temperature. Speaking of temperature it’s been a real scorcher lately, that big microwave in the sky is

No-one was wanting for company out there over the Labour Day holiday weekend that’s for sure, pretty much anywhere on the water there were plenty of happy kids (young and old) catching fish, the adults expounding their various masterful skills on the unsuspecting, boats anchored, boats drifting and almost without exception a rod/reel or two poking out in eager expectation. Mother Nature provided an amazingly bountiful

Not quite Christmas, mind you the recent temperature drop feels like it should be snowing and a nighttime celestial glance might even catch a glimpse of the big red man and his red nosed Reindeer being silhouetted by the full moon. No? Well then it’s definitely Snapper season! O.K. so I’m like most Fisho’s

Tom sang in his own unique way “you take on faith, you take it to the heart, the waiting is the hardest part”. He’s spot on when it comes to enduring winter fishing but Prince prances in at this time of year and sings his own famous lyrics “Sign…o’ the times”.

But the signs are good, they are very good. The water temperature is on its way upwards out there

Yes the straight-back razor gang are marauding the entire Gulf, maybe not in maximum force just yet, but when they’re coat-tailing along for the ride under the boat among Snapper enticing tidbits, they can bring forth expletives from even those among us who imagine halo’s above oneself! Yep, just when you think it’s safe to go outside...’Couda.

More keen girlies have been invited to the Big Red party, so look out they’re good to go. Another wave of female Snapper are heading in closer. Big, healthy, roe filled and ready to spawn. So instead of just hauling up and keeping a heap of these prime fish, alternative plans were hatched and to some success!

The Catch Patch on Silly String

It’s a fine day indeed when instead of heading out to catch fish, there’s

4 Seasons In One Day they sang, and this just about sums up most things out on the big blue wobbly thing yet again at the moment. The water temperature has hot spots and some equally cold spots, the winds have been on again/off again, showers and sunshine within mere hours and the fishing is just following suit. If you’ve picked the right time and place, the fishing has been magic, if not, it’s…

Yes as usual the weather at this time of the year dictates to us fisho’s more than our previous Government. Hard to believe I know. But Spring in Auckland is renowned for it’s ups and downs, especially temperature wise, much like the NZ dollar! Not only from one day to the next but within minutes you have the shirt off your back and the next you’re looking for a coat. Wind can come from nowhere, and yet fail to form and a good morning or evenings fishing can be lost. Such are the vagaries of New Zealand Spring fishing.

But fear not, on the whole it IS getting warmer. The sea temperature rise has taken a pause over the past week, combine this with fickle bite times and

He said he’ll be back, and so it has come to pass – well the Snapper are back and in force! No more waiting, no more anticipation – the time has come. And to the winter blues I say Hasta la Vista Baby! The Snapper are zeroing in on the mega bait-schools out there, the Pilchards and Anchovies

It’ just been too few and far too far in-between days enjoying life out on the big blue lately. Winter does that. Winter can bring about all sorts of algal life. I’m not talking about the inevitable load of flopsum we are being subjected to from politicians spouting forth around election time. I’m talking how we Fisho’s

..I gotta wear, shades. Or so the song says. Have you noticed? How early the sun is up in the morning? The late afternoon? It’s dark no longer. Oh sure the wind is still cold, it’s wetter than I can ever remember...but there’s pollen on the car. There’s a hint of warmth in the sun recently, and enough UV already to search for the sunscreen on the boat. There’s a faint glimmer of hope that the abyss of winter is over. With this incredible

Hibernating fish and really shoddy weather sure can reinforce the winter fishing doldrums. Apart from the odd day out to catch a few fresh fish a lot of my time is now spent on the other aspects of fishing. Hard to make and down-right cruel decisions to get rid of much loved (or is that abused) fishing gear and getting those ‘little jobs’ out of the way....

The weatherman often takes a verbal beating, but being a weather forecaster in NZ seems like a lose:lose situation a lot of the time. Forget all those ‘ra ra’ sales meetings and win:win and all that. The unpredictable and extremely changeable nature of NZ’s weather – it’s a little island ...

So much for heading up to the Bay of Islands to hunt Mr. Marlin down – I only had to go to Tiri! Yes trend-setters, Tackle Acquisition Syndrome (TAS) addicts and fellow fisho’s at least one Marlin has been hanging around for quite some time now, still feeding itself silly in the Hauraki Gulf. Smart fish that one!. ...

Winter. Just like that, summer’s over. Like clockwork, daylight saving stops and a few days later, bang, slam dunked into winter weather, no ifs, buts or maybes.

The water temperature itself is actually a pleasant surprise although the air temperature and wind chill have been noticeable more and more, the water temperature

The antics of the baitfish in the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf are hard case right now. Big healthy schools of anchovies, mackerel and yellow-eyed mullet are all over the show at the moment.

Out wide, around the middle and in so close you can trip over them while taking an evening stroll along the beach. Most evenings of late you can watch workups while sitting on the North Shore beaches ...

The Hauraki Gulf has been treated to some of the most exciting and visually spectacular of fish lately – big, dark green meanies of the Kahawai kind. Big monster Kahawai are making a comeback. Impressive in condition and in their fighting capabilities, they’re certainly great fun ...

Last week was intense man. Not far-out, close in and intense. Whales, Dolphins, thousands of sea-birds filling the skies , Marlin reports from out wider all around the North Island coast and even one in the Hauraki Gulf, yes a Marlin was seen in the Gulf. So with a couple or three days of brilliant weather ...

The airborne dive bombing cruisers are looking very fat and happy with themselves around the Gulf lately feeding seemingly at random, at will. Their workup workmates i.e. Kahawai are strong and bristling with muscles at the moment, perfect for stripping line and careering around ...

Fine summer weather still abounds and with it long hot sunny days – meaning thoroughly enjoyable times (drifting or kicking back at anchor trying not to fall asleep) picking up the odd fat Snapper now and then even through the heat of the day. A great way to spend a bit of time experiencing the Gulf, watching the aquatic life on display and coming home with several healthy-sized Snapper for your ‘efforts’…

Even with a memory not fried by the midday sun or otherwise it’s hard to put a fish-finger on a Christmas holiday and start to the year with such sunny weather like we’ve been having lately. As a youngster I recall it was like this, but accuracy that far back is certainly not guaranteed. Hot days, hot nights lately –

What a wonderful start to the year – fine weather, big anti-cyclones, long hot summer days and mirror smooth seas. Sure there’s been a few windy ones, but that just gives

The annual fishing.net.nz group hug was held recently (see I can be PC, yeah right), a great opportunity to see the faces behind the screen names. An eclectic bunch of mad keen fishermen in one spot, on land, no weigh-in. A sight to behold and many a short, medium and tall story was told, no doubt - they’re all fisho’s....

Fish of all sizes are being caught in the Gulf and most are jam-packed full of Roe or Milt. It’s full on party mode among the Hauraki Snapper right now. The little fish are there, but I’m happy to say the bigger fish are generally beating them to the bite. A quick mid-week late afternoon trip achieved a limit bag of Snapper within...

The Hauraki Gulf has more and more baitfish swirling around in massive schools, and they’re coming closer and closer all the time. Anchovies by the Godzillians in huge bait balls are already spreading all over the outer and inner harbour areas. The sounder looks like it’s malfunctioning at times there’s so many baitfish in these groups. The sky has been covered in Gannets circling

Slowly the Sea Surface Temperature is climbing, out wide for the really big fish and in close too. Consistently up past 15C now with the sunnier days, easterlies and Spring time in general. All good news for us fishos! Big Whales, lots of Dolphins and their .........

The outer Hauraki Gulf channels are holding some good Snapper, the sea surface temperature (SST) is still cold, evidenced by the number of dreaded ‘Couda around at the moment but the SST is steadily on the rise. And closer in, all around the coast there have been a lot of prime Snapper taken on board too........

Successful fishing, especially at this time of year requires a little more forethought than looking out the window and then deciding to sort out the boat and gear before you can go I reckon. No massive schools of Snapper munching ................

The weather this week so far has been a mixed bag - one minute sunny and calm, the next 30kt winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning. This situation makes.........