The cooler weather has arrived and the water temperature has dropped from 26 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees and lower. This means the workups become more intense and concentrated and the snapper become hungrier as they bulk themselves up for Winter! It also means the snapper get bigger!
The wind has been a problem this year with the El Niño weather patterns. It has made it quite difficult to get out and we have had to cancel a lot of trips in our busiest months (look at this week for example)! International guidance indicates that El Niño conditions will continue (99% probability) over the next three months (March – May 2016) as a whole, but weaken towards neutral conditions by the end of autumn. During winter (June – August), neutral conditions are likely to prevail (56%), whereas La Niña conditions are most likely to establish in spring (49%). This means we should get some amazing fishing in the Hauraki Gulf this Spring!
More info here – https://www.niwa.co.nz/climate/sco
The fishing is really hotting up with lots of bigger snapper around now who are very hungry and feeding most of the day. The fish have stopped spawning and are now congregating in the usual areas off the top of Coromandel across to Kauwau Island. We have been going to a large area in 42-46mtrs SW of the top of Coromandel, that is holding bait and the workups are really starting to go off there. We have found the Candy Apple 100gr Slider and 100-130gr Jitterbugs have been catching the larger fish. A simple drop to the bottom and slow wind up about 10 mtrs seems to do the trick!
My son Ben with a good Coro snapper caught on 100gr Candy Apple Slider!
Kevin the owner of FishnDips charters with a good Coro snappe rcaught on 100gr Candy Apple Jitterbug!
And even I got one on the first drop last Wednesday at Coro on the 100gr Candy Apple Slider.
There is also some very good fishing in closer now as the bait has moved right into Auckland city. We saw huge schools of anchovies last week right off Bean Rock and across the Rangitoto channel. The gannets have also been working the areas from Gardiners Gap down to Rangitoto lighthouse and on Friday they were working the south side of Rangi light and up to Bean Rock!
Here is a video I took of the birds working anchovies in Gardiners Gap a couple of weeks ago – https://www.facebook.com/Snapfishing/videos/459008197632363/. The boys caught heaps of KY and Snapper under this all morning.
See you out there.
Cheers Capt. Snap (Nik)
Snap Fishing Ventures
“Nothing ventured nothing gained”
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