Well it is that time of the year again. The bees are busy, the trees are budding and all things spring are happening (including huge schools of bait and all the ensuing predators doing their thing in the Hauraki Gulf). We really do live in one of the most amazing places in the world and even though I have been out on the water watching the seasons unfold every year for many years, I am in awe each time!
Fishing has been typical for spring and you need to follow a few simple rules to ensure you get a feed and don’t upset other trying to do the same. We have been fishing the workups of course and here are some of those simple rules –
- When you see a workup happening, wait for it to build before approaching it (this is hard if there are lots of other people out there chasing workups).
- When you see a workup don’t race right into it and not only ruin your chances of catching a fish but also others. Enter the workup at a distance and follow rule 3 below
- Look for the drift and current and work out where the burly is flowing (we call it the exhaust). This can sometimes be 20-30 mtrs away from the center and this is where the snapper are feeding (fish the side of the workup where the tide is distributing the food).
- Use a drogue and cast ahead of the drift to keep your lure in an up and down position (over 45 degrees and the lures don’t work as well).If you have a successful drift don’t race off to the next workup but try your drift line again and maybe drift a little further (current keeps moving the food). I have fished the same drift over and over again with good success for an hour after the workup.
- If you see a large area of birds sitting on the water try drifting own current from them. There may have been a massive workup happening that you have come across (I have had some great fishing doing this).
We have been fishing around Whangaparaoa bay, north of the Noisies and even west of Rakino in 27mtrs for some great results. The afternoon seems to be the bite time over the past couple of weeks and we have been doing better on the way home. If possible I have found softbaits to be working better than metal in the more shallow areas like off Rakino.
So get out there and have fun in our own little paradise on our doorstep and make sure you are courteous to others and the rewards will come back to you.
Cheers Capt. Snap
Snap Fishing Ventures –
https://www.facebook.com/Snapfishing
www.snapfishingventures.com