Bay of Islands

fishing report

March 18, 2022

Supplied by

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For all you regular boaties, the fishing is great but the price of getting there and back not so much fun at the pump. This month will be a hard one for all industries including our charter fleet in New Zealand, with a lot of people having to stay at home due to Covid it has been a hard haul, and we couldn't have done it without the support of all the awesome kiwis and local fishos. On the plus side, the fishing action is heating up, and with restrictions getting lifted, some relief will come for us charter guys with more anglers turning up from overseas again.

For snapper fishing recently, stray-lining has been the go-to this month with some great fish being taken out of the shallows.

Big slimeys or jack mackerel are the best, with a nice cube trail to bring the moochers out to play.

Basically anywhere inside the island's and to the northern side of the bay seems to be the hot area.

With an easterly wind, the hardest thing will be getting that wind and tide working together with the bite time. It’s often better to wait for the right conditions and fish elsewhere until things all line up together.

Finally the usual autumn schools of kingfish are in the bay now, with lots around the bait and on the outer reefs past Whale Rock.

If the weather permits, reefs like Donahues have been holding big schools of kingfish and tarakihi, but being in 150 metres it's a bit dependent on the weather allowing you to get out there.

Rocky point has good numbers of fish but also a large number of bronze whalers that will turn you fun morning trip into a nightmare more often than not.

This year has been a hard one for our kingfish clients, with sharks winning most of the time.

Hopefully with the big schools of bait fish moving in, we might get a wee break from them.

Great places to hit this month are in the shallows from Tapeka Point to Parua Bay on the incoming tide, and along the 40 metre area in the middle ground on the eastern side of the centre foul.

If you want live bait there are lots about in all the usual places with some massive ones off the black rocks should you wish to go big or grab some marlin pitch baits!

Plenty left in the game season yet so tight lines and be safe out there.

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Regards Darren

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This report provided by Darren Knapping, Days Out Fishing Charters

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