Bay of Islands
fishing report
April 22, 2022
Easter has been and gone, and with that, the water temp is getting colder. We are all hoping that these easterly winds give us a break at the moment, as it’s making fishing nigh on impossible some days. On the plus side there are lots of small snapper around with the occasional more solid fish coming in as well.
The usual inshore reefs are going well, particularly if using straylines.
Fishing inside of the islands on the sand banks, with either dead or live bait is also working most days at the moment.
Bait is around in plentiful supply inside of Roberton Island and Kemp Passage, and also out in the 35 to 40 mtr area just past the Black Rocks.
Around end of April and beginning of May, the kingfish will start to show up on the bait schools and kahawai schools that can be found in all the bays.
As we get closer to winter we all love the fishing up north as it's time to start chasing the big fish in close and the puka out wide.
Softbaiting comes into its own, and we’ve been using the Catch 10inch softbaits to great effect, these lures proving irresistible casting into the deep guts on the outside of Roberton.
We’ve seen some good trophy fish but getting them out can be a mission.
Having a good boat driver that can keep the line vertical, and some luck will see the odd good one pulled out of the foul.
These big fish have often been feeding up on the Kina beds so are in excellent condition.
Most important, get your safety gear checked, and make sure you’re up to date on the weather forecast as it can change very quickly.
Be safe, tight lines
Regards Darren
This report provided by Darren Knapping, Days Out Fishing Charters
https://www.fishingdaysout.co.nz/
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