Hauraki Gulf

fishing report

April 30, 2021

Supplied by

Note: If map is showing it is created by LINZ / New Zealand Hydrographic Authority and made available by Creative Commons 3.0. Maps should not be used for navigation

A rare ‘Pink Moon’ has been lighting up our night skies, and making waves with the corresponding huge tidal movements. The moon isn’t actually coloured pink but it is one of the two biggest and brightest moons of the year (closest to the earth), and good fishing action has been pretty in pink! From marlin within a day trip of Auckland out by Gt Barrier and the Mokohinau area, to workups in the gulf providing temporary thrills, late April and Early May is traditionally a top shelf time to be fishing even with the extra ‘brrr’ in the air we experience. Current air and water temperatures are good indicators to layer-up and hunt some solid fish, whatever your preferred target species. Marlin in May? Go get ‘em! off Oceans, Mokes/Hen and Chicks/Gt Barrier, 100m deep is plenty, trailer boat stuff or bigger, sworn to some secrecy but there’s been some pretty hot action, just sayin’. Usually right around now there’s a hot bite, just prior to these big bills heading out off shore, out of reach or recreational anglers.

Time to finish the season with a bang? A screaming reel or two? Gotta be in to win.

And of course there are sizeable Yellowfin Tuna around, some big beauties being landed just off North Cape this week, full moon influence helping with the big tuna at least.

Snapper – they’re really loving the aggressive inchiku action out further in the gulf. Highly ‘evasive’ lures like BossSquid and the original go-to BetaBug are hard to beat at the moment, such consistent performers with charter boats relying on them they are that good.

Beautifully conditioned prime snapper of that stunning 40-45cm size are out in the 50 metre zone now.

Spread out around small fast workups so you can play chase, or not. Superbly conditioned fat fish are on the bite.

Do Kingfish dislike pink moons? Or it’s that time when they calm down and are more challenging to get particularly in the inner gulf areas, or just random nature - but they have noticeable by their absence of bite of late.

COMING UP…

The Hutchwilco Boat Show at Auckland Showgrounds May 13-16. Yes it’s on after it’s sabbatical in 2020, now it’s back in full swing. So much to see and do and enjoy, more details of NEW product releases from Catch coming very soon!

‘Hunt With Me’ is a program on Maori TV 9:30pm Tuesday nights, showing a diversity of hunting and gathering across land and sea, great fishing right here in New Zealand. Available on demand too.

MagicFm Sunday Café at 08:30 – catch up on fishing live with Mel and Espresso with your Sunday morning cuppa.

The next chapter of fishing diary hasn’t been written – time for you to make some new entries.

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Enjoy!

Espresso

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This report is supplied by Grant 'Espresso' Bittle from Catch and Wave Dancer Charters.

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