The winds of change bring an extra day every fourth year, leap year traditions, and a shift from summer to autumn, setting the stage for prime fishing conditions.

Here’s some fantastic food motivation from Anil Nathoo showing not only some great ‘how-to’ preparation using the entire fish, but a mouth watering way to cook and serve snapper – your tastes buds are in for a thrill: snapper for dinner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neFkKjuHkD4

Keep an eye out for upcoming Espresso articles in NZ Fishing News, covering a range of fishing topics, and don't miss the annual Hutchwilco Boat Show.

More inshore fishing antics are keeping us entertained – schools of fish easily detected by the activity of little white terns, flitting about close but often 'not quite close enough' for those fishing from the shore. Gannets are also joining the inshore action, diving in just a few metres of water off the shorelines, targeting the small kahawai chasing anchovies. The birds battle the wind, with terns often sent fluttering backwards by strong gusts, making for a challenging and exhausting hunt some days.

Ultralights are gaining popularity, with big game fishing for marlin and tuna still thriving, alongside the reliable choice of snapper near mussel farms around the gulf. The perimeter of the large bay is currently the hotspot for snapper, just as we're on the cusp of the season change. There's an abundance of mussels and anchovies providing ample feed for snapper in these areas, making it an ideal time to fill your catch bin. Whether you're drifting and using soft baits or creating a burley trail to awaken the more lethargic snapper, now is the perfect moment to experiment with various fishing techniques beyond the traditional methods, which can sometimes result in disappointingly empty chilly bins.

Snapper feeding so close to the surface their dorsal fins are creating ripples – sight cast a baby 25gm stick bait for topwater fishing that's genuinely thrilling, guaranteed to bring a wide smile to your face with solid snapper strikes visible. Alternatively, use a lightly weighted (say 1/4oz jighead) or unweighted softbaits, opting for the larger 10-inch varieties if they're biting. When they're feeding aggressively, attempt a few high casts, making your softbait land on the surface like a pilchard dropped by a bird – snapper feeding near the surface will dart up and hit them, offering a visually exciting way to fish. If they're less aggressive, reduce your softbait size but keep it lightly weighted, casting and retrieving smoothly without haste. The snapper will view this as an isolated anchovy separated from its school, an irresistible target for their lunch. So, go ahead and give it a try. Get out there and enjoy the action.

As we approach the season change, the action heats up with workups near the top of Coromandel and in the Firth of Thames, though snapper numbers and quality have been variable. The impending autumn brings cooler temperatures and shorter days, heralding a period rich with fishing opportunities for all sizes of fish. Get out there and enjoy the bounty.

Cheers, Espresso.

www.catchfishing.pro

Anil Nathoo snapper prep and cook link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neFkKjuHkD4

Landbased opportunities abound right now, see the terns – cast the micro, at hand in the car: 7gm Pocket Rocket, 2 piece softbait rod and S3000 reel, always be ready