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Heading straight past Rakino and the Aha’s we started fishing just north of the Aha's in 40 metres where there seemed to be a lot of birds milling around.

Sure enough this area fished consistently as long as we stayed near the bird activity, with a lot of bait sign high up in the water column.  Unusually, we were hooking snapper on the drop only 10 to 20 metres below the boat.

We stayed in touch with another boat that stayed around this area all day and binned up later in the morning with some nice fish.  Plenty of fish, plenty of bait and birds, so a good area to watch.

Other boats we talked to at the ramp had mixed results fishing around Rakino and the Noises, and mostly had reported a lot of nuisance undersize snapper in the area, however that may have just been the day, so we will watch out for more reports from this area as we get a bit more time on the water.

We also have reports that the Firth fished very well, with good drift fishing and snapper up to 15lb caught.

Heading to deeper water east of Flat rock, there were a lot of boats gathered along the ledge just off Flat Rock, west of the cable zone, to the left of the 50 metre hole (see map).

This spot can often fire up as it seems to attract baitfish and current.  Lurking birds and boats indicated fishing had possibly been good, but we found it pretty quiet and moved to the Kawau coastline.  

Soft baiting in the shallows on south east coast of Kawau from Nelson Rock to Challenger Island looked promising and has produced good results for us in the past, but wind against tide was not ideal, so a move to directly south of Kawau in the lee of the Northerly proved a very good call.

There were plenty of birds about, including gannets, good bait marking on the sounder, and a few quick snapper in the bin was a good sign.

Within a short space BOOM! Workups started popping up all around us, fast moving with big kahawai driving them, and birds going in pretty much everywhere around.  About twenty boats were all suddenly in the zone, but there was plenty of room and everyone was enjoying some great action.

Dolphins joined the party, and added some solidity to the workups with their steady, organized feeding patterns.

You didn’t need to chase the birds, just drifting (drift chute mandatory, and everyone was using one) a steady line through the area would produce action aplenty.

Every lure and lure type were getting hit, with 100 gram slow pitch jigs proving the best for us.

With a limit of solid pannie snapper on deck we stopped fishing at around 2.00pm and headed home.

Day one on the water ticked, and great to be back fishing.  Over the next few weeks, we will hopefully build a bigger picture of the fishing going on around the wider Gulf area, so stay tuned.

Now here is the ESPESSO REPORT for this week.  Tight lines.  Scott MacDonnell, Ed.

The Espresso Report 7 October 2021

Opening Day!?

Much hoped for and eagerly anticipated – the move to slightly lower Covid19 lockdown levels thankfully happened, with the Auckland region in particular now able to go fishing. The welcome unleashing of fishing craft of all types out into the gulf…well, what’s happening out there?

Mother Nature is right on time with an early spring mixed back of fishes, mixed in terms of species and success level. Some doing well others struggling a bit with smaller and fewer pannie snapper.

While the winds were a tad brisker out in 50m, closer in provided some good fishing on ‘opening day’. Slow pitch lures doing well out wider. Water temps are up, only just but the incline has started – great news as this brings more snapper in closer, and starts their more aggressive feeding inclinations. Evidenced by the pop-up surface activity, with scattered fish underneath in the southern Kawau area, typical of early spring.

Inner areas stayed a lot quieter, to be expected really as spring’s positive impact on inner gulf and Waitemata harbours is only just beginning, there’s a way to go yet before prolific fishing can be expected throughout the inner channels of Waiheke, Rangititoto and the Harbour Bridge.

Yet some very good snapper were being caught just off Rangitoto first thing in the morning, not huge specimens but well legal and certainly welcomed home.

Similarly in and around the Ahaas and Noises, mainly smaller snapper, but readily added to the fish bin.

The snapper are in prime winter condition.

Kayakers have been having some good fish turn up – Whangaparaoa peninsula doing alright, snapper and kingfish here and there landed, great to see. Softbaits are the go in close – the smaller 5” versions getting more attention than the bigger 7” models just now, that too may well change over the next few weeks, so don’t be afraid to start using the ‘big baits’ more and more.

Kayaks over the western side of Auckland have been doing well, snapper, gurnard, trevally - check out @ManukauYaks. Kayaks are one of the fastest growing fishing categories there is, no wonder.

Some good activity experienced this week, which seems early, in the Tiri-to-Kawau area, schooling snapper underneath some flash mobs of gannets and common dolphins.

The bottle nose dolphins had already passed through the general vicinity a couple of days prior on their hunt, more close-in stuff along shorelines, right around southern Whangaparaoa peninsula and down the North Shore.

Crackling outboard run-ups and wash downs were a welcome change to daily sounds across the Auckland ‘burbs, bringing a little smile to many, the sound of a kiwi summer perhaps.

Short sharp and sweet Espresso Report this week, a bit like the first day out for Aucklanders getting their fishing fix.

Half a chance, check that wind, and enjoy fishing in your own piece of paradise.

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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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For Wave Dancer Charters: Visit www.wavedancer.co.nz

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