Bay of Plenty
fishing report
January 30, 2025
The season kicks off with impressive catches of yellowfin tuna and dynamic marine workups, signaling promising conditions for both nearshore and deepwater fishing enthusiasts.
It's been a great start to the season, as many of you might have seen in the press: numerous yellowfin tuna have been caught, accompanied by some fantastic gannet and dolphin workups. These have been hooked even in 60-meter depths out from the Mount, about 10 miles out, which is handy for smaller boats in the right conditions.
Bottom fishing has been moderate with tarakihi and snapper being caught from the 30-meter marks out to 90 meters. The tarakihi, which has been sparse close to shore in recent years, might be making a comeback, which is encouraging. The snapper caught among the tarakihi have been decent, though not large. However, in the past, March has yielded some really nice fish in the deeper, 80-meter-plus areas.
Interestingly, marlin have been hooked close to shore, not far from Karewa Island, only 7 miles from the harbor entrance. One marlin released recently was around 80kgs, suggesting that larger fish might also be present in the area.
On our last trip, we spotted some small workups of skipjack tuna, indicating that the entire food chain, along with its predators, is converging in the area. The harbor continues to fish well, with kingfish lingering around the marker buoys, even up towards Rangiwaea Island. Whether anchoring upstream to cast back, drifting live bait, or even a dead piper close by, be prepared for a quick hookup. Be cautious when boating and handling the "rats" among them to avoid injuries from hooks or to the fish.
Snapper and the occasional trevally are also present in the harbor, though bite times can be intermittent. Nonetheless, the effort is worthwhile when the bite is on.
Lastly, a safety reminder: always be vigilant on the water. Just last weekend, a 12-meter yacht nearly collided with us while we were anchored and fishing. It seemed the skipper hadn't seen us, as no one was visible in the cockpit and their sails were up. I moved just in time, disregarding the usual "Sail has right of way" rule under those circumstances!
Stay safe out there, especially during what could be a very busy weekend.
Cheers,Russ Hawkins
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