Wellington / Kapiti

fishing report

February 23, 2022

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With the weather offering us a few good days and more than a few bad ones, we might wish for January back at the moment, but coming into autumn there are often good settled spells, so fingers crossed. Last week was pretty good fishing, and we are on a bit of a roll south end of Mana at the moment. No matter what the tide was doing, fishing was pretty solid, and targeting in a bit shallower and fishing some back eddies we were able to pick up some really nice snapper. Around the area there’s also some very good tarakihi, trevs, blue mackerel, kahawai and of course the odd good kingy. Turn of the tide there gives us the opportunity to shoot out deeper and target the puka, which has been reasonably successful with consistent results not always in the same spots as the fish move around.

There’s probably less fish around than I have seen in the last couple of years, but sometimes the patterns go that way a bit, and they can pick up during the changing seasons.

We are fishing the 150 metre drop off all the way along from Mana down to Makara in the 150 to 170 metre depth range, and searching for sign along the bank will generally reward the patient sounder watcher.

You can also head out further to the 200 plus drop off but we have had not much need to head out there as we do ok without the extra travel.

Even sheltered up inside Mana has been producing some good sized snapper, a fish species that appears to be even more widespread now, and always a welcome addition to the day’s catch.

You can get onto snapper easily in most places that have a bit of foul or shelter, and that means anything from as shallow as 5 to 10 metres, right out into the deep.

Surfcasters are doing well on snapper too, mostly from Paikok up to Te Horo.

It’s not always easy work getting good results off sandy beach, but good efforts will generally be rewarded with persistence.

The keen fisho’s and local club members have been doing really well up there, but the catch is, they seem to come on about an hour after dark.

This being the case it pays to get set up and established, then you’re familiar with things around you and how comfortable you are to wade out after losing the light.

Waders or a surf wetsuit-type-thing are a big advantage as often a bit of distance is required to get out to the second channel, whereas at high tide fishing the first channel is often enough.

Another great catch off the Otaki beach I came across...

Tīwhane Pota, with help from daughter Rangituia caught a massive kingy.

Using a live bait kahawai under small balloon, 11/0 live bait hook, 200lb mono trace, 50lb ball bearing swivel on 24kg main using rollered game rod! Not your typical beach rig.

His words:

“Got the idea to use the game rod after seeing birds working out from the surf club, huge tail splashes amongst kahawai.

Thought it was kingfish, first day no luck. Next day was within 30 seconds of letting the kahawai get out with the balloon.

Once hooked let a young fella reel it in. Had to assist the poor wee blighter as killed his arms.

Easy as walking up the beach and getting the line back on the walk back to the water.

Folks at the river mouth thought I was nuts. 'How ya gonna cast that out?' they asked with a laugh.”

Length - 134cm from head to V of tail

On the bathroom scales it went 32.7kg

There’s also been some boomer kingies caught land based closer to the city, off Sunshine Bay and in town around Oriental, Flat Rock, and Evan’s Bay.

Kapiti is fishing really well when you can get out there, with good albacore catches out the back of the island and northwards, and not so many bluefin of late.

Tons of good snapper and kingy fishing out there, all systems are go on that front, around the popular reef systems all round the island, so depending on what way the wind is blowing, there’s always a fishable spot at the moment.

Closer in, the harbour is fishing nicely, especially for snapper, where Point Gordon has been pretty much the story, although Ward Island is proving good for snapper too.

If you want to fish the wreck (look for it off Point Halswell toward Somes) it’s good for kingies, tarakihi, snapper and heaps of other species. The trick is staying a bit wide of it to avoid losing your anchor on it, and drifting is not so great as you then lose your gear fairly easily.

Setting up a berley trail drifting into the wreck as you sit off the edge of it is generally a good way to go with dropper rigs and straylines doing the business.

Get set for a good weekend coming up.

Good luck and tight lines.

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Cheers

Pete

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