great barrier island NZ

[tim85x]

Hey Raiders am heading over to to great barrier early next year just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a good boat to charter to get onto some good kings and hapuka ?

[Kiwi]

Hi Tim,

If you are staying at Bob & Tipi's (southern end) I believe they have tinnies for hire.

Otherwise I will send you a pm with some of the better blokes to contact. Do you want to go from GB or from the mainland.

Landbased is awesome and if you get a rental and go over on the car ferry or get a taxi on the island there is mind blowing fishing off most ledges.

Cheers Rowan

[tim85x]

hey kiwi thanks for the reply we are staying on great barrier island and bob and tipis looks perfect if u could please send pm with details that would be great cheers!!

[Kiwi]

Here you go. Remember biiig baits, bonito and squid. Livies of 2-3 kg Kahawai are NOT to big.

http://waterfrontlodge.co.nz/

[tim85x]

Cheers mate much appricated did u charter a boat when u were there? If so how did u get on?

[Kiwi]

Tim,

I am a Kiwi. Yeah don't hold it against me.

I used to fish there as a kid with my parents. We had an old 34' launch that we lived on for 3 weeks every christmas. We would hit Gb every year for the snaps and kings and also puka. We used handlines and would either fish out of a 10' dinghy or drag it up onto the rocks and fish with handlines off the rocks. Big hunks of Kahawai or yellow tail we caught at night on dusk. 30-50 lb line and a single 8/0. I have a scar on my finger from a 52lb kingie landed off the dinghy from the southern end.

From 1990 until 2002 I ran an 8m charter boat and would regularly hit both ends of the Barrier. The southern end was great for big snaps and kings and just south was Coromandel and Cuvier. You can snorkel and dive 6 per person and can collect on tanks, for crays in shallow water (there are places you can get scallops as well). Burley for snapper and have 20lbers feeding at your feet. The heli fishing blokes also have favorite spots at both ends. Just find an area with a bit of wash, weed and a drop off and throw out a line. A little bit of current is important. No need for sinkers as you want the line to drift down and the fish will come up and into the rocks. Collect sea eggs and smash for burley. Softies and deep divers will work as well.

Have a look at the site I sent you. Depending on who you use but some do several day trips with pickup and drop off to where you stay or you may stay on the boat. Depends on price and how many people.It has changed a bit but the market it tough so do the phone around and ask the questions. If you get close to a deal then send me an email and I can give you a bit of inside info. i will pm my email.

Cheers Rowan

[tim85x]

Your one lucky fisherman to be able to have fished there every christmas must have be great We are going to stay at tipi and bobs and they suggest we charter the boat through them. Is the rock fishing around the lodge produtive or will we need to travel ? The plan is to charter first day rocks the 2nd charter 3rd and rocks the 4 th at this stage it looks like we will be going towards the end of march do you know when the kingie season runs to?

[Onajewagain]

I watched one of the fishing shows on TVS on the island. Had the 2 guys from ifish aswell. Awesome fishing! Pulling in 2 at i time with big ballooned swim bladders hanging out! Really made me want to go!

Don't forget pics and reports when you get back.

[Kiwi]

Rock fishing the inner ledges should be good but the easier closer ones will have had more pressure. Just depends on weather, how keen you are and fitness. April will be great for the kings. No livie will be too big. I used 50lb main line and 3-4 metres 200lb trace with a 10/0 gamagatsu. Had a bit of light line tied to the swivel with a balloon. They don't need to be to far off the rocks. The outer ledges will fish better but the schooling fish will be all over the place. Snaps will be readily available- but then being an island you will have an offshore edge to fish no matter what the weather. Have a google and check out potential spots and ease of access. Catch yellow tail off the wharf each evening( also good for John Dory and kings off the wharf) and use the dead kahawai filleted for big strip baits. Whole yakkas or butterflied will work wonders.

I was in NZ a couple of weeks ago with my kids. We went to a place I have just south of the Bay of Islands. I rowed out from the beach in a 12'tinny and fished a local sunken rock 25 min rowing. Over 3 days we landed 3 pb snapper. My daughter 9 got several 9 pounders and my son got his at 10lb. Then the next day he got a 14lb. I got mine of 29lb and another of 19lb. All on floating lines with no sinker fishing between 9am and 2pm.

[Kiwi]

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=-36.33269,175.501184&spn=0.055316,0.055447&t=h&z=14&vpsrc=6

If you look to Sandy Bay with the off shore island there would be good fishing in the gutter and also the Southern end facing back towards Coromandel. A long time ago there was good diving for scallops in Tryphena harbour.