Fishing offshore from Tairua. NZ

[Paikea]

NEW ZEALAND TRIP- OFFSHORE FROM TAIRUA

With Son in Law, Simon and two of his mates we planned to spend two days fishing for Kings and Snapper out of Tairua on the Coramandel Peninsula then 2 days trout fishing out of Hamilton/Rotorua.

We arrived in Auckland mid- afternoon Wednesday 12 November. First call was to the charter operator who said that the sea was pretty rugged and things did not look good for going out the following day. Unless we wanted to fish for small Kings and Snapper close to shore where the Westerly wind flattened the sea for about 1Km out.

We came to fish so we readily agreed to stay close to shore. Next morning we headed South from Tairua to the Southern side of Slipper Island. Pretty area that looked very fishy.

On the way we put a big berley pot down and fished baits for Snapper. Mitch got a small (legal) Blue Cod, Simon managed what looked like one of our Red Rock Cod. Both were released after a spell in the live bait tank.

Not a sign of Snapper, not even pickers.

We carried on to Slipper Island where we were greeted with large schools of bait being harassed by Kahawai (our Salmon). The Skipper put one of those Billy Bonito lures on one of the rods and we took it in turns to cast over the school of bait then drag the huge lure back through it. All the while the face of the school was exploding with leaping Kahawai and bait frantically trying to get away from them. Absolute mayhem!

We managed to catch a few Kahawai, good size fish and fun on the light rods that were using. We kept three fish that the Skipper arranged to get smoked overnight by the local butcher. Turns out he lived next door to our accommodation, nice guy and very helpful. Fish tasted great (took two of them back home.)

We then ran all over the place looking for Snapper or small Kings but no luck so after 7 1/2 hours we headed back to Tairua with not much to show for our efforts. The boys then decided to fish for live bait off the Tairua wharf that evening and leave them there overnight ready to put into the live bait tank next morning. People (including our Skipper) have floating bait cages tethered to the wharf for that purpose.

Our youngest member out-fished everyone catching big Yellowtail, small Kahawai and Trevally, all good baits. His efforts earned him the nickname of “Master Baiter”. A certificate to that effect is in preparation for a formal award to him in due course.

The next morning the sea had abated a little so we persuaded the Skipper to take us out to the Kingie grounds some 33 K,s out from Tairua past the Alderman Islands (see pic of the area).

The Skipper decided that it would be best to wait until early afternoon in the hope that the seas would get better. He also wanted to catch a lot more live bait for a big session on the Kings. First try for live bait was from the Tairua wharf, nothing, zilch, zip! So the Skipper decided to take us around 35 K’s North to the pro fishing wharf at Witianga. On the way we followed Pro’s lifting their lobster Pots and cast baits where they were working including casting right against their boat. Apparently this is a standard practise with the Pro’s themselves taking it in turns to drop a line over. We must have fished at least twenty stops with again no result. Even the Pro’s were mystified.

Next stop on the way to Witianga was a large cave, (see Pics) the Skipper took the boat right inside for a spectacular view. Crystal clear water, would have loved to snorkel there.

On to the wharf past some spectacular scenery including a large rock that had a triangular hole through it. On the way the Skipper took us through a Marine Sanctuary to show us some Snapper that are always there. Put down some burley, guess what? Zip, no Snapper or anything else, bare as a Badgers Bum!

Same story at the wharf, no live bait, not even pickers. So we eventually headed out to the Kingie Grounds. The boat has a very large Furuno touch screen GPS/Sounder. As we got to the grounds the screen was covered in marks where Kings had been caught. Literally hundreds of marks. Sounding over the marks showed huge bait schools between 60 to 90 M with Kings clearly marking around the schools. The Skipper showed us his way of hooking the live baits just ahead of the eyes and then instructed the boys to lower their baits 8 colours (the lines have a different colour every 10 M)

We did at least 15 to 20 drops right over the Kings with only one small undersize fish hooking up but dropped at the boat. At this stage the seas suddenly got worse making us feel decidedly queasy. Things were not helped any by the Skipper draining some fuel from the fuel filter which saw me in deep stook as I tried to keep my lunch down. Touch and go but avoided the technicolour yawn.

Things then got so bad we all decided to head back to Slipper Island, a run of nearly two hours. The Kahawai were still there and the boys hooked some for a bit of fun. Simon did manage to catch a Moray Eel that did the usual gymnastics trying to knot itself around the line.

We gave it away around 5.30 PM. That evening we met some Maori guys who told us they had caught a heap of Snapper at the Mussel beds (wherever they are). Then the local paper reported that huge schools of Snapper had moved into the bay at Thames (Western side of the Coromandel Peninsula) where they spawn every year. No wonder they were not in the area where we fished.

To cap it all off, after we got back to Australia there was a report of an Earthquake of 6.5 magnitude that had its epicentre virtually 14 Km's below the spot that we fished for Kings. Did the fish know something? Who knows but it seems one hell of a co-incidence.

I will post some details of our Trout fishing efforts in a separate post.

Cheers

Paikea

• Google map of the area that we fished including Witianga (for live Bait), Slipper Island (Kahawai) and the Kingie Ground. (Zip)

• Simon’s Kahawai

• Looking in and out of the big cave on the way to Witianga.

• Mitch and the friendly Moray Eel

• Running out to the Kingie Ground

I did better the last time that I fished out of Tairua.

[Scratchie]

Great report hank. What a shame the fishing gods didn't shine. Earthquake??? I think there might be some merit in that. Their must have been one at broughton island last week too! Lol

Sounds like you had a great trip anyway. Such a beautiful place NZ!

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Croydon]

Hi Paikea,

Bad luck on the fishing. Just goes to show you can miss out even in paradise. How did you find the charter? I'm heading over in April next year with a group of 12 guys to fish with the same people. Hopefully we have better luck. Hope you catch a few at home to make up for it. All the best...........

Dave

[Paikea]

Scratchie, Broughton is a well known area for earthquakes and Tsunamis, mainly brought about by the Air force jets flying ultra low overhead. Scared the bejesus out of me many years ago fishing the Gibber when three Phantoms (I think they were) flew about 100 Ft above us whilst getting pippies on the beach. (us, not the Phantoms although they could have reached out and picked some up)

I needed a change of underwear after that pass. Never heard them coming until they were directly over us.

Croydon re your question we are going back next year with the same charter. Nuff said?

And yes I hope to get out soon and fish my local waters including taking a charter with one of our sponsors as a present from my good lady.

And finally, I got the all clear from my medico last Friday, cardiac problems totally cured so no more excuses to not go fishing. Ya bloody hoo!

cheers all

Paikea

[Croydon]

Yep understood mate, thanks for that. Great news on the health side of things get out there and go get 'em...........

Dave

[Volitan]

Thanks for posting this report. Its always good to hear about the slow-fishing trips as well as the really good ones - gives us realistic expectations when we go to places like these.

I'll be going to Whitianga early next year - its hard to keep expectations in check.

I eagerly await your report on the fly fishing. I spent 4 days backcountry flyfishing in the South Island at the same time as you were in NZ - for only one fish !

My brother lives in what is probably the most earthquake-prone part of NZ, and he says that whenever there is a big quake all the aquarium fish die. They just start acting a bit weird then a couple of days later they are floating upside down dead. He reckons its to do with the swim bladder but not idea myself. I should point out, though, that the 6.5 quake on 16 November was wrongly reported as being 150km east of Te Aroha, which puts it somewhere near where you were fishing, but it was in fact 150km east of Te Aroroa. Lazy Aussie journalists.

cheers

Arron

[Jocler]

Paikea,

Even a bad days fishing is better than a day at work. Not good you missed out on the fish but I am betting a great time was had by all.

J