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Showing posts with label Kahawai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kahawai. Show all posts
Overnight in Kumutoto Bay
Early December last year, I cast off from the mooring late in the morning on a beautiful calm day, heading for Kumutoto Bay with an overnight trip planned.
As I neared Kumutoto Point after passing Allports Island, I saw birds feeding on the surface and a couple of Hectors dolphins - one small, so perhaps a cow teaching her calf to hunt.
You know your lure is realistic when...
Overcast and still - it felt like perfect conditions at the river mouth, but nobody was catching any fish.
I was about to pack up when a guy hooked a decent-sized kahawai that leapt out of the water a few times. He had it on the line for a minute or so (I find 'time' takes on a different quality when a fish is hooked and have trouble judging how long playing a fish takes - more so when I'm the one playing the fish), but he ended up losing it.
It renewed my urge to fish, so I started casting again.
I've had this lure for a while now, but seldom use it. I love the paddle-tail action of these types of lure, but this one always feels a bit big for some reason (it's only just over 8 cm long, so it's not really that big).
Soon there was a tug on the lure, and before long a shag instead of a fish broke the surface.
I pulled the lure out of his beak and was able to wind it in quickly before he got hooked (shag grabbing it once more and chasing it underwater to the shore).
One more cast in case the shag had learnt his lesson; he hadn't. I was able to wind in again and change lures.
I've never had a bird grab my lure before - they normally seem quite aware that they're imitations. Must be a good indication of future success (with fish!), surely...
I was about to pack up when a guy hooked a decent-sized kahawai that leapt out of the water a few times. He had it on the line for a minute or so (I find 'time' takes on a different quality when a fish is hooked and have trouble judging how long playing a fish takes - more so when I'm the one playing the fish), but he ended up losing it.
It renewed my urge to fish, so I started casting again.
I've had this lure for a while now, but seldom use it. I love the paddle-tail action of these types of lure, but this one always feels a bit big for some reason (it's only just over 8 cm long, so it's not really that big).
Soon there was a tug on the lure, and before long a shag instead of a fish broke the surface.
I pulled the lure out of his beak and was able to wind it in quickly before he got hooked (shag grabbing it once more and chasing it underwater to the shore).
One more cast in case the shag had learnt his lesson; he hadn't. I was able to wind in again and change lures.
I've never had a bird grab my lure before - they normally seem quite aware that they're imitations. Must be a good indication of future success (with fish!), surely...
Serenity (or the lack of it)
Despite the road to the south of the Wairau Diversion being open during the whitebaiting season, I only went down there once. There's just too many people around during that time for it to be enjoyable for me now. Possibly getting grumpier with age.
I popped down to the mouth a couple of times about a week ago to see how things were looking. The whitebaiting season was over, so I figured it should be reasonably quiet during the day while most people would still be at work.
The first day I caught (and released) four young kahawai. Nothing great, but a bit of fun - better than hooking nothing. I saw someone had a decent-sized kahawai, so they must've been around.
Next ride down there, there were only a few older guys around. A couple of them were leaving not long after I got there. I asked whether they'd had any luck. One of them called back, he'd caught four medium-sized kahawai, destined for his 'jars'. Preserving them, I assume.
I overheard them discussing arthritis pills and home-brew whisky while I started to fish.
~ The Irish whisky is a nice change, easy to drink. Too easy to drink! It sneaks up on you!
Eventually everyone left and I had the mouth to fish on my own. It's a good feeling to have a nice spot like that to yourself. Normally the fact that nobody else is around means there's also probably not many fish to be caught, but there's always the chance.
There wasn't much happening, but I cast lures and changed them a couple of times in case it made a difference (I pretty much always use the Blue Fox jigging lure in such situations these days).
Before too long a car pulled up on the other side of the mouth. A couple got out with their young child. They cranked up the car stereo and started fishing.
I left.
I popped down to the mouth a couple of times about a week ago to see how things were looking. The whitebaiting season was over, so I figured it should be reasonably quiet during the day while most people would still be at work.
The first day I caught (and released) four young kahawai. Nothing great, but a bit of fun - better than hooking nothing. I saw someone had a decent-sized kahawai, so they must've been around.
Next ride down there, there were only a few older guys around. A couple of them were leaving not long after I got there. I asked whether they'd had any luck. One of them called back, he'd caught four medium-sized kahawai, destined for his 'jars'. Preserving them, I assume.
I overheard them discussing arthritis pills and home-brew whisky while I started to fish.
~ The Irish whisky is a nice change, easy to drink. Too easy to drink! It sneaks up on you!
Eventually everyone left and I had the mouth to fish on my own. It's a good feeling to have a nice spot like that to yourself. Normally the fact that nobody else is around means there's also probably not many fish to be caught, but there's always the chance.
There wasn't much happening, but I cast lures and changed them a couple of times in case it made a difference (I pretty much always use the Blue Fox jigging lure in such situations these days).
Before too long a car pulled up on the other side of the mouth. A couple got out with their young child. They cranked up the car stereo and started fishing.
I left.
Don't forget what you know
There were kahawai around, and they were curious, but I couldn't get one to grab my lure.
I was using the lure I normally use when targeting kahawai these days - a Blue Fox jigging lure. I like the look of them, the way the move in the water, and the fact that most people seem to use the tried-and-true hex lures for kahawai, so I assume that using something different will often give me the edge (one can always live in hope).
After fishing in the river mouth for a while, I shifted slightly more up-river, inside the mouth where it's a bit deeper, and was almost ready to call it a day when I remembered how I usually fish these lures (I tend to hibernate over winter and haven't been fishing much at all).
Back when I first discovered the lures, I found a jerky retrieve of three or so turns of the reel handle followed by a brief pause to let the lure drop seemed to yield the best results, with the kahawai often grabbing it during that pause.
Soon after changing my technique I hooked and landed a nice kahawai that ended up smoked and in a fish pie the next day.
I was using the lure I normally use when targeting kahawai these days - a Blue Fox jigging lure. I like the look of them, the way the move in the water, and the fact that most people seem to use the tried-and-true hex lures for kahawai, so I assume that using something different will often give me the edge (one can always live in hope).
After fishing in the river mouth for a while, I shifted slightly more up-river, inside the mouth where it's a bit deeper, and was almost ready to call it a day when I remembered how I usually fish these lures (I tend to hibernate over winter and haven't been fishing much at all).
Back when I first discovered the lures, I found a jerky retrieve of three or so turns of the reel handle followed by a brief pause to let the lure drop seemed to yield the best results, with the kahawai often grabbing it during that pause.
Soon after changing my technique I hooked and landed a nice kahawai that ended up smoked and in a fish pie the next day.
The mystery of the salt
The river will provide you with trout and possibly the odd sought-after salmon (I've only ever caught one - that was before I even knew salmon came into the Wairau, and I ended up catching a salmon before I ever caught a trout); maybe a kokopu, which Jim mentioned a while ago he used to hook every now and then back in the day, but I've never even seen an adult kokopu, possibly due to the mass-slaughter of their young which make up most of the 'whitebait' numbers.
But the saltwater systems, they have many different kinds of fish as part of their ecosystems. A recent outing with my five year-old son made me appreciate something that I think I forgot - saltwater offers that variety and mystery that you don't have in the river.
We were out having a sail, planning on stopping for a fish. We ended up anchoring a stone's throw off Karaka Point. We both had kahawai on our hooks for bait.
I thought I heard my line peel off in a quick run, but there was nothing on there. I took the rod out of the rod holder, wound in a little line and held on to the rod. Then he was back! I set the hook and spent a few minutes trying to get whatever was on the end of my line to the surface, and that's the beauty of it - you don't know what's down there!
The rod and reel were part of a cheap setup that I leave on the boat, and I didn't know how strong the line was any more, so didn't bother tightening the tension up too much to force the fish to the surface.
After some good runs, a decent-sized barracouta appeared. I would've brought him aboard to take as crayfish bait, but was convinced to let him go, so managed to get my hook (a weighted softbait hook that I discovered a while ago gives that extra 'feel' when fishing with bait) dislodged with pliers while the fish was in the water. The other line had been severed, so must have had the same or another barracouta at the end of it. The longer shank on the softbait hook probably helped keep the line safe on my setup.
I won't be giving up on fishing the river, but think I'll start focusing on saltwater again for a while - seek out a bit more mystery.
But the saltwater systems, they have many different kinds of fish as part of their ecosystems. A recent outing with my five year-old son made me appreciate something that I think I forgot - saltwater offers that variety and mystery that you don't have in the river.
We were out having a sail, planning on stopping for a fish. We ended up anchoring a stone's throw off Karaka Point. We both had kahawai on our hooks for bait.
I thought I heard my line peel off in a quick run, but there was nothing on there. I took the rod out of the rod holder, wound in a little line and held on to the rod. Then he was back! I set the hook and spent a few minutes trying to get whatever was on the end of my line to the surface, and that's the beauty of it - you don't know what's down there!
The rod and reel were part of a cheap setup that I leave on the boat, and I didn't know how strong the line was any more, so didn't bother tightening the tension up too much to force the fish to the surface.
After some good runs, a decent-sized barracouta appeared. I would've brought him aboard to take as crayfish bait, but was convinced to let him go, so managed to get my hook (a weighted softbait hook that I discovered a while ago gives that extra 'feel' when fishing with bait) dislodged with pliers while the fish was in the water. The other line had been severed, so must have had the same or another barracouta at the end of it. The longer shank on the softbait hook probably helped keep the line safe on my setup.
I won't be giving up on fishing the river, but think I'll start focusing on saltwater again for a while - seek out a bit more mystery.
The far side of the mouth
As I write, the dry westerly is blowing outside. It's now December and the local whitebaiting season has ended.
One of the main things I miss about the whitebaiting season is the opening of the road that runs down the southern side of the Wairau Diversion to the mouth - it gets opened for the season, then goes back to being a private farm road.
I try to fish there instead of the usual north side whenever it's open. It makes a nice change - normally less people, an undulating road that's more fun to ride the motorbike on, and the ability to fish spots you can't quite reach from the other side.
November had a lot of wind; too much wind. The grass in my yard that hadn't managed to catch some water from the garden sprinkler turned brown. It'd been too windy to jump on the motorbike and go for fish. I did manage to get out for a ride and fish near the end of the month, though.
***
It was late afternoon, I was out in the yard and noticed how still it was. I checked the tide forecast; incoming, just after low. I grabbed my fishing bag, jumped on the bike and rode down to the Diversion's southern side, rode through the gateway (open/close gate - always leave a gate how you found it) and down to the mouth.
At the mouth, a few people were whitebaiting. Nobody was fishing on my side, but some were casting lures on the other side. I set my rod up and wandered down, casting once I reached the water. Nobody seemed to be catching anything. I walked down toward the surf, having the odd cast, then carried on around into the surf to see if any fish happened to be coming in.
Nothing seemed to be happening fish-wise and I sat on a log, wondering whether to pack up and see if anything was happening at the Wairau Bar. I find sometimes sitting back and watching for a while is helpful - you either have a nice quiet moment and/or discover something that might help the fishing.
Shags were swimming, diving, chasing small fish. Some fish that seemed quite big for a shag to swallow were being guzzled down.
I started casting into a spot where the current pushes into the surf and the birds were active in the water. I soon hooked a fish that felt quite big. I land a kahawai that wasn't as big as I originally thought. Hooking any fish is better than no fish. I stayed and fished more.
The birds were still chasing and catching. I also caught some more - some bigger, and lost some at the water's edge, in the surf. With the last few that I caught, I started running up the beach when I reeled them into the surf - I might've looked slightly crazier, but the fish didn't get away.
There still wasn't anyone fishing on my side, and nobody that was fishing on the other side seemed to be catching anything. It's a strangely nice feeling; possibly because if anything, the shoe is normally on the other foot.
***
I've had fun fishing at the Diversion mouth with my new rod/reel setup and feel strangely hesitant about heading up the river to my usual spots looking for trout. I'm not sure where I'll be fishing next, but I think exploring will be high on the priority list... although the northern side of the Diversion mouth will now go back to being more pleasant without all the whitebaiters around, so we'll see... the kahawai may stick around, and there's always the possibility of a sea-run trout or even a salmon before long.
If only the wind would abate.
One of the main things I miss about the whitebaiting season is the opening of the road that runs down the southern side of the Wairau Diversion to the mouth - it gets opened for the season, then goes back to being a private farm road.
I try to fish there instead of the usual north side whenever it's open. It makes a nice change - normally less people, an undulating road that's more fun to ride the motorbike on, and the ability to fish spots you can't quite reach from the other side.
November had a lot of wind; too much wind. The grass in my yard that hadn't managed to catch some water from the garden sprinkler turned brown. It'd been too windy to jump on the motorbike and go for fish. I did manage to get out for a ride and fish near the end of the month, though.
***
It was late afternoon, I was out in the yard and noticed how still it was. I checked the tide forecast; incoming, just after low. I grabbed my fishing bag, jumped on the bike and rode down to the Diversion's southern side, rode through the gateway (open/close gate - always leave a gate how you found it) and down to the mouth.
At the mouth, a few people were whitebaiting. Nobody was fishing on my side, but some were casting lures on the other side. I set my rod up and wandered down, casting once I reached the water. Nobody seemed to be catching anything. I walked down toward the surf, having the odd cast, then carried on around into the surf to see if any fish happened to be coming in.
Nothing seemed to be happening fish-wise and I sat on a log, wondering whether to pack up and see if anything was happening at the Wairau Bar. I find sometimes sitting back and watching for a while is helpful - you either have a nice quiet moment and/or discover something that might help the fishing.
Shags were swimming, diving, chasing small fish. Some fish that seemed quite big for a shag to swallow were being guzzled down.
I started casting into a spot where the current pushes into the surf and the birds were active in the water. I soon hooked a fish that felt quite big. I land a kahawai that wasn't as big as I originally thought. Hooking any fish is better than no fish. I stayed and fished more.
The birds were still chasing and catching. I also caught some more - some bigger, and lost some at the water's edge, in the surf. With the last few that I caught, I started running up the beach when I reeled them into the surf - I might've looked slightly crazier, but the fish didn't get away.
There still wasn't anyone fishing on my side, and nobody that was fishing on the other side seemed to be catching anything. It's a strangely nice feeling; possibly because if anything, the shoe is normally on the other foot.
***
I've had fun fishing at the Diversion mouth with my new rod/reel setup and feel strangely hesitant about heading up the river to my usual spots looking for trout. I'm not sure where I'll be fishing next, but I think exploring will be high on the priority list... although the northern side of the Diversion mouth will now go back to being more pleasant without all the whitebaiters around, so we'll see... the kahawai may stick around, and there's always the possibility of a sea-run trout or even a salmon before long.
If only the wind would abate.
A Good Sign
I felt I needed a stronger rod for the current and surf at river mouths (mainly Wairau and Wairau Diversion), so ordered myself a Shakespeare 7 foot, 4 piece 'Slingshot' and a new reel to go with it - a Penn Pursuit 4000.
Today was my first day of testing the setup out, and also of trying my new plan to ride down to the Diversion mouth as often as possible to see what (if anything) was going on, fish-wise. It's just a 5-minute ride, so silly not to.
I went mid-morning around high tide, and the spot was busy with whitebaiters and some people casting lures, but I didn't see any fish getting caught. I got to cast my new setup for the first time.
Riding back down to the mouth late afternoon, I sat on the bike looking to see whether anything was happening before bothering to set up my rod. Nothing much seemed to be going on, but then I noticed a couple of guys walking back from the mouth with some kahawai.
I set up.
Casting into the current, I hit the end of the kahawai run and managed to land one. Most of the other fishers had a few. I stayed fishing while everyone else left.
I was happy with my one kahawai and the positive start to fishing with the new setup.
Today was my first day of testing the setup out, and also of trying my new plan to ride down to the Diversion mouth as often as possible to see what (if anything) was going on, fish-wise. It's just a 5-minute ride, so silly not to.
I went mid-morning around high tide, and the spot was busy with whitebaiters and some people casting lures, but I didn't see any fish getting caught. I got to cast my new setup for the first time.
Riding back down to the mouth late afternoon, I sat on the bike looking to see whether anything was happening before bothering to set up my rod. Nothing much seemed to be going on, but then I noticed a couple of guys walking back from the mouth with some kahawai.
I set up.
Casting into the current, I hit the end of the kahawai run and managed to land one. Most of the other fishers had a few. I stayed fishing while everyone else left.
I was happy with my one kahawai and the positive start to fishing with the new setup.
A spot of fishing at the Diversion and the Bar
A week or so ago, a neighbour dropped off a couple of kahawai. He'd been fishing at the Wairau Diversion river-mouth and caught a few.
Yesterday I tried my luck in the same spot. There was one other chap fishing when I arrived. After fishing in the surf and moving towards the river, I passed him and asked how his luck was going. He'd caught nothing, but mentioned the last two or three weeks have been quite good. He said a seal that he'd spotted out in the surf might be keeping the fish away.
I had a fish again today, but went to the Wairau Bar this time. There was nobody there when I arrived - quite rare for such a popular spot. I find solitude is often a big part of my enjoyment when fishing - one of the reasons I haven't been to the Bar for a while.
As soon as I walked near the water I spotted a fish near the edge, and another soon after. I spotted many kahawai in the water while I was fishing, but they seemed quite hesitant to strike overall. I did manage to hook and land one nice-sized kahawai.
Yesterday I tried my luck in the same spot. There was one other chap fishing when I arrived. After fishing in the surf and moving towards the river, I passed him and asked how his luck was going. He'd caught nothing, but mentioned the last two or three weeks have been quite good. He said a seal that he'd spotted out in the surf might be keeping the fish away.
I had a fish again today, but went to the Wairau Bar this time. There was nobody there when I arrived - quite rare for such a popular spot. I find solitude is often a big part of my enjoyment when fishing - one of the reasons I haven't been to the Bar for a while.
As soon as I walked near the water I spotted a fish near the edge, and another soon after. I spotted many kahawai in the water while I was fishing, but they seemed quite hesitant to strike overall. I did manage to hook and land one nice-sized kahawai.
Area Report: Wairau Bar
The Wairau Bar seems to be inconsistent with the kahawai.
Tony Orman has mentioned in the NZ Fishing News magazine over the last two months that "Kahawai are showing up spasmodically", and "... they remain erratic, with some days great and others being inexplicably blank."
My recent experience backs this up. I've only been down there twice recently - the first time yielded nothing, and the second time was as good as I've seen down there. Many nice-sized fish being landed by fishers. The healthy fighters put up a great battle in the current - my line on the reel I used first must need replacing, and after losing the two best lures I had on-hand before upgrading to a bigger reel I had with me that had new and stronger line, my smaller backup lures were then the reason for losing fish, with the hooks getting straightened out. I did land one nice kahawai, though.
The water is getting quite clear now in the Wairau River.
Tony Orman has mentioned in the NZ Fishing News magazine over the last two months that "Kahawai are showing up spasmodically", and "... they remain erratic, with some days great and others being inexplicably blank."
My recent experience backs this up. I've only been down there twice recently - the first time yielded nothing, and the second time was as good as I've seen down there. Many nice-sized fish being landed by fishers. The healthy fighters put up a great battle in the current - my line on the reel I used first must need replacing, and after losing the two best lures I had on-hand before upgrading to a bigger reel I had with me that had new and stronger line, my smaller backup lures were then the reason for losing fish, with the hooks getting straightened out. I did land one nice kahawai, though.
The water is getting quite clear now in the Wairau River.
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| Wairau River, looking upstream from the Ferry Bridge, near the Spring Creek township. |
My new favourite lures
Blue Fox 18 gram 'Trophy' jigging lures.
Fished with small swivel/clip combos as shown above seems to work well. They didn't yield results at first, but I was quite sure they would, so continued using them. I also tried bigger swivel/clips, but they seemed to change the action of the lure too much.
The green and yellow lure was my first purchase, which eventually brought in a nice medium/small kahawai.
Today the other lure landed four kahawai, and I managed to lose at least the same amount after having them hooked for maybe 20 seconds. I have a hard time remembering accurately the length of time a fish takes to bring in.
The fish were lost mainly due to my fault, rather than any fault with the lure - I let one get into the kelp nearby (which I'd learnt when I first started fishing near the kelp to make sure I kept the fish away from), and another I tried to pull up onto the rocks with a flick of the rod, but put a bit much effort into it, and essentially threw him behind me into the water on the other side of the rocks I was standing on, the lure coming free in the process.
I'm always annoyed with myself when I let a fish get away after being hooked. I fish this lure (and most other lures) with the tension on the reel just tight enough to bring in the lure without slipping. That way, when a fish hits it, I don't accidentally pull the lure out of its mouth. Once hooked, I'll tighten the tension a few clicks to allow me to bring it in.
The smaller kahawai would also have a go at the lure. The fish below was landed and released.
The first fish was brought in using a jerky retrieve method, and I continued using that technique until today. After noticing the lure was often taken by fish as soon as it hit the water, or while it was sinking, I started using it in more of a jigging style, with the jerky retrieves in between pauses allowing it to sink.
Being able to use it in a traditional spinning manner or more of a jigging style adds to the appeal for me. The classic hexagonal 'ticer' lures that are so popular with kahawai fishing don't really work so well as jigs in my mind. Although, that may just be because I haven't really tried it.
I have a 13 gram version of the lure that I'm now eager to try.
Fished with small swivel/clip combos as shown above seems to work well. They didn't yield results at first, but I was quite sure they would, so continued using them. I also tried bigger swivel/clips, but they seemed to change the action of the lure too much.
The green and yellow lure was my first purchase, which eventually brought in a nice medium/small kahawai.
The fish were lost mainly due to my fault, rather than any fault with the lure - I let one get into the kelp nearby (which I'd learnt when I first started fishing near the kelp to make sure I kept the fish away from), and another I tried to pull up onto the rocks with a flick of the rod, but put a bit much effort into it, and essentially threw him behind me into the water on the other side of the rocks I was standing on, the lure coming free in the process.
I'm always annoyed with myself when I let a fish get away after being hooked. I fish this lure (and most other lures) with the tension on the reel just tight enough to bring in the lure without slipping. That way, when a fish hits it, I don't accidentally pull the lure out of its mouth. Once hooked, I'll tighten the tension a few clicks to allow me to bring it in.
The smaller kahawai would also have a go at the lure. The fish below was landed and released.
The first fish was brought in using a jerky retrieve method, and I continued using that technique until today. After noticing the lure was often taken by fish as soon as it hit the water, or while it was sinking, I started using it in more of a jigging style, with the jerky retrieves in between pauses allowing it to sink.
Being able to use it in a traditional spinning manner or more of a jigging style adds to the appeal for me. The classic hexagonal 'ticer' lures that are so popular with kahawai fishing don't really work so well as jigs in my mind. Although, that may just be because I haven't really tried it.
I have a 13 gram version of the lure that I'm now eager to try.
Lament for a lost net
Farewell, dear net.
We had some good times together. Alas, due to my absentmindedness,
you were left at the edge of the river.
I came back to look for you! You were gone.
I hope you were picked up by some avid young fisher, and
have many more good times in the years to come – perhaps even more exciting
than the kahawai (plural) and trout (singular) you helped me land.
While I do have two replacements coming, to see which best
fills your empty spot in my pack, neither will ever truly take your place, but
merely offer a new alternative to what is lost.
Farewell, dear net.
Monday Fish #12, Whites Bay
Monday morning was very calm – there was almost no discernable wind, and the small waves lazily dumped onto Rarangi Beach. A seal swam north, close to shore.
It was seldom as calm as this, so I decided I should launch the dinghy for a row to Whites Bay and see what I might catch on the rod.
Before setting off, I attached the small unused anchor to the line, and stowed them in the newly-designated anchor bag. Chapman’s book, Piloting – Seaman & Small Boat Handling provided me with the diagram for the Fisherman’s Bend (or Anchor Bend). My version of the book is the 55th edition from 1981, the latest appears to be the 66th edition from 2009.
I also had my fishing bag and my two piece rod setup that I had been catching kahawai with lately. The rod was in two pieces to be safe in case the boat overturned while launching, but set up ready to fish once unfolded.
Launching went ok, although one of the waves splashed in before I was able to get out past them – there is quite an undertow and I don’t think I’ll bother trying to launch on any day where there is anything more than a slight swell coming in. In fact, I plan on launching from Whites Bay next time.
One of my oars came out of the rowlock while frantically trying to get the boat moving, and I had to do a bit of side-to-side rowing with that one oar until I got myself under control, so launching didn’t really go that ‘ok’, I guess. Quite lucky really…
I rowed around the rocks near Monkey Bay and continued up the coast towards Whites Bay, stopping for a fish before too long, catching a medium-small kahawai on my second cast, and feeling optimistic about the day’s fishing.
I fished some spots on my way towards the Whites Bay beach, with no luck, and started rowing to the eastern side of the bay for a fish near the point.
A seal was sunning himself on the rocks near the point. Fishing with bait yielded nothing after changing from the softbait. I towed a lure back across the bay towards Rarangi Beach with no luck.
The kahawai brought into the boat on my second cast was the only fish I hooked that day. Landing back on the beach was slightly nerve-wracking, but went well in the end.
I saw a seal again a couple of days later, further down the beach, near Blue Gum Corner. He was dozing on the sand and let me get close to him without showing concern – yawning was as active as he got while I took photos near him.
Easter Fishing Part 1 – Saturday 7th April
It was hard to turn down an offer of a boat trip to spearfish for butterfish despite my childhood fear of getting into cold water, so Saturday morning saw me heading out to the outer Queen Charlotte Sound with my usual fishing setup plus my mate @Spear-It’s wetsuit and spear gun that he’d left me when he shifted to Australia.
You couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise, and the trip to our first stop – Ngaturuturu Rocks, off Koamaru – was most pleasant.
I wasn’t overly keen to get into the water, but my two companions were into it. I stayed onboard and fished with my rod, catching a nice smallish kahawai (typical – I come all the way out here, and still catch kahawai). The current was quite strong, as it can be in this spot, apparently; the visibility wasn’t the best for being underwater, so we moved on before too long.
Rounding Cape Koamaru, we turned south and commenced the same fishing attempts – me onboard with the rod whilst my companions jumped in the water with their spear-guns. They had more luck than me, bringing back some butterfish, moki and paua - I didn’t have much action at all. The small fish on the bait-catcher rig were about as interesting as it got for me.
We stopped at another spot on the way back, where they again brought some more butterfish onboard. I switched from my soft plastic to a hex lure that’s commonly used for kahawai, and soon hooked a feisty fish that I assume was a kahawai – it fought briefly like one, and I saw the white flashes of it underwater, but it got away. Soon after I hooked a darker-skinned fish with the same lure, but it also got away.
They allowed me to take some paua, butterfish and moki home for my meagre efforts, which has made me more resolute to get similar fish, if nothing else - lovely eating! My kahawai diet of late has perhaps made me appreciate the ‘better’ fish more…
Monday Fish 10, Wairau Bar
Caught a kahawai on Monday. They really are fun to catch, so I have been trying to make the most of them before they disappear until next summer, which will surely happen before too long.
I think the smaller lures hook them better, so I've been trying to use as small a lure as I can. They aren't very good for casting into the wind, though, so I've been experimenting the last couple of times with putting a sinker above the lure to add weight.
Last time the weight was too heavy, and tangled more times than preferable. This time I had a bigger lure due to the stronger wind, and it cast better. Thinking about it, it does make sense that a sinker that's too heavy above a lure will sink quicker than the lure and more than likely make the hook tangle with the line.
I love the spear-head shape of the sinkers I've been using, and plan on trying more options.
Monday Fish 9, Wairau Bar
Jim rang me on Sunday and said one of the fish he had hooked earlier in the day at the Wairau Bar was apparently a salmon. There were people on the bank above him that mentioned it to him. The fish got away. We made a plan to have a fish the next day.
I dreamt about fishing that night – we were fishing at the Bar, and I hooked a fish which I thought was a salmon at the time, but when it jumped, it turned out to be a marlin. I woke up soon after.
The fishing was fairly slow on Monday, but I managed to take a kahawai home, while Jim landed two kahawai. No salmon, but I kept thinking we might have one hooked whenever there was a fish on the end of our lines. There had been a trawler operating in Cloudy Bay, and that probably had something to do with the lack of action.
I have heard of salmon being landed in the Wairau Diversion and the Wairau Bar lately, but I’m yet to see one myself this year. Tony Orman reports in the April NZ Fishing News magazine that there have been quite a few caught in various parts of the Wairau River.
Jim and I fished at the Bar again on Thursday and took a kahawai home each. Many of the strikes didn’t hook the fish as easily as they seemed to in the past. I changed to a smaller lure like I normally use before I landed my fish. I had been using a slightly heavier lure to help cast into the wind.
Jim told me he caught a couple of kahawai on Friday, and then four on Saturday. I think the trawler has vacated the bay, which must always be better for the recreational fisher.
Monday Fish 8, Wairau Bar
Took home fairly nice kahawai on Monday. They seemed hard to catch, though - quite a few strikes, but they got off more times than they stayed hooked.
The Friday before was better, with a couple of nice fat kahawai. Also a small one that I returned, and a little guy that got foul-hooked by Jim using a lure bigger than the fish.
The Friday before was better, with a couple of nice fat kahawai. Also a small one that I returned, and a little guy that got foul-hooked by Jim using a lure bigger than the fish.
Area Report: Marlborough, Wairau Bar
I've had some luck catching kahawai at the Wairau Bar over the last few weeks, but it sounds like the fishing overall hasn't been as good as it could be/used to be. This is the first time I've fished there, so haven't had anything to compare it to.
Tony Orman reports in the March NZ Fishing News that "the Wairau River mouth has been disappointing for kahawai, with some good days and then others that are virtually blank."
In the letters section of the same edition of the magazine, Lloyd Hanson of Blenheim writes, "The kahawai fishery has gone downhill alarmingly. Oh, there's a few big kahawai in the outer Sounds, but compared to 20 years ago, kahawai shoals in the Sounds, Cloudy Bay and our river mouths are meagre." Mr. Hanson points to mismanagement on the part of the government and their unfair bias towards commercial fishers around our coastline as the main reason for the decline - a lament I've heard before and one I tend to agree with, from what I've read and heard.
Tony Orman reports in the March NZ Fishing News that "the Wairau River mouth has been disappointing for kahawai, with some good days and then others that are virtually blank."
In the letters section of the same edition of the magazine, Lloyd Hanson of Blenheim writes, "The kahawai fishery has gone downhill alarmingly. Oh, there's a few big kahawai in the outer Sounds, but compared to 20 years ago, kahawai shoals in the Sounds, Cloudy Bay and our river mouths are meagre." Mr. Hanson points to mismanagement on the part of the government and their unfair bias towards commercial fishers around our coastline as the main reason for the decline - a lament I've heard before and one I tend to agree with, from what I've read and heard.
Monday Fish 5 and 6, The Wairau Bar
There was quite a swell coming in Monday last week down at the Wairau Bar. I didn’t land any fish, but saw a net being pulled in as I was leaving and it contained five or six fat kahawai and a flounder.
The fishing doesn’t seem to be too good at the Bar when there’s a swell coming in.
This Monday was overcast; no other people were fishing at the Bar, just my fellow-fisher Jim, and I – almost unheard of lately from what I’ve seen. The fish seemed a bit slower to start hitting the lures – possibly something to do with the approaching new moon, which may be the reason there were no other people fishing.
I landed a feisty five and a half pound kahawai and a tasty little guy that I cooked up for lunch. Jim landed three kahawai, all at least the size of my bigger fish.
I was using the same fishing setup that I used last time I caught fish there. It’s a surprisingly good inexpensive combo for saltwater spin fishing. The recently purchased EXORI 2 piece 6 foot 6 inch Spin Rod goes well with the Jarvis Walker Mirage EN350 Reel. It’s a lot lighter than many setups I see used at the river-mouth, but is able to take the punishment from what I’ve seen so far. (I'll update this post if anything breaks on me...)
The fishing doesn’t seem to be too good at the Bar when there’s a swell coming in.
This Monday was overcast; no other people were fishing at the Bar, just my fellow-fisher Jim, and I – almost unheard of lately from what I’ve seen. The fish seemed a bit slower to start hitting the lures – possibly something to do with the approaching new moon, which may be the reason there were no other people fishing.
I landed a feisty five and a half pound kahawai and a tasty little guy that I cooked up for lunch. Jim landed three kahawai, all at least the size of my bigger fish.
I was using the same fishing setup that I used last time I caught fish there. It’s a surprisingly good inexpensive combo for saltwater spin fishing. The recently purchased EXORI 2 piece 6 foot 6 inch Spin Rod goes well with the Jarvis Walker Mirage EN350 Reel. It’s a lot lighter than many setups I see used at the river-mouth, but is able to take the punishment from what I’ve seen so far. (I'll update this post if anything breaks on me...)
Monday Fish 4, The Wairau Bar
Last Monday saw Jim and I have some success, at last.
The kahawai were going crazy at the Wairau Bar. A lot of fish were being caught. We both took home two nice-sized fish. I weighed mine when I got home – one was five pounds, the other six.
I was using the new six and a half foot two-piece rod I had recently bought from torpdeo7.co.nz. It was perfect for catching the feisty kahawai in the current of the out-going tide. Most people were using heavier gear, but I found the rod with my Jarvis Walker reel to be a great little combo.
I fished there again on Wednesday, using the same reel, but with my Kilwell four-piece rod. The rod is a little longer than the other one, and has more of a whippy action – better suited for use up the river, after trout. I felt I was punishing it a bit much with the kahawai, but still landed two similar fish.
Jim fished there again on Tuesday and Thursday, landing four and three fish, respectively.
There’s plenty of fish to be had!
Area Report: Marlborough, Wairau Bar
Nice sized kahawai are being landed at the Wairau Bar at the moment. I've had first-hand experience, landing both a 5 and 6 pound kahawai on two occassions this week so far - Monday 30th January and Wednesday 1st February. Most fish landed seem to be around that size, and are great fun on light gear.
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