Fish moving into Winter Mode

Winter signs are here and the fish start to move. Fishing is changing slowly into winter mode. Water temperature in the Bay has dropped, but still not too bad!

The Snapper fishing has been best right up in the shallows but they are now starting to move again to their winter hangouts around the shallower reefs in the bay. Reefs in 20 m or shallower should hold pannies with the odd good fish among them. We have landed quite a few 5-10 pounders in that area.Stray lining with some burley is the best way to get a good feed.

Kingies have been abundant on the deeper reefs and there has been plenty of them. Though, when lots of fish has been cleaned on one spot there are plenty of sharks around now, which can make your fishing very frustrating when you keep ending up with only heads after a good fight. Move around until you find a spot that is not holding sharks.

The marlin have slowed right down with the dropping water temperature though there are still a few around from the Cavallies north. How ever the sword fishing has come good with some nice fish being landed in the last month. A beautiful 190kg Striped Marlin was weighed in Russell, Bay of Islands a couple of weeks ago.

Tight lines

 Captain Hamish SpotX Fishing Charters, Bay of Islands

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