Hi Team,

The fishing has been hot lately, accompanied by very good conditions—there's nothing like winter on a nice, flat, calm day. This winter, the fishing has been somewhat different; we've been fishing shallow, around 35-45 meters, whereas normally 50-60 meters is the winter norm. The fish have been of great size, averaging 4-6 lbs, with plenty over 10 lbs. Most trips have reached limits around lunchtime or sooner, which is not typical for August.

There’s still plenty of bycatch like gurnard and kahawai, but spiny dogs seem to be absent at the moment. There are still plenty of baitfish around, with birds working them, and the snapper are right underneath them. Baits such as bonito and barracouta are working great, as well as fresh kahawai. You've probably noticed I talk about barracouta a lot—that’s because we don’t use squid at all; we get barracouta fillets, free-flowed, which make great bait.

The weather is looking okay for the weekend.

Cheers,

Rob & Jacqui Fitzgerald
Venturer Fishing Charters
www.venturerfishingcharterskawhia.co.nz
07 8711717
027 2544589