Biting Back in the Bay with Pinky Green

Although the weather and sea conditions in the WBOP have been pretty good for the last ten days, and the recreational fishers and boats have been out in fairly big numbers over the weekend, the recreational fishing catch has been fairly light.

Russ Hawkins (Fat Boy) last Sunday at the Mayor Knolls they caught next to nothing. They tried a number of spots with no luck. In the afternoon they saved the day at the Penguin Shoals, landing some tarakihi and three snapper for the four anglers aboard. It was one of the toughest days.

Brett Keller (Manutere) last Sunday morning around Motiti they were catching fish for only a short time, then nothing. In the last two hours of fishing they struck the fish again, and the anglers ended up with between 8-15 fish each, mainly tarakihi, but with a few snapper.

Garth Le Lievre (Deepstar) Saturday at the Mayor Knolls the puka fishing was slow. They did land a few gemfish, one good bass, and some snapper. Sunday round Motiti the fishing was good. They landed enough tarakihi and a few snapper.

Small boats had very mixed weekend outings. A considerable number caught nothing or just one or two fish. But probably one of the best small boats' catches of the weekend was the four angler boat off Motiti Knoll Sunday landing 14 snapper, two blue cod, two grey mao mao, and one trevally.

Kontiki fishers in general have been finding the fishing hard. But at Papamoa last Thursday night one regular kontiki fisher abandoned the recent baits and went back to bonito (Skipjack) and in two sets brought in 14 snapper, whilst our veteran kontiki fisher fishing beside him with his old trevally bait got nothing.

At Pukehina a kontiki fisher Friday morning in two sets got one gurnard.