Biting Back in the Bay with Pinky Green

Once again not so many people as might be expected have gone recreational fishing over the last 10 days.

During last week, for much of the time, the weather and sea conditions were almost perfect, but those wanting to go recreational fishing were very few.

Last weekend there were some volunteers but the conditions had begun to deteriorate and by Sunday were openly adverse.

Among the charter boats which ventured out Brett Keller (Manutere) was out fishing on the outside of Motiti Island last Wednesday.

Bottom fishing at 60 to 80 metre depths, they had quite a good day on tarakihi and a few snapper.

Saturday, with the weather beginning to deteriorate, they were fishing in the Middle Ground but getting reasonable snapper hits through the morning. In the afternoon it turned to tarakihi and they caught acceptable numbers of both species that day.

Another charterboat was out last Thursday in the Middle Ground with a 1-2metre swell and a strong current from the east.

For the first one and a half hours it was all on and they were catching a fair quantity of the required fish.

But then it died pretty rapidly and as it became difficult to find fish because they largely and wisely appeared to have taken shelter the party of anglers decided they had caught enough and to call it a day.

They returned to port with over 30 tarakihi, and one red cod, and although no snapper, they were happy with their shortened day.

A small private boat was fishing around Motiti Island on Thursday but did not have much luck except for one rather large snapper. Other catches were very few and far between.

At Pukehina Beach on Friday night a regular kontiki fisher was trying, but the big surf, strong winds, and current dragged his line sideways and he had a beach walk to bring the line back in.

In the weekend he just could not get the kontiki out against the surf.