Biting Back in the Bay with Pinky Green

Western Bay of Plenty recreational fishers should get motivated and get out there.

The tarakihi have moved in, and there are more than plenty of them available.

There are still some good sized snapper around too.
Most of the very best fishing was last Friday, including: Russ Hawkins (Fat Boy) found a Middle Ground spot where the fishing was absolutely ‘fantastic, full-on, unbelievable!'. Within an hour the five anglers, all with different baits, had 100 tarakihi, a few snapper, and trevally.

Garth Le Lievre (Deepstar) also in the Middle Ground found there were tarakihi to burn - just heaps of tarakihi.
Almost all the anglers got near their limit.
Russell Anderson (Bugger) at the Five Mile despite being blasted by flotillas of barracouta had reasonable
success. The two anglers landed eight tarakihi, six snapper, one cod, and one John Dory.
Our Papamoa kontiki veteran brought in eight snapper in one set at the change of light. All the baits were successful, but the best of all was slimy mackerel, and the best distance out was between 1700 metres to 1900 metres offshore.

The Pukehina Beach contact got three snapper with his first set, and two sharks and a stingray on his second.
The next best day was Saturday when, Brett Keller (Manutere) in the Middle Ground despite a decline in the weather, found it was still a decent day's fishing with some getting their tarakihi limit, and others near. Pukehina kayakers out about 2 kilometres in 20 metre depth water were getting good snapper up to around 5-6kg, and good tarakihi.

The first to discover the abundance and availability of tarakihi was Arch McTainsh (Enterprise) early last week in the Middle Ground, when all the anglers had their tarakihi limit by 10.30am.