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3 March 2010 It’s been a busy February with plenty of competitions and plenty of big fish tales (and tails!) The Game fish Classic was held from 20 – 22 February. The weather behaved throwing out some glamour days which kept the 44 teams of 185 anglers pretty happy. There were 5 blue marlin, 7 striped marlin, 3 Short Bill Spearfish caught and weighed and 12 marlin tagged and released. The worrying news was there were no tuna landed during the competition. The winner of the day was Chris Frazer-Jones on Leilani 11 catching a 222.3kg Blue Marlin. This winner last year was also on Lelani 11 so I would say there will be a fight to get on that boat next year! The One Base competition was held from 24 – 27 February and was a slightly different story. Even the most hardened boatmen were stocking up on Sea legs after the first day. It was rough, rolling and fairly unpleasant (even though ‘real men’ will say it was ok). Fishermen got plenty of rough conditions, some rain squalls and by the last day, most were staying pretty close in. One fisherman said if he had needed to cut a trace on the last day, he probably would have accidentally stabbed 3 crewmates before cutting the line! Check out the final results from the Mercury Bay Fishing Club website. In the last report, boaties were warned about the Whangapoua Bar and there had been no accidents at that stage. Unfortunately the tide has turned (literally) and we had 2 accidents in the last month. Cyclone Rene had sent some rather large waves in this direction and 2 guys tried to exit the harbour in a dinghy. The bar tipped them over and the chaps managed to get ashore at Whangapoua. Not many days after a 16ft Plylite boat got overturned in similar conditions. The 2 guys on that boat got washed up half way along Matarangi beach and the boat was wrecked. Both boats were trying to get out over the bar and dangerous conditions. Check the weather and use your brains when contemplating going out over the Whangapoua Bar. The Boat Trailer charge saga continues. In the February council meeting Councillor Mingoue’s Notice of Motion to rescind the boat ramp parking charges except in Whangamata and the Sugarloaf in Coromandel was considered. Although the Council seems very quick to accept motions, there is a much longer process to rescind them. The motion has been tabled until the next council meeting. In this time council staff will write a paper showing the significance of the issue and whether it requires consultation. Councillors will need to vote on this issue, so if you want them to vote this decision out, let them know! The fishing hasn’t been really great this month with fishermen fighting with loads of weed coating the seabed and eventually washing up on the beach. The harbour was chocka with it. This has all cleared away now. Not much snapper out in the bay but will pick up now with March and April generally being very good snapper fishing months. Water temperatures still high around 22oC.The kingis are around but no one seems to be catching them. Flounder are still plentiful in the harbour, the bait fish are returning and the scallops are in great condition. Scallop season will be closing soon son take advantage of these beauties before it is all over. A few tournaments being held this month and with improved fishing conditions, we hope to report bigger tales and tails next month! Tight lines Mark and Mike
2 February 2010 What can we say, the catches have been small but the stories have been really BIG! The big story of the moment was a couple local chaps went out to Cuvier for a fish and thought they would investigate a bit of bird activity. What they found was a 300kg plus broadbill that had just been on the wrong side of a shark attack and was now minus its tail. It was still very much alive and the boys managed to gaff this monster and get it on board. This broadbill joined the fishermen in steak form for a few beers that evening . The Wilson boys (Justin and Nathan) must have learnt these tricks from their father. The snapper have not been great but should improve as the warmer waters come in. The sea temperature is currently 21°C and the good news is that the blue water is in close to the Mercs now. There was a marlin caught just off the island last weekend weighing in at 127kg. This is great news for the game fishing as the season is just about to kick off. The scallops are the best seen in years, fat and really tasty. The trick is you have to find the right spot to get them this good. Crayfish are in really shallow and so get the brandy out and throw together a good Mornay. Flounder are still plentiful in the harbour with the big tides. You could always change to another net as there are a few mullet hanging around the place too. Deep sea there is a fair bit going on. Another few locals were out past the Red Mercs fishing at 140 metres and ended up with a bigger selection of species than a fish shop! They caught Hapuka, Pink Mau Mau, Ling, Mako, Granddaddy Hapuka, Dog Fish, Terakihi, Spikey Fin Shark and even a giant Octopus. Talk about a great day of fishing! Further to our last report there has been some movement by some councillors at TCDC about the boat trailer parking. Noel Hewlett and Dirk Sieling have admitted that they got it wrong. Mr Hewlett has been quoted as saying, “I am prepared to eat humble pie on this one. The signals seemed to indicate people would be in favour of some type of boat ramp charges. However they got changed to trailer parking charges and that scheme has failed in the implementation. As a result there are a lot of angry people on the eastern side. It’s been a disaster”. That’s two councillors who have switched camps due to public pressure so if you are unhappy, get in touch some of the other councillors and let them know how you feel. Just a word of caution, there has been some big tides and some even bigger swells knocking around this neck of the woods. If you are taking a boat over the bar, take extra care and try and avoid getting through the gap at low tide. Good fishermen are the ones who live to tell the tales. Good luck for the game fishing season. With the Nationals, One-Base and Classic Tournaments being held this month, expect an interesting report next month!
3 January 2010 With a beautiful, hot, sunny Christmas and New Years, the weather gods have certainly smiled on Matarangi Beach these holidays. Unfortunately they did not have a word with the fish gods to make sure they were all on the same page! On January 2nd Matarangi held its Annual Fishing Competition. It was a glamour day which encouraged a great boat turnout. The fishing however, was not that great as keen fishermen had to battle the algae bloom that has struck the beach and harbour. Whangapoua also held it’s Annual Fishing Competition on the same day and fared slightly better. The biggest snapper was nearly 11 kilos and was a land based catch. There was a good variety of fish with some huge Kingis, Hapuka, John Dory, Barracuda, Kahawai and even a Grandaddy Hapuka. The flounder are still plentiful and with the lovely full moon and the wind dying off at night, it has made for some fantastic spear fishing experiences. With holidaymakers flooding the Coromandel Peninsula the crayfish have gone into hiding (at least the locals hope so!) and have become reasonably scarce. Scallops are patchier than normal but we have had such a good run of it for the last few years, it had to happen some time. They are around but you will probably use up a bit of air finding them. There have been reports of divers catching on to a good spot and getting their quotas without moving far. It is good to know that it only takes a year for a scallop to reach legal size and they only have a life expectancy of 3 years, so if you get a big one, it might be just in time! The hapuka are about but you need time, patience and a good boat. One boat recently got 9 hapuka out the back of Cuvier. Other fishermen haven’t been quite so lucky but if you gear up correctly there are plenty of Terakihi to be caught if the puka aren’t hungry. Rumour has it that the council might be reconsidering it’s decision to charge boaties for the use of the ramps and parking. Numerous small communities have been fairly obvious in their opposition to this concept and the implementation of these charges has been difficult and basically unsuccessful for the council in most areas. Watch this space. Water temperature is still 17°C but the sun is hot, hot, hot with most days reaching between 25 and 28°C. You definitely need to remember to slip, slop, slap in this weather – easier to fight the big ones when you aren’t sunburnt. The warmer waters are coming and plenty of big game competitions starting shortly. The algae bloom is slowly moving off, so the fishing should improve shortly. Good luck to all those game fishing coming down here for the season. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike 22 November 2009 Heading into Christmas and the news just gets better and better. The scallops have fattened up beautifully and are in perfect condition lying around waiting to be accompanied by a cream sauce. You’ve just got to get out there and get them. Snapper have moved out to 30 metres on the sand and there are plenty of good bucks around. A couple of the local guys got a beautiful 24lb snapper last week. There were a few green blokes hovering around, wishing that fish was getting photographed for their album. Speaking of jealous fisherman, Nick Gao, a visitor to the Bay area caught a whopping 67.7kg Sea Bass on a charter boat out off the Hook. I don’t know what was bigger, Nick’s smile or the fish! What a great story to take home after his holiday. The water temperature is slowly improving and has climbed to a slightly crisp 16°C. Its heading in the right direction and another degree warmer will improve the fishing. Plenty of flounder have been netted in the harbour and there have been a variety of species including lots of Yellowbelly. Some large Kingis have also been sighted in the harbour, so it might be time to get kitted up with lures and ready to have a good fight. Crayfish bucks will be shelling at the moment, so be patient and you will undoubtedly be rewarded with some lovely beasts in the not too distant future.Just over the bar there are plenty of Gurnard being caught. This is pleasant, easy fishing and a good feed for the family. There is an abundance of bait fish outside Whangapoua and the Gannets have been having a whale of a time diving for them. Flocks of a dozen or more have been seen plummeting left, right and centre.We have had an unpleasant time with huge amounts of Barracuda off the beach and in The Puddle (between Matarangi and the Mercs). There has been a lot of replacement nylon and gear being purchased and many frustrated fisherman. The good news is, they seem to have subsided now. So we are fingers crossed for the wind to keep down and looking forward to a good pre-Christmas fish. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike
23 October 2009 There is plenty of good news for keen boaties who are ready to get out on the water. There are good crayfish being caught in the shallows on the coast and out on the islands. Snapper are feeding on the sands at 20 metres and there are some happy fishermen catching them. There are a few lovely snapper returning to Whangapoua Harbour and there are some Kahawai being caught that are a size to be proud of. There are also plenty of small Kahawai and Trevally to keep the kids highly entertained, but make sure you keep ‘em legal! A couple Hapuka have been caught off Anarake Rock near Kennedy Bay. This is great news for all those fishermen who love a good Hapuka steak! Scallops are not at their best yet and the trawlers have been working hard around Opito, Matarangi and Home Bay and struggling to get a good haul. Don’t worry - it only takes a few weeks for the smaller ones to fatten up. A few flounder are being netted in Whangapoua Harbour but you will have to bribe the locals to find out where the best spots are. Crabs are plentiful out the front of the beach and for those imaginative cooks out there, a good Gumbo could be on the menu. The Matarangi Boat and Fishing Club’s Snapper of the Year is still held by Stu Arnold which weighed in at 11.915kg. That is the monster to beat but the catch is, you have to do it before the end of the year. Water temperature is still a cool 15°C but you won’t feel the cold when you’ve got a big one on! Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike
29 August 2008 What an incredible 2 months it's been as you will see next time you walk along the beach and see the loss of sand we have had. Fishing has been quiet due to the difficult weather although as is often the way good catches have resulted when the hardy have got out. Plenty of gurnard and snapper are around right off the front of the beach being caught on long lines, flasher rigs and especially small soft baits. The same soft baits are also picking up John Dory regularly. We can't report a lot from out wide but should be able to give you an update next month.
The recent storms have certainly affected the bar and Kuaotunu ramp so be aware next time you venture out. Good luck and tight lines! Mark and Mike
26 January 2008 What a great Christmas holiday period it's been for snapper fishing out in the 'puddle'. We've had a lot of bird activity resulting in some excellent catches of large snapper right on the sand between 20 and 40 metres. Ledger rigs and softbaits doing the job. For the game fishers the easterlies have brought the warmer water in with the yellow fin, albacore and skippies around in good numbers and the Marlin starting to appear - one local landing a good sized blue recently. Scallops are still plentiful and fat and thousands were washed up the Bluff end of the beach earlier this week which brought smiles to hundreds of holiday makers. The easterlies that brought the game fish and scallops have also made the bar a bit more exciting than usual. We've had a number of incidents so please be careful especially close to low tide! Tight lines! Mark and Mike
A couple of Yellow Fin weighed in at Matarangi - 24kg and 25kg - in early January
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