2012 - 2013 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide

Marlborough

Sounds Fishing Guide

2012-13

d’Urville Island • Croisilles Harbour • Tennyson Inlet Outer Pelorus Sound • Havelock • Kenepuru Sound Picton • Queen Charlotte Sound • Port Underwood

2 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13

The fishing Paper 1 – Main Beach Okiwi Bay

Croisilles Harbour

A tidal area where land based fishing during summer can result in catches of snapper and kahawai.

2 – Old Wharf Land based summer fishing for snapper and kahawai.

3 – Moncrieff Reserve Both land based and boat fishing for spring and autumn snapper, with kahawai in late autumn.

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4 – Croisilles Harbour Banks

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5 – Squally Cove

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Any of the banks sloping into the main channel produce great gurnard fishing in autumn and winter. Good kayak fishing.

“Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”

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Legend

From spring until late autumn all bays and coves around mussel farms produce snapper, kahawai and trevally. The area between the islands and the cable at the entrance to Squally cove is the main scallop bed.

North of the cable is a limited oyster bed.

6 – Cape Soucis

Blue cod all year round with snapper from spring through to late autumn. Kahawai and kingfish can also be found in autumn.

1 Fishing Spot

Kayak Spot

Dive Spot

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Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 3

The fishing Paper

11 – Rangitoto Roadstead

d’Urville Island

Kahawai and gurnard summer to autumn, but good baitfish like mullet and mackerel year round.

12 - d’Urville Peninsula Kingfish and large snapper from summer to autumn. A good spot free diving for kingfish.

13 – Ngamuka Bay Land based fishing for school snapper from late spring to late summer.

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14 – Fishermans Passage - Southern Hole Snapper and kingfish from late spring until mid autumn.

15 – Beef Barrels Blue cod a bit patchy. Spring and summer kingfish caught trolling live bait. A good spring snapper spot. Dive site for butterfish.

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15a – Chicot Rock A good dive site for moki and butterfish.

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15b – Paige Rock

9 - Rangitoto Islands Kingfish and snapper in winter with blue cod and perch year round. The eastern side of the islands provides numerous sheltered spots and weed beds for free diving with butterfish, moki, tarakihi and blue cod year round. Autumn also sees catches of john dory.

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10 – Kidnap Channel Fishing the drop-off for snapper during winter with blue cod and kahawai year round.

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Blue cod during autumn and winter. Snapper in spring through to summer. Tarakihi year round,. Good spearfishing for kingfish.

16 – Paddock Rocks Spring and summer kingfish, snapper, blue cod, trevally, tarakihi and moki. Use good berley for bottom feeding species. Try trolling live bait for kingfish. The area also provides good opportunities for free diving and spearfishing. Crayfish are also found here.

17 - Greville Harbour Good spring and summer snapper and trevally. Cruising

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A good autumn and winter fishing spot for blue cod and tarakihi. You’ll find groper and john dory in late winter.

19 – Bottle Point Blue cod and perch year round.

Snapper can be found here in late autumn with kingfish in winter.

20 – Nile Head Winter fishing for snapper and tarakihi with perch and blue cod year round.

21 – Port Hardy Red cod and warehou are found here in winter. From spring through until autumn there are cruising kingfish, kahawai, snapper and trevally, particularly around the mussel farms.

21a – Inner Port Hardy Free diving the rocky coves produces good results for butterfish, moki and crayfish.

Gurnard can be found off the banks.

22 – Fleet Rocks Snapper and tarakihi during late autumn.

23 – Okuri Bay Blue cod year round. Summer to autumn snapper, kingfish, kahawai and tarakihi. A good free dive spot for moki and kingfish. A good kayak fishing spot. It’s a long and at times hard paddle from the ramp but well worth the effort. Fishing around the mussel farms, the bay’s alive with snapper. Gurnard are regularly caught here too.

ACCOMMODATION

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18 – Black Reef

FISHING

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kingfish are caught during summer. Kahawai can be found in early autumn. In winter you’ll find red cod and the occasional warehou.

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Okiwi Bay, Marlborough

“Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”

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Stephens Passage

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Kingfish are prolific on the dropoff during winter but generally good all year round caught on live bait and lures.

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2 – Eastern Bank

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1 - Stephens Passage

Snapper and tarakihi at around 80 metres from autumn until spring. Another good spot for large trevally in winter.

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2a – Stephens Island South “Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”

Fish year round for blue cod, perch and kahawai. Snapper are found in winter in 50 to 100 metres. Good for large winter trevally.

| ph. 03 576 5006

3 – Inside Saddle Rocks High current flows with kahawai and blue cod all year. Choose soft baits or lures.

4 – Outside Saddle Rocks Blue cod and perch year round and groper can be found here in mid-winter.

5 – Hells Gate Blue cod, tarakihi and groper, good winter fishing. Free diving for butterfish, but be aware of strong currents.

6 – The Sisters Winter fishing for tarakihi, blue cod and groper.

7 - Stephens Island North, Western Point

Year round fishing for blue cod, perch and kingfish.

8 – Northern Face

Blue cod and perch year round with kingfish in 50 plus metres during winter.

4 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13

The fishing Paper

Havelock, Kenepuru & Pelorus Sounds

1 – Cullen Point

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Snapper and monkfish during spring. Use a stray line with good berley. Also a good surfcasting spot for snapper in spring and summer.

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2 – Hoods Bay

3 – Moutapu Bay Point

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Another good spot for spring snapper and monkfish using stray line.

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4 – Black Point Large snapper in early spring.

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Stray lining for snapper and monkfish in spring.

5 – Mahau Sound Fish the shallows for early spring snapper. Berley and strayline. During winter, fish for flounder on the incoming tide.

6 – Kenepuru Sound Entrance

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Snapper, kahawai and occasionally kingfish around the mussel farms. Good night results have been reported particularly on the change of light at dusk and sunrise.

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Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 5

The fishing Paper 7 – Snapper Point

15 – Nydia Bay

24 – Ellie Bay

33 – Penguin Bay

The name says it all. A good deep hole surrounded by rocks provides good habitat for snapper, particularly around the southern mussel farms.

Late summer snapper. Winter flounder and kahawai.

Snapper and kahawai from the beach. A long and winding road but the results could be worthwhile for those willing to put in the effort to get there.

Late summer to autumn snapper and kingfish. Scallops can be found across the front of the bay after Christmas.

25 – Clova Bay

Autumn and winter flounder.

Spring yellow-eye mullet.

8 – Te Mahia Good snapper fishing opportunities from the beach.

9 – Weka Point Snapper on the edge of the channel.

10 – Clark Island Snapper lurk around the mussel farms during summer.

11 – Head of Kenepuru Sound Snapper. The area is very tidal so can only be fished around high tide.

12 – Double Bay, Hopewell Point Snapper, kahawai and kingfish. A shelly, sandy bottom lends itself to drift fishing.

13 – Little Nikau Bay Snapper and kahawai. Fishing is best February through late autumn. Fish the foul along the front.

13a – Nikau Bay Worth trying at the change of light around dusk. From late summer through to autumn fish the southern entrance.

14 – Turn Point, Four Fathoms Bay Snapper tend to lurk around all the mussel farms in the area. Big kingfish from January to March.

16 – Fairy Bay Scallops after Christmas.

Summer to early autumn snapper and kingfish.

17 – Yncyca Bay also known as Scott Bay Snapper tend to move through off the point, around an hour either side of high tide. Trevally and snapper in the bay in autumn.

18 – North West Bay Scallops after Christmas.

Summer snapper often tuck into Miro Bay.

Fish for snapper around mussel farms in summer.

34 – Kaiuma Bay

26 – Gannet Colony

Summer through to late autumn perch, snapper, kingfish, trevally, kahawai, barracouta, and gurnard.

Snapper, gurnard, kahawai and kingfish from spring through until autumn. Fish around the mussel farms and the drop-off.

20 – Old Homewood Bay Gurnard and snapper in summer but it can be a bit hit and miss.

Snapper, kahawai, kingfish and groper in the open water off the northern tip of the point.

22 - Middle Reef Late summer big snapper and gurnard.

23 – The Gut: Hopai Bay

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40 43.340s 173 52.596e 40 46.075s 173 57.862e

Snapper and gurnard in summer, particularly round the mussel farms. Red cod during winter.

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29 – The Peninsula Spring to late autumn cruising snapper, gurnard, greyboy, kahawai, mackerel and kingfish.

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30 – The Neck

21 – Tawero Point

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28 – Beatrix Bay

19 – Wilson Bay

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Summer to early autumn snapper, trevally, kahawai, and gurnard.

27 – Laverique Bay

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31 – Beatrix Bay Western Bank

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32 – Kauauroa Bay

Late summer to autumn snapper, kingfish, trevally, salmon and kahawai.

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6 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 1 – Tuna Bay

17 – Ketu Bay

32 – Cape Horn

Flounder in autumn and winter with elephant fish often found in autumn too.

Scallops and gurnard in autumn and winter.

Spring through to late autumn snapper, trevally, gurnard and small kingfish.

2 – Penzance Bay

Blue cod in abundance, snapper and kingfish too. Strong currents make slack water the best time for fishing.

Spring snapper then again in mid to late autumn. kayak fishing spot reliable cod and snapper fishing.

18 – Clay Point

19 – Culdaff Point

Spring fisihing for school groper and snapper.

Find the deep hole off the point and target groper during spring and summer. Good stocks of blue cod and snapper in summer.

4 – Godsiff Bay

20 - Allen Strait

3 – Deep Bay

Spring and autumn fishing for snapper.

Autumn and winter for gurnard.

5 – Tawa Bay Early spring snapper and gurnard.

6 – Tawhitinui Island Big snapper in spring. Good for set lining in autumn with occasional elephant fish.

7 – Saville Bay In spring and again in late autumn large snapper can be found cruising these waters. Gurnard are also caught in autumn and winter.

8 – Garnes Bay Northern coastline for gurnard with good spring snapper around mussel farms and large drop offs.

NOTE; all these bays have cruising kingfish in summer and autumn.

Blue cod on north-eastern side of the pass. Snapper and kingfish ride the current.

21 – Chetwode Islands Free dive for moki and butterfish off points. Year round tarakihi and summer snapper on the southern side of the islands.

22 – Forsyth Island north eastern side Fish for blue cod, john dory, perch and tarakihi year round. Also a worthy free dive spot.

A very exposed headland. Blue cod, tarakihi and trevally year round. Great free diving for butterfish and moki but water conditions are often murky.

11- Cregoe Point

A good general free diving spot and has been used for regular spearfishing competitions. From either on the water or in the water choose from butterfish, moki, trevally, tarakihi and blue cod.

13 – Rams Head Bay Late summer snapper, kahawai, kingfish. Good gurnard fishing in winter.

14 – Salt Rock

15 – Tawhitinui Bay

30 – Te Kakaho Channel

Early spring then late summer for snapper around the mussel farms.

Free dive or dredge for scallops.

36 – Rocky Creek

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37 – Hamilton Bay Spring until autumn fish round the mussel farms on an incoming tide for snapper, school groper, kahawai, kingfish, john dory, blue cod, gurnard, leatherjackets and yelloweye mullet.

Winter fishing for big cod, groper and perch. Fish slack water drifting west to east.

31 – Forsyth Bay south western corner Summer through to autumn snapper and gurnard.

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“Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”

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Fish around mussel farms from late spring until autumn for snapper, gurnard, trevally, yellow- eye mullet jack mackerel and kingfish.

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Kayak fishing. A long paddle but worthwhile. Deep water means extensions are needed on kayak anchor ropes. Fish round the mussel farms with very good results reported while mussel harvesters are operating.

40 59.937s 174 02.509e

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44 - Elaine Bay

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Fish for spring snapper and in winter for blue cod and gurnard.

Crimpy’s Secret GPS Spots

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In spring and again in late summer to early autumn fish the mussel farms for snapper, kahawai, kingfish, blue cod, greyboys and leatherjackets.

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39 – Deep Bay

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Good for an early start, fish the change of light at dawn from late spring until early autumn for snapper, kahawai, groper and tarakihi.

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Late spring for school groper, blue cod, snapper and tarakihi.

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38 – Elsie Bay

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Be aware of strong currents around the island. Great kelp gardens on the seaward side of Titi make this an excellent reef dive with crayfish, paua and reef fish common. Boat fishing for tarakihi and blue cod.

Early spring and again in late autumn for snapper.

16 – Richmond Bay

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Summer evenings snapper and perch.

28 – Titi Island

29 – Harding Point

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35 – Camp Bay

27 – Waitui Bay

High current flows best fished at slack tide or small tides in spring for snapper, tarakihi, blue cod and perch.

Gurnard year round. Snapper from late summer until late autumn. Perch and greyboy in autumn and winter.

43 – Reef Point

25 – Alligator Head

Spring and again late autumn for snapper and kingfish. In winter you’ll find kahawai, greyboy, shark and red cod. Scallops are found in the sandy shallows at the northern end of the channel.

Early summer to early winter fish for snapper, gurnard, yellow -eye mullet, kingfish, kahawai, leatherjackets and blue cod.

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Spring through to early winter, fish for kingfish, tarakihi, school groper and snapper.

Spring and summer fishing for snapper, kingfish, school groper, tarakihi and warehou.

26 – Cape Lambert

Large snapper in late spring and mid to late autumn. Gurnard are caught in winter, while mackerel and trevally are found in summer.

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34 – Rat Point

24 – Wakatahuri Point

10 – Apuau Channel

12 – Brightlands Bay

Good summer fishing for large snapper and kingfish.

Spring kingfish, john dory. Large late summer snapper. Gurnard in autumn.

School snapper in late spring and summer with large snapper making appearances in autumn, when you’ll also catch gurnard.

Spring snapper and greyboy.

42 – Turners Bay

Outer Sounds

33 – Danger Point

23 – Sugar Loaf

Eastern side blue cod year round.

Snapper, kingfish in spring and summer. Free diving on the eastern side offers good crayfish opportunities in as little as two metres of water.

9 – Picnic Bay

Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 7

The fishing Paper

41 – Pukatea Bay

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Fish early summer to late autumn for snapper, kingfish, gurnard, blue cod, kahawai and john dory. Tie up to the mussel farms and fish tides with good current flow. For winter fishig for blue cod and gurnard fish the change of light at dusk on a mid tide.

The Secret to Successful Sounds Fishing The Marlborough Sounds offers an array of exciting fishing opportunities to those prepared to acquire the skills and put in the time. Tried and true methods like fishing cut baits, or sticking to the old standby, squid, don’t always deliver the best fishing. Local fishers have experimented with many of the new techniques to come on stream in recent years and have developed these to suit our conditions. Mechanical jigging and, more recently, the use of slow jigs has produced spectacular results, on a range of species from big cod, trevally and huge snapper, to kingies.

Quality, light-weight tackle will give you the edge but perseverance and flexibility is the key to continued success. Be prepared to change jigging action and switch lure patterns and size if the fishing is slow. A good rule of thumb for lure fishing is to use dull coloured lures on overcast days and bright patterns on sunny days. The use of light softbait type tackle allows you to use thin braid, which in turn lets you use smaller jigs and lures in deeper water and stronger current. It is also easier to detect bites or soft takes when using braid on light gear.

Locate schools of fish on the sounder and drift over them as you fish. Fish come on the feed at different times of the tide, so don’t give up after just one or two drifts.

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8 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13

The fishing Paper 28

Queen Charlotte Sound Tory Channel

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3 – Double Cove Fishing is banned in here because it’s a fish nursery with tonnes of yellow-eye mullet. It’s worth a look and to feed the fish with bread, especially if you have children with you.

Snapper in summer and kahawai year round, good netting in season for flounder, gurnard and monkfish.

READER STORIES WANTED

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Shore fishing on northern side of marina for summer snapper and baitfish like mullet.

4 – Ngatawhetawheta Point

Cruising snapper during the summer season.

7 – Bay of Many Coves

5 – Waikawa Bay

Scallops in adjacent bays and snapper off the beaches for land based and off headlands for boat fishing. Kingfish are caught in currents off headlands.

Land based fishing for snapper and kahawai and bait fish.

6 – Dieffenbach Point Scallops diving in around 15 metres of water.

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8 – Endeavour Inlet Gurnard are caught here from spring until early winter in about 20 metres of water. School groper are also found in early spring and from summer until late autumn snapper are present.

9 – East Bay Parea Point and Pickersgill Island

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12 - Waihi Point: Cape Jackson

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1 – Picton

2 – Grove Arm and adjacent bays

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Off the headland kingfish from spring through to autumn.

Snapper and tarakihi with scallops found in the main part of East Bay.

10 – Long Island northen tip outside reserve Tarakihi year round. Due to currents best fishing is at slack water.

11 – White Rocks This is a very exposed spot but has been known for large snapper, year round.

Some of the best spear fishing in the Sounds. Regular species include, butterfish, moki and tarakihi. Crayfish are also seen and caught regularly on the point. Drift in close for blue cod, tarakihi and gurnard over sand.

13 - Cape Jackson

Year round tarakihi, blue cod and free diving for butterfish in the weedbanks. From summer through until autumn you’ll find kahawai and kingfish in the current. Fish around Walker’s Rock for trevally. A very good blue cod spot.

14 – Anakakata Bay

Free dive for butterfish, snapper, kahawai, kingfish during summer.

15 – Ship Cove and inside Motuara Island

Scallops, gurnard, flounder, sole.

Commercial operators often dredge here.

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Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 9

The fishing Paper

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16 – Cape Koamaru

26 – Jordy Rocks

Blue cod, moki and tarakihi year round. Also a good spot for butterfish.

Free dive for butterfish, moki, tarakihi. Boat fishing year round for tarakihi. Scuba dive for crayfish.

17 – Cook Rock Drift over drop off for blue cod, perch, warehou, tarakihi, trevally and kingfish from summer through to autumn.

18 – Cooks Bank Groper late spring to late autumn. Fish slack water through to the turn of the tide.

19 – The Twins Snapper and tarakihi in summer

20 – Onehunga Bay Free dive for moki, butterfish, paua and crayfish. Off the headlands are good snapper and tarakihi through summer.

Anchor up and use berley.

21 – The Brothers Good soft bait territory. Fish year round for blue cod, tarakihi and perch.

22 – Awash Rock Good year round cod fishing with groper through the winter.

23 – Ruakawa Rock Tarakihi and perch year round.

24 – Unnamed Bay Good free butterfish.

dive

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25 – Tory Channel

26a – Lucky Point Fish the edge of the reef for blue cod and tarakihi, year round.

Good groper can be found directly offshore over foul.

27 – Bushy Point

The expert, Dad, said we weren’t in deep enough water to get a groper and it wasn’t the right place for a kingy. How wrong he was!

We were fishing out off Taipare Bay, north of Croisilles Harbour and following Dad’s wisdom, we decided try for a cod or two and maybe a snapper, which was okay with me. We tied on a good old

Free dive for butterfish, paua and tarakihi. Good year round boat fishing for tarakihi, perch and blue cod.

Tarakihi Slayer and caught cod, snapper, tarakihi and a couple of small leather jackets that went straight back.

As I baited up again I told Dad that it looked like a real good bit of bait that was going to catch something really decent ... and it did!

The action was all on just moments after I put it over the side of the boat. My line took off at speed, then turned and headed under the boat. Grabbing the line we

n t & su c a s n e e op gs in d you n i n r o m e in cas & Jan, something! forget

28 -Rangitoto Wreck: Cape Jackson Sunk over 130 years ago this is an excellent wreck dive with abundant fish life including, butterfly perch, tarakihi and blue cod.

29 - Lastingham Wreck: Cape Jackson A historical wreck with a huge amount of fish life seen. Some big crays resident on the wreck and surrounding reef. Kingfish also seen regularly during the summer.

30 - Mikhail Lermontov: Port Gore The ultimate wreck dive with divers travelling from all over the world to dive this 176 metre Russian cruise liner. Voluntary no fishing policy exists on the wreck.

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managed to drag the fishes head back and turn it round.

It then raced off in the other direction. I tightened the drag up, got some control, then worked hard to get the fish back to the boat. All this time we thought it was a big old nasty barracouta. Then as it fought more, we changed our minds. Maybe it was a kingy?

Sure enough, we got it along side the boat and I looked down at a big beautiful fish. It was a bit of a mission to get it

into the landing net but I did it! My first ever kingy and I was stoked!

At 81 centimetres it was much bigger than the kingfish my big brother got off the beach near Elaine Bay a couple of years ago when 65 centimetres was the legal size. My 81cm fish caned his.

Fortunately for me he was too sick to join us on this trip and when he heard about my big fish he spewed even more!

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10 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13

Marlborough Sounds Area (MSA) A recent episode of Coastwatch has caused some confusion amongst fishers, with regards to the closed area for blue cod.

The particular episode was filmed three-years-ago when the Marlborough Sounds Area (MSA) was smaller.

The boundaries of the current MSA can be found on the MPI website, but broadly speaking include all waters contained within a line from Channel Point Light House to Reef Point at French Pass (40°55.17/S and 173°50.01/E); up the eastern side of d’Urville Island to Cape Stephens and across to the southernmost point of Stephens Island, then up the eastern side to the northern most point of Stephens Island at 40°39.90/S and 174°00.00/E. From here in a straight line to Cape Jackson and thence to Cape Koamaru including the waters of Tory Channel.

It is also important to note that the snapper limit within the waters of the MSA is three snapper per fisher per day: this is a sub limit of the wider Challenger East Area limit of 10 snapper.

Some fishers have misunderstood this and inspections in the vicinity of Stephens Passage have caused some red faces when the three fish limit was pointed out.

Recent inspections have also identified that the regulation requiring scallops to be landed in a measurable state, i.e. in the shell, is not widely understood. At any time you possess scallops seaward of the high water mark, they must be in the shell unless

The fishing Paper

By Ian Bright District Compliance Manager | Nelson / Marlborough Phone 0800 4 Poacher they are for consumption on the vessel. This applies to scallops landed and shucked at a bach or holiday home: it is an offence to put them back on a vessel for transport back to the ramp.

Fishery Officers are also repeatedly inspecting fishers who have filleted their blue cod at sea. Blue cod in the MSA or Challenger East Area must be landed in a whole or gutted state; the only exception being if the blue cod are filleted for immediate consumption on the vessel. Some inspections have also revealed that some fishers are using blue cod as bait and still landing their daily limit. If you choose to use blue cod as bait they must be of legal size and must come off your daily limit.

Likewise ‘double dipping’ or going out more than once per day and taking your limit on both trips is an offence. If you take your limit on the first trip, that is it for you for the day!

With an increase in set net use, remember that you are required to attach a surface float that is legibly and permanently marked with your initials and surname, to each end of the net. A phone number is also helpful and no net shall be set in a manner that causes fish to be stranded by the falling tide.

The full suite of the various area Amateur Regulations may be found at www.fish.govt.nz under the heading “Recreational”.

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Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13 11

The fishing Paper

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Port Underwood 1 - East Coast south to Port Underwood This coast is very exposed to weather but large trevally are caught along here. Free diving along headlands for butterfish in weed beds.

Remember to check the boundaries of the restricted Cook Strait cable area. That area runs from the southern point of Glasgow Bay to Walkers Rock and includes all of Fighting Bay. There is no fishing of any type allowed, this includes trawling, line fishing or set netting.

Kina, paua, and crayfishing is only allowed within 200 metres of the low water mark.

2 – Coombe Rocks Good free diving for butterfish, moki, blue cod

and crayfish. Boat fishing for blue cod, perch and tarakihi.

3 – Port Underwood Pipi Bay Tarakihi, blue cod. Free diving for crayfish in two to three metres.

4 – Glasgow Bay Free dive for paua, butterfish and crayfish.

5 – Oyster Bay Free dive for a feed of oysters.

6 – Opihi Bay Flounder, garfish, yellow-eye mullet in autumn.

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Marlborough District Council want you to enjoy a safe boating experience in the Marlborough Sounds and in order to achieve this would ask that you heed the following safety tips and advice:• Be safe on the water • Make sure your boat is in good working order • Tell someone where you are going, who is with you and when you will be back • Wear a lifejacket • Keep a good lookout • Safety is common sense • Have a means of contact (VHF, cell phone) • Know how to raise an alarm if you are in trouble • If in distress broadcast on VHF CH 16 - Call Marlborough Marine Radio VHF Chs 1& 63 (in Queen Charlotte Sound)

• • • •

- Call Marlborough Marine Radio VHF Chs 5 & 65 (in Pelorus Sound) - Telephone 111 (cell phone coverage not complete throughout Sounds) - Activate your EPIRB if you have one Keep clear of all ferries and commercial shipping Keep a listening watch on VHF Ch 19 for shipping movements Be prepared for emergencies Report anything unusual to Harbour Master ph: (03) 5207400 e-mail: harbours@marlborough.govt.nz

The harbour patrol boat Discovery is on the water throughout the Sounds during the summer season to ensure the observance of rules thereby making boating safer for you.

12 Marlborough Sounds Fishing Guide 2012-13

TO ALL DIVERS AND POTTERS CRAMAC 5 has tagged 1,000 lobsters from Cape Koamaru south to Port Underwood.

We are researching the growth rate and movement of these lobsters so management initiatives in the commercial fishery can be implemented.

We ask for your assistance to be involved in understanding our local lobster fishery as everyone will gain from good management.

If you come across a lobster with a YELLOW thin spaghetti tag attached to the lobster underside between the carapace and tail, could you write the tag number, location and size (if possible) and either phone/fax or email that information to the below contact details.

We cannot demand that you put the lobster back in the water but if you do we will have the opportunity to monitor that lobster in the future and that is where the best information comes from.

CRAMAC 5 thanks you for your anticipated participation in this research.

Phone: 027 224 6683 • Fax: 64 3 5756803 Email: larnce@burkhart-fish.co.nz P O Box 4 Ward 7248 Marlborough Canterbury Marlborough rock Lobster industry association inc.

New Zealand

The fishing Paper

Spearfishing With Mark Roden

I Wanna Get a Kingy!

“Are the kingies here yet? I hear that a lot; there is no doubt about the ‘lure’ of these big hard fighting fish. They never really go away; there always seem to be some winter ‘overstayers’ right up in the Sounds and we’ve all seen the pictures in The Fishing Paper of the monsters that have been caught in deeper water in the totally unsecret spot X: Stephens Passage.

So when do they start hooning around the well known rocks and headlands at the bottom of d’Urville, the entrance to Croiselles and right down the Boulder Bank? And yes the latest ‘FAD’, the spat farm. Isn’t it interesting, if you’d asked fisherman 10-years-ago about putting a huge spat farm in Tasman Bay there would have been howls of protest – don’t hear any complaints now that it’s plainly attracting fish! The water is still cold; it really doesn’t feel like it’s warmed at all yet. Although I notice every year I seem to stay in my 7mm winter wetsuit a bit longer before changing over to the 5mm summer suit – nothing to do with age of course.

Interesting to note that the kingies don’t seem to stick to the same pattern every year. I’m coming to the conclusion that it’s because they Craig Finnie with a nice Pelorus Sound kingfish.

aren’t the same fish every year. Kingfish are opportunists, are fast growing and follow their noses. The schools we see this summer may have been in the Bay of Plenty last summer, so if you are seeing small fish one year you can’t assume they will be bigger next year - well, they will be but it might not be you who is catching them, it might be your mate in Whakatane.

When we are spearfishing we’re not really in a position to catch and release like line fishos, but we can be a bit more selective when choosing our target. If we get a few kingies on the boat, we generally move on and target other species.

I can’t remember the last time everyone on board bagged one each, but these things tend to average out; the guys who didn’t get one last time usually get first crack next time around.

One thing we have noticed is if there is no obvious ‘action’ or workup, the kingies are probably a bit deeper. If I was going to drag a lure around some areas like Paiges or Chicot Rocks, I’d be tempted to get the lure closer to the bottom - certainly deeper than half the depth you are fishing in anyway. Good luck.