6 MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS Fishing Guide 2014-15 You want it, you’ve got it out here. Exposed to most wind directions, it can be a brutal place when the wild weather sets in, but when conditions allow, the exposed coast and headlands provide top class angling year-round. Larger islands such as the Chetwodes and Forsyth offer shelter and excellent reef structure at the margins. Smaller islands and rocks including Titi, The Trios, McManaway and Sentinel are places where strong current flows support a rich mix of fish predators and prey. Huge cod, groper/hapuka, snapper, kingfish and seasonal species complement the feeds-in-the-weeds; herosized paua, crayfish, kina, butterfish and moki.
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23 – Sugar Loaf
Flounder in autumn and winter with elephant fish often found in autumn too.
Large snapper in late spring and mid to late autumn. Gurnard are caught in winter, while mackerel and trevally are found in summer.
Spring kingfish, john dory. Large late summer snapper. Gurnard in autumn.
Spring snapper then again in mid to late autumn. Kayak fishing spot for reliable cod and snapper fishing.
3 – Deep Bay Spring fishing for school groper and snapper.
13 – Rams Head Bay Late summer snapper, kahawai, kingfish. Good gurnard fishing in winter.
14 – Salt Rock Early spring and again in late autumn for snapper.
4 – Godsiff Bay
15 – Tawhitinui Bay
Spring and autumn fishing for snapper. Autumn and winter for gurnard.
Gurnard year round. Snapper from late summer until late autumn. Perch and greyboy in autumn and winter.
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.
9 – Picnic Bay School snapper in late spring and summer with large snapper making appearances in autumn, when you’ll also catch gurnard.
10 – Hallam Cove Setline spring and autumn for snapper. Fish mussel farms through late summer for school snapper and kahawai, limited cod. Surfcasting at Kettle Point.
11- Cregoe Point Spring snapper and greyboy.
16 – Richmond Bay Early spring then late summer for snapper around the mussel farms. Free dive or dredge for scallops, which tend to be smaller than nearby Ketu Bay.
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Spring and summer fishing for snapper, kingfish, school groper, tarakihi and warehou.
26 – Cape Lambert
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A very exposed headland. Blue cod, tarakihi and trevally year round. Great free diving for butterfish and moki but water conditions are often murky.
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Off the back of this rock structure, the bottom quickly drops away. Ideal groper habitat.
46 - Titirangi Entrance
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Fish for spring snapper and in winter for blue cod and gurnard.
45 - Sentinel Rock
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43 – Reef Point
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.
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25 – Alligator Head
Early summer to early winter fish for snapper, gurnard, yellow -eye mullet, kingfish, kahawai, leatherjackets and blue cod.
44 - Elaine Bay
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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. Exposed current means plenty of kelp and big paua.
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The furtherest point you can drive to in the outer Pelorus. Boat fishing for cod and excellent weedbanks for crays, paua and kina. The sandy beach holds pipi and presents surfcasting opportunities for snapper, moki and kahawai.
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17 – Ketu Bay
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One of the staple bays in the Pelorus for scallop dredging. Target gurnard through the whole bay on drifted soft baits. Snapper over summer. The northeast corner provides good overnight anchorage in favourable wind, for late night snapper sessions.
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MAUD ISLAND NO TAKE ZONE
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18 – Clay Point
19 – Culdaff Point
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20 - Allen Strait
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Free dive for moki and butterfish off points. Year round tarakihi and summer snapper on the southern side of the islands.
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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.
28 – Titi Island 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.
29 – Harding Point High current flows best fished at slack tide or small tides in spring for snapper, tarakihi, blue cod and perch.
40 – Clayface Point
41 – Pukatea Bay Fish early summer to late autumn
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37 – Hamilton Bay
Summer evenings snapper and perch.
36 – Rocky Creek Fish around mussel farms from late spring until autumn for snapper, gurnard, trevally, yellow- eye mullet, jack mackerel and kingfish.
Winter fishing for big cod, groper and perch. Fish slack water drifting west to east.
27 – Waitui Bay
Good for an early start, fish the change of light at dawn from late spring until early autumn for snapper, kahawai, groper and tarakihi.
Late spring for school groper, blue cod, snapper and tarakihi. In close great free diving conditions for moki and tarakihi
35 – Camp Bay
22 – Forsyth Island Shag Rock
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21 – Chetwode Islands
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39 – Deep Bay
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Blue cod on north-eastern side of the pass. Snapper and kingfish ride the current.
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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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Find the deep hole off the point and target groper during spring and summer. Good stocks of blue cod and snapper in summer.
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38 – Elsie Bay
Blue cod in abundance, snapper and kingfish too. Strong currents make slack water the best time for fishing.
Fish for blue cod, john dory, perch and tarakihi year round. Also a worthy free dive spot for paua and kina.
42 – Turners Bay
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24 – Wakatahuri Point
30 – Te Kakaho Channel
Scallop dredges that work!
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12 – Brightlands Bay
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 fishing for blue cod and gurnard fish the change of light at dusk on a mid tide.
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Outer Sounds
1 – Tuna Bay
2 – Penzance Bay
MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS Fishing Guide 2014-15 7
THE FISHING PAPER & NEW ZEALAND HUNTING NEWS
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.
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31 – Forsyth Bay - south western corner Summer through to snapper and gurnard.
autumn
32 – Cape Horn Spring through to late autumn snapper, trevally, gurnard and small kingfish.
33 – Danger Point Good summer fishing for large snapper and kingfish.
34 – Rat Point Spring through to early winter, fish for kingfish, tarakihi, school groper and snapper.
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