Fishing – Bragging rights

Wow! Who would have thought we would be in lockdown again after we had reached the important milestone of no new cases for 100 days? Fishing action has been a bit slow, as no boats have been allowed on the waters under Level 3 rules. As the weather has also been miserable, there has not been much fishing action to report on.

However, just before lockdown, after bragging about catching a good number of decent snapper in my last column, I was paid a visit the day the papers were delivered by a good customer. Instead of making a purchase, he stole away my bragging rights with this beautiful photo. What a healthy specimen of a female snapper. Estimated weight of between 11 and 13kg. The superb health can be seen from the colour and girth of this monster. A quick photo was taken and she was returned to the water to spawn again later this year.

Once again, this snapper was caught in shallow waters in the Omaha Bay area. Bait used was a bit of squid on a small 3/0 hook on a strayline. Squid are still plentiful and these have been targeted during lockdown as they are easily caught from the land. The smaller lures, about 6cm long, have been more popular than the bigger sizes. Lures that glow seem to be preferred by anglers. Also popular are those lures with more natural colours, such as browns and greens. The squid season will slow down shortly, so do get out before it gets hard to catch these tasty morsels.

Anthony Roberts, Tackle & Outdoors
tecnisportnz@gmail.com