Biting Back in the Bay with Pinky Green

It has been rough and tough for recreational fishing in the Western Bay of Plenty much of the time recently. Very few have ventured out far but those who have have often been well rewarded.

Russ Hawkins (Fat Boy) last Thursday was five miles out and in the Middle Ground. They fished three different spots, and found adequate fish for the four anglers aboard, each ending up with between 12 to 15 fish. The fish landed were almost all tarakihi, but did include one snapper, one porae, and one big kahawai.

Brett Keller (Manutere) also out Thursday was round Motiti. It was slow and hard fishing inside Motiti, but a little better outside. The fish, predominantly tarakihi, for long periods were off the bite. At the day's fishing conclusion however almost all the anglers had their limit of tarakihi. Brett said: 'When most of the anglers could get their limit on a hard day it showed that there must be plenty of fish out there.”

Up the coast close inshore off Matakana, Bowentown and Waihi others were getting some good snapper including one who got his personal best of snapper - a fish of 10.9kg. Down the coast in close to Motiti, and Papamoa boat fishers were getting good snapper and/or tarakihi, and off the Kaituna mouth there were some good kahawai catches.

Our veteran Papamoa regular kontiki fisher at the end of last week found there were plenty of fish. On both Thursday and Friday he brought in his limit of snapper in two sets. A fellow kontiki fisher brought in eight snapper on Saturday, and he himself in deteriorating conditions this Monday brought in one big snapper, four pannies, and a gurnard in one set.