Fuel prices are on everyone's lips at the moment, but consider what a day on the water actually delivers in return. A restaurant meal or a cinema ticket costs more than most people expect, and neither puts fresh fish on the table or gets you out on the Hauraki Gulf with the people who matter most. When snapper are sitting at fifty-odd dollars a kilogram at the fishmonger, a productive session on the water starts to look like a very sound use of money.
The fuel bill itself is far more manageable than many boaties assume. A 70 hp Yamaha pushing a Haines 485 at 17 to 20 knots burns around 12 litres an hour, yet a full day's run to Rakino for a fish and a swim might use only 15 litres in total. That is considerably cheaper than a cinema outing. As Mark Twain put it: "Every day a man spends fishing is another day added to his life."
The season is doing anglers a favour right now as well. Snapper are pushing inshore and feeding hard, building body fat ahead of winter, so there is no need to hammer the throttle and head out wide just to find fish.
The Rangitoto Channel is producing well for those working jigs and soft baits, with good snapper and trevally available without travelling any significant distance from the ramp. Around the eastern side of Motutapu, work-ups of small kahawai are breaking the surface while pannie-sized snapper scatter across the bottom beneath them.
Anglers launching from Westhaven have an option that barely requires leaving the harbour. A short idle across to Bayswater Marina, a set-up on the incoming tide just west of the entrance where the bottom shelves up, fished through the change of light, can put fish in the bin quickly. One local who tried this recently filled the bin and reckons they used fewer than 6 litres for the round trip.
Heading further west, Meola Reef rewards patience on the incoming tide. The fish sit in as little as 3 metres of water, meaning very little weight is needed, sometimes none at all, and snapper picking up a bait in these shallows put up a serious fight. A small jig worked back towards the boat in the manner of a soft bait can also produce results here.
West Bastion Reef barely registers on the fuel gauge and fishes well on both the incoming and outgoing tides. There is no need to work the sounder since the approach is to fish back onto the reef. Line the boat up around fifty metres inside the red marker, just beyond casting distance from the reef, then put down generous amounts of ground bait and burly and let the current carry the scent out in both directions. Leave the sinkers at home because the bottom snags easily, and baits allowed to drift and sink freely will behave far more naturally.
A few extra litres opens up the run across to Rangitoto and the ground around Flax Point. In 8 to 10 metres over mostly flat, featureless terrain, small patches of rubble hold scattered fish that respond well on the incoming tide. A burly bomb set about a metre off the bottom, combined with regular ground bait, spreads scent across a wide area. Drift back from the boat and wait for the fish to come to you, and while waiting, knock up a few jack mackerel since they make stunning bait at this spot.
Islington Bay suits a family outing well. Fish anywhere from the bay entrance back towards shore as far as the old wharf, keeping in mind that ferry wash can make things a bit sloppy at times. Once a couple of fish are on ice, move up to the head of the bay and take the family ashore for a walk around the historic old houses.
Every one of these spots sits close to town, most require very little fuel, and the fishing at this time of year means even a short run out makes it worthwhile. Stop deliberating and get out there.
