Launched at St Heliers just before 7pm; back at 9pm - 8 keepers 35cm to 55cm all good fun on 4kg. Bite on from time we arrived on both squid and pilly (compliments of Gourmet Baits). Small baits preferred. No berley used. Started with throw backs and 'small' bites on ledger. A change to strayline made the difference and size improved. Bites start as tentative nibbles, then run taking 5-10 metres, 'hook up', head thumps start - then DROPPED. Time after time on 7/0. (Any advice welcome!)

Fish in 7 m, temp around 20 degrees, about 50 m off shore between Barges and Rangi shore.

All in all, a good 2 hours fun on light tackle.

Keith

Maybe a finer gauge hook like the Mustad penetrator might help ??

Was fishing Penetrator Joseph.

Tonto, I find the recurves a bit difficult to set with 4 kg line set to 1.3kg drag. Have not yet found a fine gauge recurve.

Cheers

Keith

I dont belive that the hooks are the problem asI have found that if Gammies dont hook up then no other brands will do any better. I have just recieved a photo of a mate that has pulled in a heap of snapper and was throwing good legals back. I think that the fish have been just too busy feeding to really come on the bite. Remember that every Xmas is slow and that the water never really warmed up untill later this year then warmed up quite fast? I think that instead of the fish starting to breed in Nov and breeding through to feb/ march, a total of 3 or 4 months, they started at least a month late and therefore have been more focused on the task at hand. I think that you will find that over the next couple of weeks, the fish will start to feed again.
Billfish has been fishing the north where the water has been warmer longer and sounds like he has done well.

Tobes, I fish recurves on the ledger rig and even tried with the rod standing in the rod holder. That didn't seem to help and the rod tip would just rattle away until the hook was clean. Was dropping the fish on the 4kg strayline and Penetrators.

Cheers

Keith

I would try smaller hooks say 4/0, which will be ok if you only fish one rod, use very small baits and strike every bite. If that only brings on little ones then I would change bait to fresh kahawai or yellowtail ....

well guys it happens to all of us at times....... fish dropped after a good run just when you expect everything to be a ok....... but this happens its part of fishing.......

ive been there i know what your going through Keith C these things wont go away.......

different times of the day when they are not hungry they will nible and piss around with your bait or sit on it and sucking it like a lollypop.....

and then you get this hot bite and everything is devoured as its been dropped to the bottom they run like hell and peel line off your reel with it in gear and then let go.......

try things like half a pilchard instead of a hole one.......... as the competition is so great at times amongst the fish that they just grab and run and dont swallow until they feel safe to eat it without being hassled..... watch what happens to a bunch of birds when you throw your left over bait to them same thing applies..... 

by staying in touch with your bait at all times is the only way to feel those lollypop fish..... 

Thanks for that Lethal and Bender. Bender, the fish were biting like you mentioned during December/early Jan in the Motuihe Channel. You felt the weight come on but no bite as such.

Now at least there are bites and runs but no hook setting.

Keith

Lethal
do you keep the same size hook or change it to a smaller hook for the smaller bait?

totally agree kezza...funny how rules change over time