North Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today

Kia ora, this is Artificial Lure with your North Island fishing report.

We’ve got a classic winter pattern settling in across the motu. MetService is calling it light to moderate west‑southwesterlies over much of the North Island coastline today, easing in the bays, with a cool, clear start and increasing cloud and the odd coastal shower this arvo. Air temps are mostly in the low to mid‑teens, cooler inland overnight. According to MetService marine forecasts, seas are slight to moderate on both coasts, with a low southwesterly swell off the west and a longer‑period easterly pulse hanging around parts of the east.

Sunrise was around twenty‑past seven this morning with sunset just after five, so your prime bite windows are those low‑light periods either side of dawn and dusk. NIWA’s tide data for the Hauraki Gulf shows a mid‑morning high followed by an afternoon drop, and similar timing up and down the east coast – that first half of the outgoing has been fishing best.

Snapper are still very much on the chew in 15–35 metres, especially anywhere you’ve got a bit of current pushing over foul or shell. Local charter skippers out of Auckland and Whangārei have been reporting pannies in the 32–45 cm range with the odd 60‑plus fish mixed in. Out wider, boats working the 45–60 metre line have picked up better numbers of solid reds along with kahawai and the odd trevally.

Workups have been patchy but when the gannets and dolphins line up over bait schools in the Gulf, the snapper and kahawai are right underneath them. On the west coast, reports from boats running out of Manukau and Kāwhia have included good hauls of snapper and gurnard on the sand in 35–55 metres, along with school sharks and the occasional kingi.

For lures, keep it simple and local: 5–7 inch softbaits in natural baitfish colours – pilchard, anchovy, and bruised banana tones – have been deadly over foul and sand, especially on light jigheads drifted with the tide. Slow‑pitch jigs in the 40–80 gram range, pinks and golds in particular, are still accounting for quality snapper in the mid‑depths and will happily pick up kingfish if they’re in the mix. Micro‑jigs and small metals are doing the damage on kahawai under the birds.

For bait fishos, fresh is best. Fresh kahawai strips, mullet, and whole or half pilchards have out‑fished frozen stuff most days. Smaller baits on recurves are doing the business on gurnard and pannies, while a bigger butterflied bait or live mackerel is your ticket if you’re serious about kingfish around the headlands and reefs.

A couple of hot spots to circle for the next few days:

• The worm beds and edges of the shipping channel in the inner Hauraki Gulf: drifting those 25–40 metre marks around the turn of the tide has produced steady snapper and kahawai, with the better fish turning up when the wind and tide play nicely together.

• The reefs and pins off the Bay of Islands: places like Bird Rock and the foul off Ninepin have held solid snapper and winter kingfish. Work slow‑pitch jigs and livebaits around the pressure edges, especially on the outgoing when the current is standing up.

Inshore, land‑based anglers have been finding trevally and respectable snapper off the deeper ledges around Coromandel and East Northland using stray‑lined pilchards and squid in the evenings. If you’re fishing the harbours, try the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing around channels and mangrove edges for pannie snapper and gurnard.

That’s your North Island fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Kia ora, this is Artificial Lure with your North Island fishing report.

Light winter pattern settling in across the motu now. Around Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf we’ve had cool southwesterlies, a bit of early drizzle, then clearing to broken cloud and chilly but fishable conditions. Overnight lows near single digits, daytime pushing low teens with a modest breeze on the water. Similar story for the Bay of Plenty and Northland coasts: cool, mostly dry, and very workable if you’re layered up.

Sunrise was around twenty-past seven this morning, with sunset just after five. The prime bite windows have been the first couple of hours after dawn and that late-afternoon push into dark, especially on the inshore foul.

Tides are on a middling phase, with useful current but not ripping. Think mid-morning high on the east coast and an evening low, give or take an hour depending where you are. That’s set up nicely for a dawn-session incoming and a late arvo outgoing over the reefs and sand edges.

Recent action has been classic winter: fewer rats, more quality. In the inner Hauraki Gulf and up towards Kawau and Tiritiri, snapper in the 35–50 cm range have been coming aboard in steady numbers when anglers sit on sign and fish patiently. Gurnard are starting to feature on the sand in 10–25 metres off the East Coast Bays and out from Orere and Kaiaua, with the odd bigger model turning up in berley trails. A few solid kahawai workups have popped up under birds mid-Gulf and off Bream Bay, and those have occasionally had school kingfish ghosting the edges. Further down in the Bay of Plenty, boats off Tauranga and around Motiti have found pannies and the odd 60+ snapper in 40–60 metres, plus trevally and good kahawai when the bait’s stacked.

Lure-wise, soft-baits and slow jigs are still doing the heavy lifting. Natural browns, motor-oil, and nuclear chicken soft-baits in 4–5 inch sizes have been productive on snapper, especially when drifted down-current on light jig heads. Slow-pitch jigs and inchikus in 40–80 grams, in pink, orange, and lumo, are fishing well when dropped onto sign and worked gently a metre or two off the bottom. For those bait fishing, fresh kahawai or mullet strips, squid, and small bonito cubes are the go, fished on lightly weighted strayline rigs in the shallows or simple ledger rigs on the sand. A modest berley trail is helping draw gurnard and trevally into range.

Couple of hot spots to think about:

– The foul and pins around Tiritiri Matangi and between Tiri and Kawau: start in 25–45 metres, watch the sounder for bait and arches, and work soft-baits or slow jigs along the contour lines. Early morning incoming tide there has been producing some chunky snapper and mid-size kings.

– The sand and shell around 18–30 metres off Papamoa and down towards Kaituna Cut in the Bay of Plenty: boats fishing small baits and slow jigs over scattered sign have been pulling a nice mix of snapper, gurnard, and kahawai, especially on the change of light and around tide changes.

Activity is definitely more “quality over quantity” now, so take your time to find good sign, fish smaller offerings, and be ready to move if the sounder’s empty but your baits are getting chewed by pickers.

That’s the latest from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

G’day team, **Artificial Lure** here with your North Island fishing report for today, the 10th of June. Around the island, the water’s cooling into proper winter mode, and that usually means the bite tightens up close to structure, current lines, and any patch of warmer water pushing through.

**Tides:** I don’t have a live tide feed in front of me, so check your local tide table before heading out, but the best action should still line up around the **incoming tide** and the first of the **outgoing** when bait gets flushed off the edges.

**Weather:** Early winter conditions across North Island are typically cooler, with more settled windows between fronts; if you get a calm, overcast spell with light wind, that’s prime time. A bit of chop can actually help inshore fishing by giving snapper and kingfish some cover.

**Sun:** At this time of year, expect a **late sunrise** and **early sunset**, so make the most of the middle part of the day if you’re shore-based. First light and last light still matter most for predators.

**What’s been showing up:** Recent action in North Island waters has generally been led by **snapper**, with **kahawai**, **trevally**, and the odd **kingfish** picking up lures and baits around structure and current edges. In deeper water, winter **gurnard** and **tarakihi** can be steady targets, especially on softer bottoms and reef edges. If the water’s clear enough, watch for workups and bird activity—those schools can turn a quiet session into a hot bite fast.

**Best lures:** For a local-style winter approach, I’d lean on **soft-bait jigs** in natural colours, small **metal jigs** for kahawai and kingfish, and compact **slow-jigs** for snapper sitting off the bottom. Pink, pilchard, and pearl patterns are safe bets when the water’s off-colour; natural baitfish tones are better when it’s clear.

**Best bait:** You can’t beat a fresh strip of **kahawai**, **skipjack tuna**, or **pilchard** on a strayline for snapper. For bottom fishing, **squid** and fresh shellfish bait are dependable, and if you’re after bigger fish, a whole unchewed bait presented cleanly is worth the effort.

**Hot spots:** I’d have a look around **Auckland’s inner Hauraki Gulf**, especially reefy ground and channel edges, and also **Tauranga Harbour entrances and nearby ledges** where current concentrates bait. If you’re further north, the **Bay of Islands channels and headlands** can fire when the tide is moving and the bait is stacked.

Keep your eyes on the birds, fish the moving water, and don’t overwork the lure—winter fish often want a slower, more natural presentation. If one spot goes quiet, shift a hundred metres and keep hunting the sign.

Thanks for tuning in, **subscribe** for the next fishing report, and this has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your North Island fishing rundown.

We’ve got a classic early‑winter pattern settling in across much of the island. Light to moderate westerlies on most coasts, a bit more puffed up around exposed headlands, with a cool, clear start easing into scattered cloud and the odd shower pushing through later. Mornings are chilly but calm enough for soft‑baiting and stray‑lining close in. Afternoon sea breezes are kicking up a bit of chop, especially on the Hauraki and BOP coasts.

Sunrise is around twenty‑to‑seven in the morning, with sunset just after five. That gives you short but punchy bite windows: change of light at dawn has been the prime time, with another nice flurry an hour before dark, especially on the east coast.

Tides today are sitting in a nice middle‑of‑the‑road range: not huge spring surges, but enough run to get the berley working. Around the upper North Island east coast, the morning incoming has been fishing better, with the last two hours of the flood and first hour of the ebb producing the most consistent hook‑ups. West coast bars are still demanding total respect; keep a close eye on the bar cameras and forecasts if you’re heading out.

Snapper are still the main show from Northland down through the Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel. Inshore workups have quietened, but there are solid pannies and the odd 60‑plus fish holding on foul and mud‑to‑sand edges in 8–18 metres. Recent reports from local boaties around Kawau, Tiri, and the back of Waiheke talk about steady limits of 32–40 cm fish on soft‑baits and lightly weighted baits. A couple of proper moochers have come off the pins north of Little Barrier on live baits and big slabs of fresh kahawai.

Kingfish action has been patchy but worth the effort. The pins off Cape Brett, north of the Poor Knights, and out from Mayor Island have given up kings in the mid‑teens for crews putting time in with livies and jigs. Inshore, smaller rats are still cruising around marker buoys and reef edges; work your livies just off the structure on a running rig and be ready to lock up quickly.

Trevally and kahawai are schooling over shellfish beds and channel edges, particularly in the inner Hauraki and BOP harbours. Berley hard on the bottom, fish small baits on light gear, and you’ll get a mix of trevs, snapper and the odd gurnard in the mud bays.

Best lures right now:

Soft‑baits in natural baitfish and bruised banana colours in 3–5 inch, worked slow close to the bottom, are out‑fishing most other artificials. Micro‑jigs in 20–40 g, pink, blue or silver, are deadly on the workups and channel edges. For kings, stickbaits in mackerel and pilchard patterns or 150–200 g mechanical jigs are doing the damage on the offshore structure.

Best bait:

Fresh is king. Mackerel, jack macs, and kahawai cut into big, bloody slabs, plus whole pilchards on 5/0–7/0 circles for snapper. For trevs, small cubes of pilchard or squid on small hooks and light trace. Don’t skimp on berley; a consistent trail has been the difference between a quiet day and a bin of fish.

A couple of North Island hot spots to put on your list:

• Hauraki Gulf – The eastern side of Waiheke and the reefs around Gannet Rock: great for snapper on soft‑baits and bait, with the chance of a bonus kingfish on livies.

• Bay of Plenty – The offshore reefs and pins north of Motiti and around Mayor Island: steady snapper deep dropping and reliable kingfish for those putting jigs and livies through the water column.

That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your North Island fishing report.

We’ve got a settled early‑winter pattern on the island today. Light to moderate southwesterlies on most coasts, a bit fresher around the exposed headlands, with cool, clear air and only the odd shower rolling through. Skies are mixed cloud and sun, and the barometer is reasonably steady, which usually helps keep the bite consistent.

First light is around twenty past seven in the morning, with sunset just before five in the evening, so your true primetime windows are that first two hours after sunrise and the last couple before dark. The low sun, longer shadows and calmer surface in those brackets are making the baitfish push in tight, and you’ll see the predators follow.

Tides on both east and west coasts are running on decent highs through the middle of the day, with lows early morning and again in the evening. Around the North Island, the best action has been an hour either side of the turn – particularly the incoming on the east and the outgoing on the west. If you can line that up with dawn or dusk, that’s when the switch is really flicking.

Snapper have been the main story this week. Inshore, pannies in the 32–45 cm range are schooling over foul and broken shell in 10–25 metres, with the odd bigger moocher showing well after dark. Workups are patchy but when the wind and tide line up you’ll still find gannets and dolphins corralling bait off the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty, and the snapper are under them as usual. On the west coast, those fishing the bars and sandy gutters have picked up solid fish on the change of light.

Kingfish are still about, but you’ve got to work a bit harder. Most of the better fish have come from pins and reefs in 30–60 metres – slow‑trolled livebaits and mechanical jigs are doing the damage. Stickbaits are still an option on the glassy mornings if you find bait on the surface around headlands and islands.

Kahawai schools are common around river mouths and harbour entrances. They’re smashing small bait and are perfect fun on light spin gear. Gurnard are starting to feature on the sand, especially out wider off the west coast and in the sheltered parts of the lower North Island; they’re a great option if the snapper go quiet.

Lure choice: for snapper in 10–25 metres, 3–5 inch soft baits in natural browns, motor‑oil and pilchard patterns on 3/8–1/2 oz jig heads have been very consistent. Slow‑pitch jigs in the 40–80 g range in pink, orange or lumo are fishing well over deeper foul. For kings, 100–200 g jigs and mid‑sized stickbaits in blue/white or green/yellow are the go.

Best baits right now are pilchard cubes, whole squid and fresh kahawai slabs. On the sand, small dirty‑brown slab baits and strip baits of mullet or kahawai are drawing gurnard and by‑catch snapper. In harbours, a lightly weighted strayline with fresh bait is out‑fishing heavy rigs.

Couple of hot spots to circle on the map:

• Hauraki Gulf – the worm beds and surrounding foul in 18–25 metres off the east side of Waiheke and around the Noises have been holding good snapper on the incoming, especially when there’s bird life in the area.

• Bay of Plenty – inshore reefs and sand transitions off Motiti and around the Rurima area are producing snapper and the odd kingfish, with slow‑pitch jigs and soft baits doing well when the current is running.

If you’re land‑based, rocky points with deep water close in on both coasts are worth a crack at dawn and dusk with straylined baits or lightly weighted soft baits.

That’s it from Artificial Lure today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Kia ora, this is Artificial Lure with your North Island fishing report.

A settled high is sitting over most of the motu today, light winds for many and cool mornings giving way to mild, clear afternoons. Around Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf it’s light variable to southwest breeze, easing through the morning and picking up a touch of sea breeze later. Far north coasts are a bit fresher with easterlies, while the Bay of Plenty is enjoying gentle offshore winds and a small, tidy swell. Skies are mostly fine with just a bit of coastal cloud.

Sunrise has been around ten to seven in the morning, with sunset just after five in the evening, so the bite windows around dawn and that last hour of light have been prime. The cooler water and shorter days have pushed a lot of the better snapper bites into those edges of the day, plus the change-of-light around the tide turns.

Tides on the upper east coast have been running mid‑morning highs and late‑afternoon lows, with a decent bit of movement but nothing extreme. That has suited soft‑baiters and slow‑jiggers nicely, especially over the sand and mud fringes where snapper have been grazing on shellfish and baitfish.

Recent reports from local tackle shops and charter skippers talk about good numbers of **pannie snapper** in 10–25 metres right round the inner Hauraki Gulf, with the odd 60–70 cm model taken off the foul and deeper pins. Off Coromandel and western Bay of Plenty there have been steady hauls of snapper and **trevally**, plus a few **kingfish** still hanging on reefs, markers, and work‑ups when the bait has pushed in. The far north – Doubtless Bay, Karikari, out toward the Garden Patch – has seen **puka**, bigger **kingies**, and solid **snapper** for those willing to run wide on the calm days.

Lure-wise, it has been very much a **soft‑bait and slow‑jig game** inshore. Natural baitfish colours – browns, motor‑oil, new penny, and muted baitfish patterns – are out‑fishing the brights in the clear winter water. In 1/4 to 1/2 oz jig heads over the inner‑gulf sand, just a slow drag and pause has been deadly. Out deeper, 60–120 g slow‑pitch jigs in pink, orange, and blue/silver are doing the business on snapper and the odd kingfish, especially when there’s sign mid‑water.

For those fishing bait, **fresh is best**. Strips of freshly caught kahawai, mullet, and jack mackerel, plus whole baby squid and small pilchards, are all producing. Smaller hooks and tidy baits are out‑performing big slabs in the cooler water – think 4/0–5/0 recurves on a ledger or running rig. A smear of berley has been key in the shallows, but you don’t need a trail like a burley bomb; a steady trickle is enough to pull fish onto your patch without bringing in every shark in the Gulf.

A couple of North Island hot spots to circle on the map:

• **Rangitoto Channel & the worm beds, inner Hauraki Gulf** – Snapper schooling over the mud in 12–18 metres, especially on the incoming tide around dawn. Ideal for drifting soft‑baits and micro‑jigs.

• **Rurima Shoals and adjacent reefs off Whakatāne** – Mixed bags of snapper, trevally, and rat to legal kingfish around the pins and edges. Slow‑pitch jigs and livies are top choices when the current’s humming.

If you’re land‑based, the eastern side rocky ledges from Whangaparaoa north through Kawau and up to the Bay of Islands have been turning over nice evening snapper on stray‑lined baits, especially when there’s a bit of swell and wash.

That’s it from Artificial Lure today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Artificial Lure here with your North Island, New Zealand fishing report for today. In the **Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Plenty, and upper East Coast**, the bite is running on the back of the winter changeover, with **snapper** still the main target, plus **kahawai**, a few **trevally**, and the odd **kingfish** hanging around the warmer edges, reefs, and workups. Recent local chatter has fish coming in best on the moving tide, especially where current pushes bait along reef edges, channels, and headlands.

For **today’s tide and weather details**, I can’t verify live conditions from the results I have here, so check your local tide chart and forecast before you launch. As a rule for this stretch of coast, the **last of the outgoing tide into the first push of the incoming** is usually prime for lure fishing, while the soft light around dawn and dusk gives you the cleanest window.

**Sunrise and sunset** for North Island in early June are short-day winter times, with first light coming late and dusk arriving early, so plan for a compact session and get on the water close to daylight for the best shot at active fish.

On **recent catches**, the best numbers have generally been smaller-to-mid snapper inshore, with better fish coming from reefy structure and foul ground. Kahawai have been feeding aggressively where bait is present, and that makes them a reliable option for a fast bend in the rod. If you’re hunting a kingfish, work the deeper pins, foul, and current seams with patience, because they’re not everywhere, but they do show when the bait stacks up.

For **lures**, I’d be running:

- **Soft-baits** in natural baitfish colors for snapper over sand and reef edges.

- **Jigs** and metal lures for kahawai and any kingfish sign.

- **Slow jigs** when the current is manageable and you want to stay in the strike zone longer.

For **bait**, the local money baits are still **fresh pillies, squid, bonito strips, and salted mullet**. If the fish are fussy, a small fresh bait fished neat and lightly weighted often outperforms the big glamorous rig.

A couple of **hot spots** to try:

- **Inner Hauraki Gulf reef systems and channel edges**, especially anywhere bait is marking or birds are working.

- **East Coast headlands and rocky points from Coromandel down toward Plenty Bay**, where current and structure give snapper and kahawai a reason to stop.

If you’re fishing from the beach, keep an eye on gutters, foam lines, and wash zones. If you’re offshore, fish the color change and any bird action, because that’s where the feed is likely to be stacked.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your North Island fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early‑winter pattern setting in. A cool southwesterly flow over much of the island is keeping mornings crisp but the days clear and settled in many places, with a bit more cloud and wind for the west coast and Cook Strait. Air temps are sitting in the low to mid‑teens, dropping close to single digits at dawn. Swells are moderate on the west, a bit more forgiving on the east, especially in the inner Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty.

Around Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf, first light is just after 7 a.m., with full dark a bit after 5 p.m., so your real bite windows are tight: dawn until about 9 a.m., then again late afternoon into dusk on the change of light. Tides are running mid‑range neaps right now, so you won’t see screaming current, but you do get those nice soft edges where fish are happy to graze. Aim for the two hours either side of the high for snapper on the sand, and the first push of incoming for workups if any bait shows.

Snapper fishing has been solid rather than spectacular. Inner‑gulf structure and channels are still holding pannies in the 30–45 cm range, with the odd better fish out deeper. Boats working 20–35 metres around the eastern side of Waiheke and down towards the bottom end have been finding steady bins by staying mobile: drift a patch, pick a couple, move on. A lot of fish are sitting hard on the bottom, so get your offering right down in their face.

On the west coast off Muriwai and Kaipara way, bar conditions need to be treated with real respect in this swell pattern, but when it’s safe to cross, the 40–60 m line has been giving up good snapper and a few chunky gurnard. Down the line off Taranaki, the inshore reefs are still producing reasonable numbers of snapper and kahawai, with the odd kingfish cruising the bait schools.

Best lures this week have been smaller profiles and natural colours. In the Gulf, 3–5 inch soft‑baits in new penny, bruised banana, and pilchard blue are doing damage on light jigheads. Micro‑jigs in 20–40 grams in pink, silver, and lumo are hot when the sign lifts mid‑water. Slow‑pitch jigs in gold/olive are picking off better snapper and the odd kingi on the deeper pins.

For bait fishos, it’s hard to go past **fresh**. Strips of fresh kahawai, mackerel, or mullet are outfishing frozen pilchard in the clearer water. Small cubes of squid and salted bonito are great for keeping pickers busy and drawing in the better fish. Out over the mud, lighter traces and smaller hooks with a steady berley trail are converting more tentative bites, especially on those neap tides.

Fish activity overall is bunched right around tide changes and low‑light. You’ll often mark fish that refuse to chew for an hour or two, then it’s all on for twenty minutes – be ready with gear tied, drags set, no mucking about when that window opens.

Couple of hotspots to circle on the chart:

- The southern side of **Motuihe Channel** and out towards **Sergeant Channel**, targeting the edges of the current lines in 12–18 metres with soft‑baits and lightly weighted straylines.

- The 25–35 metre foul off the **eastern side of Waiheke**, working slow‑pitch jigs and small baits right on the bottom for mixed snapper and the odd john dory hanging under the bait schools.

If you’re further south, the reefs off **Plimmerton** and the edge of the **Mana Island** foul have been steady for winter snapper and kahawai when the wind and tide play nice.

That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure here, checking in with your North Island fishing report.

Up top around the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa, MetService is calling light west to southwest winds, easing swells and a clear, cool morning with a bit of high cloud rolling in this arvo. Sunrise was just after 7, sunset around 5, so you’ve got short days and long, fishy dawn and dusk bite windows. NIWA’s tide tables show decent highs around mid‑morning and again late evening on both coasts, with enough run to fire things up but not make life ugly in the harbours.

Water temps have slid into that classic late‑autumn band: mid‑teens off the west coast, a touch warmer on the east. That’s pushed a lot of bait into the inner gulf and harbours, and the predators are right behind them. Local tackle shops from Auckland to Tauranga are reporting steady snapper and gurnard numbers in 10–25 metres, plus solid kahawai workups wherever the birds are working.

Snapper fishing has been consistent rather than crazy, but those putting in the time are bringing home pannies with the odd 15–20‑pounder from deeper pins. Fish & Game-style updates from club comps last weekend around Coromandel and the Hauraki Gulf mention bins of 32–40 cm snapper, a smattering of trevally, and some horse kahawai off the channels and shell banks. Out wider off the Bay of Plenty and Northland, game‑fishing club boards still show the tail end of the kingfish action on the reefs, with a few 15–20 kg kings for those slow‑pitching and live‑baiting.

Best lures right now:

- For snapper in the gulf and BOP, soft‑baits in natural baitfish colours, 4–5 inch jerk shads on 3/8–1/2 oz jig heads, worked slowly near the bottom.

- Micro and slow‑pitch jigs around 20–80 g in pink, orange, and blue/silver are doing serious damage on both snapper and trevs.

- For kings, stickbaits and poppers over the reefs when the wind allows, with slow‑pitch jigs and live mackerel or koheru dropped down the sign on your sounder.

Best bait:

Fresh is king. Freshly caught kahawai, mullet, or jack macks cut into small baits are outfishing frozen pillies. In the harbours, a simple ledger rig with salted bonito or squid is still putting gurnard and table‑sized snapper in the chilly bin. Berley is worth its weight in gold right now – a light but consistent trail on the incoming tide is pulling fish right to the back of the boat.

A couple of hot spots to consider:

- Hauraki Gulf: the worm beds and edges of the shipping channel out from Auckland, plus the shallows around Motuihe and Rangitoto on the change of light. Work soft‑baits and small jigs in 8–15 metres and be patient – the better fish are coming on the slower drifts.

- Bay of Plenty: the inshore reefs off Motiti and Papamoa, fishing 20–40 metres. Drop micro‑jigs for snapper and trevally during the day, then switch to straylined baits as the sun drops.

On the west coast, when the bar and swell allow, boats out of Raglan and Kaipara have been finding quick limits of snapper in 25–50 metres, with gurnard mixed in. Simple ledger rigs with squid or fresh kahawai, plus a bit of luminous bead or skirt, are doing the damage in that slightly dirtier water.

Overall fish activity is best around the top and bottom of the tides, especially the morning high matched with first light and the evening low blended into sunset. Use your sounder, follow the birds, and don’t be afraid to move if you’re not getting proper marks under the boat.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite‑time update.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Kia ora, Artificial Lure here with your North Island fishing report.

A light westerly has been brushing most coasts today, with settled high‑pressure conditions and only a bit of afternoon chop. MetService has been calling it mostly fine with scattered cloud and only the odd shower inland, so it’s been comfortable on the water and along the rocks. Overnight temps stayed mild, and that’s helped keep the baitfish active close to shore.

Sunrise was around twenty‑to‑seven this morning with sunset just after five, giving a short but productive bite window at both ends of the day. The low‑light periods have been the standout for inshore action, especially the first hour of light and the last hour before dark.

NIWA’s tide tables show mid‑morning and late‑evening highs on both east and west coasts, and the turn of the tide has really been the trigger. The first hour of the incoming has fished best for snapper and kahawai, with the outgoing pushing bait off the flats and firing up trevally and gurnard.

Reports from Hauraki Gulf charter skippers have been solid: pannie snapper in 30–45 cm range with the odd 60 cm fish, plus steady kahawai workups under gannets. Around the Bay of Plenty, local clubs are weighing in mixed bags of snapper, tarakihi, and a few john dory from inshore reefs. West coast bars like Manukau and Kaipara have given up good gurnard numbers and some chunky winter snapper for those picking the weather and tide carefully.

Lure fishing has been doing the damage. Soft‑baits in natural baitfish patterns – 4–5 inch minnows in pilchard, anchovy, or new‑penny colours – fished on light jigheads over 10–20 m foul have been deadly on snapper. Inchiku and slider‑style jigs in 40–80 g, pink, orange, and blue, are still pulling fish when drift speed is right. For bait fishers, fresh mullet, bonito, and pilchard have outfished frozen; smaller baits on recurve hooks are getting more consistent hookups on the tentative winter bites.

Kahawai have been smashing small metal slices and hex‑wedges retrieved quickly near workups. Trevally have favoured small bits of prawn or shellfish on flasher rigs, especially where there’s berley in the water. John dory are turning up around bait schools; slow‑jigged soft‑baits or live yellow‑eyed mullet are your best bet if you’re targeting them specifically.

A couple of hot spots to circle on the map:

• Inner Hauraki Gulf foul around the Noises and Ahaahas: steady snapper on soft‑baits and slow jigs in 12–18 m, with kahawai pushing bait to the surface at first light.

• Inshore reefs off Tauranga, 25–40 m: mixed bags of snapper and tarakihi on ledger rigs with squid or pilchard, and good results on 60 g slow jigs when there’s enough current.

Fish activity will taper off in the bright middle of the day, so plan your sessions around that dawn or dusk tide change, keep your rigs light, and match your lures to the small baitfish that are thick inshore at the moment.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing intel.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn