South Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today

South Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today

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South Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today episodes

  • South Island Winter Fishing: Neap Tides, Early Light, and Solid Cod Action
    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    We’ll start with the big picture. A cool southwest flow has most of the island under settled, early‑winter conditions: light to moderate sou’westerlies, scattered cloud, and daytime highs sitting in the high single digits to low teens. NIWA and MetService both note a weak high pushing in, so seas are easing after earlier bumps, especially on the east coast. Mornings are cold and crisp, ideal for those first‑light missions.
    Sunrise was around twenty to seven this morning, with sunset just after five. That short window around dawn and the last hour of light are your prime bite times, especially with clear skies and cooler water.
    On the tide front, Port Chalmers and Lyttelton are both running mid‑range neaps, with low early morning, high late morning, and another low late arvo. That means gentler current, which can slow snapper and kingfish, but really suits blue cod, gurnard, and elephant fish nosing about over sand and low foul. Work the hour either side of those turns.
    Recent inshore catches around Canterbury Bight and Pegasus Bay have been all about **elephant fish**, **school sharks**, and **rig (spiny dogfish)** for the surfcasters, with a few late‑season **red cod** still turning up. Down Otago and Southland way, boats out of **Moeraki**, **Karitane**, and **Bluff** are reporting good hauls of **blue cod**, plenty of **tarakihi**, and the odd **john dory** and **sea perch** on the deeper pins. Out wider on calmer days, puka hunters have been picking up the odd **hāpuku** and **bluenose** on the drop‑offs.
    Freshwater’s ticking along nicely. On the **Canal** scene around Twizel, anglers are still tangling with those big **rainbow** and **brown trout** on lightly weighted soft baits and tiny egg patterns. Many are reporting fewer but better‑conditioned fish as water temps drop. Local lake anglers on Wakatipu, Wanaka, and Te Anau are seeing good numbers of schooling smelt, and trolling small silver Tassie‑style lures or cobra spoons has been producing solid trout and **landlocked salmon** in the 2–4 lb range.
    As for what’s working:
    - Best **baits** in the salt: fresh **pilchard**, **squid**, and **mussel** for cod and tarakihi; small crab or cray tail for elephant fish and rig; and fresh kahawai strips if you’re prospecting for a winter king around structure.
    - Best **lures**: 40–80 g slow‑pitch jigs in natural browns, pinks, and glow for reef species; soft‑bait paddle tails in motor‑oil, new penny, and lime‑tiger colours for cod and john dory; and small silver slugs or metal slices for kahawai workups off the river mouths. In the canals, think 1/12–1/8 oz jig heads with subtle natural‑coloured soft plastics or small glo bugs under a light trace.
    A couple of hot spots to put on your list:
    - **Moeraki to Shag Point**: fish the 30–60 m line for blue cod and tarakihi, drifting over scattered foul. Drop slow jigs or lightly weighted baits right on the bottom and keep them moving.
    - **Taieri Mouth and Brighton** (south of Dunedin): great for surfcasting elephant fish and rig on a change of light. Run long traces with small circle hooks and crab, shellfish, or squid baits just beyond the shore break.
    With clear skies and neap tides, patience is the name of the game. Fish lighter gear, smaller hooks, and keep your baits fresh and tidy. Focus on structure, edges of current lines, and that magic low‑light window, and you’ll find a feed.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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    4 min
  • South Island Fishing: Cool Conditions, Solid Cod Bite – Canterbury to Bluff
    I’m Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    A weak high sits over Te Waipounamu today, so conditions are settled but cool. MetService is calling light nor’easters on the east coast building to 10–15 knots in the afternoon, with the west coast a touch breezier and a lingering swell around a metre. Skies are partly cloudy, good barometer for bite windows.
    Sun popped up around twenty past eight this morning and will duck back just after five, so your real prime times are that first hour of light and the last hour before dark. In between, look for short bite flurries an hour either side of the tide changes; local harbour masters are reporting late‑morning and early‑evening highs on both coasts.
    Water temps are sitting in the low teens, so fish are still bunched on structure and edges rather than spread out on the flats. Inshore off Canterbury and North Otago, anglers have been finding solid blue cod, trumpeter, and a few late‑season kahawai schools working bait just off the river mouths. Down south, Bluff through to Riverton has produced pannies of cod and the odd school shark; the Foveaux Strait charter skippers say they’ve had steady bins of cod with a sprinkling of gurnard and spiny dogfish mid‑week.
    Around Kaikōura, the word from the local clubs is that the deep‑water droppers have pulled in decent numbers of sea perch and cod, with a couple of respectable groper showing for those pushing wider. On the West Coast, out of Westport and Greymouth, catches have been a mix of cod, terakihi, and kahawai working behind the bar when weather allows.
    Artificial lures are doing well when the current’s not ripping. Soft‑baits in natural browns and motor‑oil colours, 4–5 inch, paired with 1/2 to 1 oz jig heads, have been deadly on cod and kahawai over reefy country. Metal jigs in the 40–80 g range, dropped to the bottom and slow‑jigged back, are picking up trumpeter and the odd by‑catch of warehou offshore.
    For bait fishos, you can’t beat fresh: strips of kahawai, squid, and mussel are the standouts. Pilchard cubes on a simple ledger rig are still filling chilly bins. Use lighter trace than you think you need in the clearer eastern water; 40–60 lb is plenty for most inshore work and gets you more bites.
    A couple of hot spots if you’re heading out:
    First, the reefs off Motunau on the North Canterbury coast. Local boaties have been reporting quick limits of blue cod on the change of light, especially fishing the up‑current face of the foul with lightly weighted soft‑baits and small chunks of squid.
    Second, Taiaroa Head and the outer marks off the Otago Peninsula. Dunedin regulars say the drop‑offs there have held good numbers of cod and trumpeter, with kahawai pushing bait up top on the afternoon tide. Work the contour lines, watch your sounder, and don’t be afraid to move if you’re not getting hit within ten minutes.
    If you’re land‑based, try the Timaru and Oamaru breakwaters for kahawai and the odd schoolie; metal spinners and small surf‑casting baits fished into the channels have been productive on the morning high.
    That’s the state of the water around the South Island for today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • Early Winter South Island: Settled Conditions, Short Bite Windows, and Solid Cod Action
    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    We’ve got a settled early‑winter pattern across most of the island today. Light winds for much of the morning in many coastal areas, stiffening to a cool southwesterly this arvo on the exposed coasts. Skies are a mix of high cloud and sunny spells, with the odd shower clipping the west and deep south. Air temps are sitting single digits at first light, pushing into the low teens around midday. Rug up and keep the fingers warm.
    Sunrise is around half past seven, with sunset not long after five in most places, so the prime bite windows are short: that grey light just either side of dawn and again for the last hour of daylight are absolutely worth planning around. With the cooler water, fish are conserving energy and really keying in on those change‑of‑light periods.
    On the tide front, most of the east‑coast harbours and beaches are seeing a mid‑morning high and an evening low, which means a nice outgoing tide lining up with that afternoon bite. The west coast is offset but similar enough that you’re still getting good current over the sandbars and reef edges for the morning session, easing off by mid‑day.
    Fish activity has been classic early winter. Off Canterbury beaches like New Brighton and further south around Tākatā (Taieri Mouth) and the Otago coastline, anglers have been picking up steady pannies of **yellowtail kingfish** are mostly gone for the season now, but **kahawai**, **red cod**, **elephant fish**, and the odd **rig** (spotted smoothhound) are still coming over the sand. Closer to Kaikōura and the Marlborough Sounds, recent sessions have turned up good numbers of **blue cod**, **gurnard**, **tarakihi**, and plenty of **spiny dogfish** if you’re not selective with your bait.
    In the deep south, Foveaux Strait and around Bluff and Ruapuke Island have produced solid bins of **blue cod** with a sprinkling of **trumpeter** and **sea perch**, plus good **paua** and **butterfish** for the divers when the swell backs off. Inland, the alpine lakes like Wakatipu, Wanaka, and Tekapo are giving up chunky **brown trout** and **rainbows** to those putting in the early‑morning trolling runs.
    As for what’s working: on the salt, you can’t go past **fresh squid**, **pilchard**, and **mussel** baits on a simple ledger rig for most of your cod, gurnard, and tarakihi work. For rig and elephant fish on the surf beaches, **shellfish baits** like pipi or tuatua, or well‑presented **crab baits**, are doing the damage. Keep your traces tidy and your hooks sharp; bites are often gentle in the cold water.
    Lure fishers are still doing well. Around rocky headlands and harbour mouths, 20–40 g **metal jigs** and **soft‑baits** in natural baitfish colours are picking up kahawai and the odd late‑season kingi where they’re still about. For blue cod over foul ground, small **slow‑pitch jigs** and 4–5 inch soft‑baits in darker tones are deadly if you stay in contact with the bottom.
    Freshwater anglers should lean on **small soft‑plastic minnows**, **Rapala‑style hardbodies**, and **black or olive woolly buggers**. Long leaders and subtle presentations are key in that clearer, colder water. A bit of orange or red on the fly or lure can help trigger those pre‑storm or low‑light bites.
    Couple of hot spots to think about:
    - **Otago Harbour**: From the peninsula side channels out towards the heads, there’s been regular action on blue cod, gurnard, and kahawai, especially fishing the edges of the main channel on the outgoing tide with fresh squid strips or 3–4 inch soft‑baits.
    - **Marlborough Sounds**: Inlets like Queen Charlotte and Pelorus are holding good numbers of cod and tarakihi on the drop‑offs and weed edges. Early morning sessions drifting over 10–25 m with light gear and small baits or slow jigs have been filling chilly bins.
    If you’re heading out, watch the forecast for wind shifts and keep an eye on swell, especially on the west and deep‑south coasts; conditions can turn quickly this time of year. Fish smart, keep only what you need, and check your local regulations and size limits before you drop a line.
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    5 min
  • South Island Fishing Report: Settled Conditions, Prime Evening Bite
    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    We’ve got a handy settled pattern over most of the island today. MetService shows light west to northwest breezes on the east coast, freshening a touch in the afternoon, with a bit more punch and a chillier feel in Fiordland and the lower West Coast. Skies are mixed: high cloud and sun for Canterbury and Otago coasts, more showers drifting into Fiordland and around Haast. Daytime temps are topping out low to mid‑teens along the coasts, cooler inland.
    Sunrise along the east coast – Kaikōura through Dunedin – was about twenty to seven this morning, with sunset around twenty past five this evening. Down in the deep south, Invercargill saw the sun a fraction later up and a fraction earlier down, so daylight’s short. That low sun angle has the bite switching on nicely at the bookends of the day.
    NIWA and local tide tables have a mid‑morning high followed by a late‑arvo low around the Canterbury and Otago coasts, with similar timing but slightly different heights through Foveaux Strait and the West Coast bars. That dropping tide into dusk has been the prime window, especially around river mouths and reefy points.
    Inshore, anglers out of Lyttelton and Sumner report steady pannies – good eating‑size blue cod and a few solid gurnard – on the inshore foul in 25–40 metres. Off Moeraki and Karitane, charter skippers have been putting clients onto mixed bags: blue cod, sea perch, and the odd groper coming from deeper marks when the swell allows. Down in Foveaux Strait, Bluff crews are still finding respectable blue cod and trumpeter on the edges of the strong current lines.
    On the lure front, soft‑baits are doing damage over sand and patchy reef. Go‑to patterns have been 4–5 inch jerk shads in natural baitfish colours – nuclear chicken, new penny, and straight‑up mullet tones – worked on 3/8 to 1 oz jig heads depending on depth and tide. Slow‑pitch jigs in 40–100 grams, in pink, orange, and lumo, are pinning cod, perch, and the odd by‑catch of kahawai when they’re up on top.
    Bait fishos are still hard to beat on the tougher days. Fresh mullet or squid strips are the staples, with mussel and cray tail scraps turning pickers into keepers when you can get them. Around river mouths – the Rakaia, Rangitata, and Clutha – those running small trout‑style soft‑baits and metal spoons are finding sea‑run browns and the odd fat kahawai cruising the colour change lines, particularly on that last hour of the outgoing.
    Fish activity has been best on the softer weather breaks: calm mornings with a bit of high cloud, or that magic window where the wind drops out before dark. Reports from locals around Otago Harbour say the trevally and kahawai schools are pushing bait up onto the flats on the incoming, with small silver slices and 3‑inch paddle‑tails doing the damage on light gear.
    Couple of hot spots to mark on the chart:
    • Otago Harbour channel edges – drifting the drop‑offs with soft‑baits has turned up cod, gurnard, and some surprisingly chunky kahawai, especially around the turn of the tide.
    • Foveaux Strait reef systems off Bluff – when the wind plays nice, those broken foul patches are holding quality blue cod and trumpeter; fish the up‑current side with just enough lead to hold bottom.
    If you’re launching off the West Coast – places like Jackson Bay or Haast – keep a close eye on bar conditions and forecasts. The payoff, when it’s safe, has been solid cod and by‑catch of sharks and rays on big baits and 6–8 oz sinkers in the heavy current.
    That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure for today’s South Island fishing conditions. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a session on the water.
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    4 min
  • South Island Winter Fishing: Snapper, Blue Cod, and Trout in Peak Season
    Kia ora, this is Artificial Lure with your South Island fishing report.
    Light westerlies across most of the Island today, a bit fresher in the afternoon on the coasts. Skies are mixed cloud and sun with the odd shower rolling through the West Coast and Fiordland. Inland Canterbury and Otago are calmer, with clear patches and cool starts. Overnight temps have been nippy, so the morning bite has favoured the late-morning window as things warm.
    Around the eastern seaboard, sunrise was roughly just before 8 and sunset just after 5, giving a short but productive day. On the big tides of the winter cycle, expect a decent push around mid‑morning and another useful change late afternoon. The turn of the tide has been the key bite window for both surfcasters and boaties.
    Inshore in Pegasus Bay and off Banks Peninsula, anglers have been finding good numbers of school **snapper**, plenty of **kahawai**, and the odd **gurnard** and **rig**. Reports from local tackle shops say soft‑baiters fishing in 10–25 metres have done well on 3–5 inch jerk shads in natural baitfish colours, especially on the incoming tide. Surfcasters using **pilchard**, **mullet**, and **prawn** baits have picked up a mixed bag, with the better fish showing in the last hour of light.
    Down south off Otago Peninsula and into the Catlins, the boats have been into solid **blue cod**, **tarakihi**, and some tidy **groper/hapuku** out wide. Ledger rigs with fresh **squid** or **mackerel** strips are still the go‑to. Jigs in the 60–120 gram range, slow‑pitch style in pink, lumo, and blue, are doing damage on cod and by‑catch when drift speeds are manageable.
    In the harbours — Lyttelton, Otago, and Bluff — winter **elephant fish** and **rig** are worth targeting on sandier patches with **crab**, **prawn**, or **shellfish** baits. Light traces and smaller hooks have outfished heavy gear. Evening sessions around the top and bottom of the tide have produced the more consistent runs.
    The freshwater scene has been classic winter: cold water but good quality fish. Canterbury high‑country lakes and the Waitaki and Clutha systems are giving up solid **brown** and **rainbow trout**, especially to patient anglers. Spin fishers are doing well with small **silver and gold Tobys**, black and gold **Tasmanian Devils**, and 7–10 gram soft‑baits in smelt patterns. Fly anglers swinging **streamers** — woolly buggers, rabbit patterns, and small zonkers — are picking up rainbows in the drop‑offs and browns skulking along the edges in lower light.
    A couple of hot spots to keep on your radar:
    • **Pegasus Bay in 15–20 metres**, especially off Waimairi to North Beach, has been consistent for kahawai and pannies on soft‑baits and small slow jigs. Work the tide changes and watch for bird activity — when the gannets and terns start bombing, get a lure in the water quickly.
    • **Otago Peninsula reefs**, particularly around Taiaroa Head and further south when conditions allow, are holding good blue cod and the odd trophy fish. If the swell is down and you can sneak in close, berley hard with minced pilchard and use lightly weighted baits for the bigger models.
    Best general‑purpose lures right now: natural‑tone soft‑baits, 60–100 gram slow‑pitch jigs, and small spoons. Best baits: pilchard, squid, fresh mackerel, and crab for the surf and harbour species.
    That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure — tight lines out there, stay safe, and remember to check the latest marine and weather forecasts before you launch.
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    4 min
  • South Island Early Winter: Kahawai, Salmon, and Cod Bite Guide
    Name’s Artificial Lure here, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    We’ll start around Canterbury and down into Otago. MetService is calling it a settled early winter pattern today: cool, mostly clear skies with light nor’easters on the east coast, building to 10–15 knots on some headlands this arvo. Overnight lows near freezing inland, single digits on the coast, and daytime highs nudging 8–11 degrees. According to MetService marine, coastal seas are slight to moderate, with a long, lazy southerly swell on the Pacific side and a gentler roll in Foveaux Strait.
    Sun’s up about twenty past eight and ducks out just after five, so your real bite windows are that first hour either side of sunrise and again leading into dusk. NIWA’s tide tables show a mid‑morning high followed by a solid afternoon run‑out on both coasts, giving you nice current lines around river mouths and points.
    Fish activity’s been classic early winter. Local tackle shops in Christchurch and Timaru report good kahawai and schoolie salmon action around the Rakaia, Rangitata, and Opihi river mouths when the tide’s pushing in and the sea’s clean. Most fish have been mid‑size: kahawai in the 1.5–2.5 kilo range, with the odd bigger bruiser, and the tail‑end of the salmon run still turning up the occasional 3–4 kilo fish.
    Down Otago way, Dunedin and the Taieri mouth have produced pannies and a few better snapper off the rocks and small boats in close, especially on the evening bite. Bluff and Foveaux Strait charter skippers have been into blue cod, tarakihi, and the odd trumpeter, plus plenty of spikies to keep you honest. Expect cod in that 35–45 cm bracket, with the better fish holding on broken foul and reef edges.
    Best lures right now:
    - For kahawai and salmon off the beaches, run 28–40 gram silver and blue hex wobblers, small chromed slices, and slender soft‑baits in pilchard or anchovy colours. A fast, erratic retrieve is doing the damage.
    - For inshore snapper and gurnard, 4–5 inch soft‑baits in new penny, motor oil, and natural baitfish patterns on 3/8 to 1/2 oz jig heads.
    - Offshore and reef work for cod and tarakihi, simple ledger rigs with flashers in pink, chartreuse, or glo‑in‑the‑dark are still king.
    Top baits: fresh is best. Pilchard cubes, salted bonito, squid strips, and fresh kahawai or mackerel cut bait are all producing. For blue cod and tarakihi, small squid or shellfish baits kept tidy on the hook are out‑fishing big slabs. At the river mouths, try pilchard cores, small mullet, or anchovies, and don’t overlook a surf‑rigged tuatua or paddle crab for the odd mooching snapper.
    A couple of hot spots to have a crack at:
    - Brighton and Blackhead, just south of Dunedin: good structure, kelp and reef fingers, and that afternoon dropping tide has been pushing bait in tight. Soft‑baits and lightly weighted baits lobbed into the wash are turning up snapper, blue cod and the odd john dory.
    - Rakaia River mouth: classic winter kahawai and lingering salmon spot. Work the colour change where the river meets the sea with metal lures and small soft‑baits. Fish the incoming and first of the high, and keep moving until you find the working birds and surface splashes.
    If you’re heading out in the dark, keep an eye on the marine forecast, carry a light, and respect those winter swells – they’re lazy but they’ve got plenty of punch.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • South Island Fishing Report: High Pressure, Dawn and Dusk Bites, and Solid Saltwater Action
    Kia ora, this is Artificial Lure with your South Island fishing report.
    A broad high is parked over most of Te Waipounamu today, giving settled, clear conditions and light winds for much of the day. Inland Canterbury and Otago are seeing cold starts and frosty banks, but by late morning it’s crisp and sunny with just a light nor’easter along the coasts. Down in Southland and Fiordland, expect a bit more cloud building with a light southerly and the odd shower pushing through exposed headlands later on.
    Sunrise around the east coast has been just after seven, with sunset a bit before five, giving a short but tidy bite window at dawn and again in that last hour of light. Those low‑light periods have been the standout times for both trout in the rivers and kahawai and snapper close inshore.
    Tides along the east coast – from Kaikōura down through Banks Peninsula to Timaru – are running mid‑range today. The incoming has been the most productive, especially two hours either side of the high. On the south and west coasts, that push of clean ocean water on the flood has really kicked fish into gear over reefs and river mouths.
    River fishing has been solid. The lower Waimakariri and Rakaia have given up good numbers of sea‑run browns this week, most fish in the 2–4 lb class with the odd bigger model. Anglers swinging small silver Toby-style spoons, soft‑plastics in smelt patterns, and wee woolly bugger streamers have done best. Early and late, a natural smelt or small herrings fished dead‑drift under a float has picked up the more wary fish.
    Inland, the Mackenzie canals continue to produce chunky rainbows and the odd trophy brown. Recent catches have included plenty of 4–6 lb fish, with some double‑digit brutes still coming after dark. The top offerings there have been soft‑bait shads in natural browns and greens, lightly weighted, plus salmon pellets and cured shrimp drifted close to the bottom.
    Saltwater action has been picking up along the Canterbury Bight and down into Otago. Off Brighton and Aramoana, small boats and kayaks have reported pannies in the 30–40 cm range, along with gurnard and plenty of kahawai. The go‑to lures have been 20–40 g slow‑pitch jigs in pink and orange, and small silver slices for the kahawai workups. For bait fishers, fresh mullet, squid strips, and bonito cubes fished on simple ledger rigs have outfished frozen packets by a mile.
    Blue cod and tarakihi have been biting well around Banks Peninsula and the North Otago reefs. Use ledger rigs with 4/0 recurves, baited with squid or tough strip baits, and keep your sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom. Out wider on the west coast, when the sea has allowed, puka and bigger cod have been coming from deeper pins, with heavy jigs and big slab baits doing the business.
    If you’re after a couple of hot spots:
    • First, try the Taiaroa Head–Aramoana area near Dunedin. Work the channel edges on the incoming tide for kahawai and the odd kingfish, with 40–60 g metal lures and live baits, then drift the sand patches inside for snapper and gurnard on stray‑line rigs.
    • Second, Banks Peninsula’s reef systems off Le Bons and Magnet Bay are well worth a run when the swell is down. Slow‑pitch jigs and soft‑baits over foul ground have been turning up mixed bags of blue cod, perch, and the odd snapper, especially in that late‑afternoon bite window.
    For land‑based fishos, the Timaru breakwater, New Brighton Pier, and Otago Harbour wharves are all producing kahawai and the odd school shark on pilchard and squid baits; a small surf popper above your bait can make a real difference in the clearer water.
    That’s the lay of the water for today around the South Island. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • South Island Winter Fishing: Blue Cod and Gurnard Dominate Cool Coastal Waters
    Name’s Artificial Lure here, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    Across much of the coast today we’ve got a settled pattern: light to moderate northerlies on the east side, a bit more westerly puff out west, and cool, clear conditions overall. MetService has coastal temps sitting in the low teens, with a mix of high cloud and sunny spells. First light was around twenty to seven this morning, with the sun up just after that, and it’ll be ducking away again a bit after five this evening, so it’s a shortish winter window.
    Tides are on the move but not extreme. Around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula the morning high has already pushed through, with a decent drop heading into the afternoon low, then a building evening high pushing more current onto the reef edges. Down Otago and Southland, the highs and lows are staggered by roughly an hour, but the pattern is similar: best current and bite windows around the turn of the low into the afternoon, and again an hour either side of the evening high.
    Inshore, the winter snapper scene is quiet this far south, but the blue cod and gurnard have been doing the heavy lifting. Local chatter out of Moeraki and Karitane has boats picking up good pans of blue cod in 20–40 metres, along with a mix of sea perch and the odd decent gurnard. Off Banks Peninsula, anglers working the foul have reported solid numbers of school terakihi and plentiful spikies, with a few better carrots when the drift slows.
    Out wider, the charter skippers off the Otago coast have been into respectable blue cod and trumpeter on the deeper pins, plus some stubborn sharks stealing gear when the burley trail is too generous. In Foveaux Strait, cod numbers remain strong, with plenty of legal fish and the occasional real donkey.
    Best baits right now are the winter stand‑bys: fresh squid strips, mullet, and if you can get it, fresh kahawai or mackerel cut baits. Keep them small and neat; the fish are a bit more tentative in the cooler water. For those running lures, 40–80 gram slow‑pitch jigs in natural baitfish colours and pinks are working well on cod and gurnard when fished close to the bottom with gentle lifts. Softbaits in 4–5 inch sizes, particularly new penny, motor‑oil, and blue/white, are getting nailed when drift speeds are under about a knot.
    Fish activity has definitely shifted to the low‑light periods. Dawn and that last hour before dark are prime, especially around changes of tide. Midday still produces, but bites can be short, so make the most of any little flurry—keep baits in the water and don’t muck around re‑rigging.
    Couple of hot spots to put on the list:
    • Moeraki ledges and nearby reef country: Great for land‑based missions at first light with a berley trail, picking up blue cod, sea perch, and the odd elephant fish off the sand patches. Fish a running rig with a small circle hook and squid strip.
    • Taiaroa Head and the inshore reefs off Otago Peninsula: When the swell is manageable, working the 15–30 metre line with softbaits and slow jigs has produced mixed bags of cod, gurnard, and kahawai. Keep an eye on wind against tide here; it can stand the sea up quickly.
    If you’re heading out, rug up, fish the changes, and downsize those baits just a touch for the cooler water.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • South Island Early Winter: Blue Cod Biting, River Mouths Hot, Short Days Ahead
    Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Island fishing report.
    We’ve got a settled early‑winter pattern across most of the island today. Light westerlies for many coastal areas, a bit fresher around the southern capes, with cool, clear patches and scattered showers drifting through. Daytime temps are sitting in the single digits to low teens, so layer up and keep the fingers warm.
    Sunrise came just after seven this morning and sunset will be not long after five, so you’ve really only got those prime bite windows around first light and the last hour of evening. The barometer’s reasonably steady, and that’s helping keep fish on the chew when the wind drops.
    Tides around the east coast – Canterbury and North Otago – are running mid‑range. Expect a good push over the morning high, then easing into the afternoon. Around Otago Harbour and down to the Catlins, the turn of the tide is the key: snapper are scarce this far south in winter, but you’ll still find pannies and the odd horse in the warmer pockets and shallow reefs. Blue cod and gurnard are the mainstay on the sand fringes, with kahawai working bait schools on the surface when birds start dipping.
    On the west coast – Fiordland up toward Westport – the swell is modest but still sloppy around exposed headlands. When the sea backs off between fronts, the cod and tarakihi have been thick on the 30–60 metre marks. There’ve been solid hauls of blue cod out of Bluff and Stewart Island, with a few trumpeter mixed in for those willing to push wider on the calmer days.
    Recent catches have been dominated by:
    - Blue cod in good numbers, most anglers binning out easily on inshore reefs.
    - Kahawai schools off river mouths like the Rakaia, Waimakariri, and Waitaki, especially on the incoming tide.
    - Sea‑run browns nosing around those same river mouths, taking advantage of whitebait and smelt.
    - In the lakes – Wakatipu, Wanaka, Tekapo, and Coleridge – rainbows and browns are moving shallower, with some chunky fish taken close to the drop‑offs.
    Best lures and baits right now:
    Inshore salt:
    - Soft‑baits in natural baitfish colours – 4–5 inch jerk shads in smoky, anchovy, or pilchard tones. Fish them slowly along the bottom for cod and pannies.
    - Small metal jigs, 20–40 grams, dropped straight down and yo‑yo’d for kahawai and cod.
    - Fresh bait is king: squid strips, mussel, and fresh kahawai slabs on ledger rigs are outfishing frozen stuff by a mile.
    River mouths and surf:
    - Hex‑wobblers, silver Toby‑style spoons, and small soft‑plastics for kahawai.
    - For sea‑run browns, try small smelt‑pattern soft‑baits, soft eggs, or a simple blue‑silver spinner worked just on the edge of the dirty water line.
    - Bait fishers are doing well with pilchard cubes and mussel in the gutters on a simple running rig.
    Lakes and canals:
    - Tassie‑style lures in pink, frog, or traffic‑light colours slow‑rolled behind the boat.
    - Small Rapala‑style minnows in brown trout or smelt patterns for shoreline casting.
    - In the canals, lightly weighted soft‑baits in natural browns and olives, and for those drifting bait, a well‑presented salmon or shrimp chunk.
    Couple of hot spots if you’re heading out:
    - Otago Harbour: Work the channel edges and structure around Quarantine Island and the leading markers. Drift soft‑baits or drop ledger rigs with squid. Good mixed bags of blue cod, gurnard, and the odd snapper still showing.
    - Rakaia River Mouth: On the incoming tide, watch for birds and surface splashes. Cast metal lures for kahawai and have a second rod set with a small bait for a chance at a sea‑run brownie cruising the colour change.
    For the adventurous, a weather window on the south coast out of Bluff or Fortrose can produce excellent cod and the odd trumpeter on the reefs about 40–60 metres deep. Just pick your day carefully and keep an eye on that westerly building.
    That’s the word 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.
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    5 min
  • Late Autumn on the South Island: Blue Cod, Browns and Prime Bite Windows
    Kia ora, it’s Artificial Lure here with your South Island fishing report.
    We’re sitting in late autumn now, and the change of season is written all over the water. A cool south‑westerly has been brushing the coasts, with most places sitting in the low teens, a touch cooler overnight. MetService has had light to moderate winds for much of the east coast, a bit fresher and gustier around Foveaux Strait and the exposed West Coast. Skies have been mixed: clearer in the mornings on the Canterbury and Tasman sides, cloud building and the odd shower sliding through in the afternoon.
    Sunrise along the east coast has been just after 7:40am, with sunset a bit before 5:20pm, so your prime bite windows are those first two hours after dawn and the last hour of light. Slack water around the mid‑morning and late afternoon tides has lined up nicely with those periods, especially in the estuaries.
    NIWA’s coastal data and the local harbour boards have been showing modest neap tides, so not huge current, but enough to keep things moving. In Akaroa and Lyttelton, the morning incoming has fished better, while around Tasman Bay the turn of the evening tide has been the go.
    Saltwater first. Out of Kaikōura, charter skippers have been reporting good numbers of blue cod and sea perch in 40–70 metres, with the odd trumpeter and school groper still showing when the swell eases. Simple ledger rigs with 6/0 recurves, baited with fresh squid or bonito strip, are doing better than fancy hardware. Around Banks Peninsula reefs, pannie‑sized snapper are still turning up, though smaller than mid‑summer fish. Soft‑baits in natural baitfish colours — think 4–5 inch jerk shads in smoky grey or new penny — are outfishing plain bait on calm days.
    Down in Foveaux and around Stewart Island, the blue cod have been very willing. Locals have been doing well using slow‑pitch jigs in 60–100g, especially pink and orange, fluttered just off the bottom. A strip of fresh mackerel on a dropper still beats everything when the drift is quick. Gurnard are sneaking into more catches over the sand, particularly in 20–30 metres off Bluff.
    Harbour and estuary action has slowed with the cooler water, but there are still kahawai working bait in the lower Waimakariri and around the Waimea Inlet on the incoming tide. Small metal slices, 10–20g in silver or blue, cast into visible work‑ups, have been producing solid fish. A few sea‑run browns are nosing into the lower rivers — lightly weighted soft‑baits, or small natural‑coloured hardbodies, have picked off some lovely fish in the slower edges and gut‑lines.
    Freshwater wise, the high‑country lakes are coming into their own before winter close‑offs. Around the Mackenzie canals, anglers have been picking up hefty rainbows and the odd trophy brown on lightly weighted egg patterns and small soft‑baits, especially orange and pale pink, bounced close to the bottom when flows are steady. On the lakes, brown trout are cruising the shallows looking for one last big feed. Small green‑and‑gold Tassie‑style lures, or black and gold tobys, retrieved slow at first light have been deadly. Streamers like olive Woolly Buggers and rabbit flies, stripped with pauses, are also producing.
    If you’re looking for a couple of hot spots: first, the inshore reefs off Taylors Mistake and Godley Head near Christchurch have been holding mixed bags of blue cod, perch, and the odd snapper when the sea lays down. Fish the afternoon incoming with stray‑lined pilchards or soft‑baits drifted back into the berley trail. Second, the Nelson side of Tasman Bay, particularly around the Boulder Bank and the gutters off Delaware Bay, has given up some nice snapper and kahawai. Early morning missions with lightly weighted baits and small soft‑baits in natural browns and greens have worked well.
    Bait choices this week: fresh squid, mullet, mackerel, and pilchard are the top producers in the salt; in freshwater, think natural — small smelt patterns, soft‑baits in olive and brown, and classic nymphs like hare‑and‑copper under an indicator when the sun gets up.
    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.
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    6 min

About South Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today

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Tune in to the "South Island, New Zealand Fishing Report Today" for your daily dose of fishing updates, expert advice, and the latest news from one of the world's premier fishing destinations spanning spectacular coastlines, pristine rivers, and mountain lakes. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a fishing enthusiast, our podcast offers tips, weather conditions, and the best spots for a successful fishing trip. Stay informed with the freshest insights on South Island's unique ecosystem—from trophy trout and salmon in crystal-clear rivers to reef species like blue cod, snapper, and kingfish in productive coastal waters—and make every fishing expedition a memorable one.