Early Winter North Island: East Coast On, Bite Windows Tight, Quality Over Quantity

Kia ora, Artificial Lure here with your North Island fishing report. We’ve got a classic early‑winter pattern settling in across most of the motu. MetService has light to moderate south‑westerlies for much of the North Island coast today, easing in the evening, with a cool, fairly clear day and only the odd shower sliding through the west. That means fishable seas on the east coast and a bit more lump on the western bars, especially around the Manukau and Waikato. Sunrise was around twenty‑to‑seven this morning and sunset will be just after five, so the *bite windows* have been those first two hours of light and the last hour before dark. On the harbours, the outgoing tide in the morning and the first push of the incoming this afternoon have been the go. Around the **Hauraki Gulf and outer Gulf islands**, the workups have been smaller but consistent. Local charter skippers are still putting clients onto pannies in the 32–40 cm range with the odd 50+ snapper coming off the deeper edges in 35–45 m. Gannets and dolphins are picking on small anchovy schools; soft‑baits in natural baitfish colours and 40–60 g kabura/slider jigs are out‑fishing plain ledger rigs. Micro‑jigs in 20–40 g are also nailing mid‑water kahawai. In **Auckland harbours**, snapper numbers have thinned in the very shallows, but there are still solid fish on the channels and shell banks. Pilchard cubes and fresh kahawai strips are the standout baits, with stray‑lined unweighted baits doing best when the current slackens. A few carrot‑sized gurnard are coming from muddy bottoms in 8–12 m, especially on the Manukau. Up north around **Bay of Islands and the Far North**, the inshore snapper are holding over reef and foul from 15–30 m. There have been reports of good hauls of legal snapper with a handful of fish nudging 60 cm on lightly weighted baits sitting back in the berley trail. Kingfish are still buzzing the points and pinnacles; live mackerel slow‑trolled around current lines are producing 10–15 kg kings, with a few bigger hoodlums mixed in. Topwater stickbaits in blue‑silver and mackerel patterns are worth a thrash if the wind drops. Over in **Bay of Plenty**, boats off Tauranga and Whakatāne have been picking up mixed bags: snapper, trevally, kahawai and the occasional john dory. Slow‑pitch jigs and inchiku‑style lures are consistent in 40–60 m. Fresh squid and mullet baits are also doing damage on the reef edges. Hot spot number one: **The Noises to Rakino line in the inner Hauraki Gulf**. Work that 18–24 m zone with 5‑inch soft‑baits on 3/8–½ oz jig heads, drifting with the wind and current lined up. Keep an eye out for bird sign and nervous water – often the better fish are sitting under the kahawai. Hot spot number two: **Cape Brett and the Ninepin area in the Bay of Islands**. Fish livebaits around the wash and current edges for kingfish, then slide out a berley bomb and stray‑line for snapper on the afternoon incoming tide. Best lures today: - Natural‑coloured soft‑baits (pilchard, anchovy, bruised banana) - 40–60 g slider/kabura jigs in orange, pink, and glow - Medium stickbaits and poppers for kings when the surface comes alive Best baits: - Fresh pilchard, squid, and mackerel - Fresh kahawai strips and mullet cubes for gurnard and mooching snaps Fish activity is classic winter – fewer rats, more quality if you put in the effort, fish the bite times, and keep that berley going. Thanks for tuning in, 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