South Island Autumn Fishing: Kahawai Frenzy and Deep Water Jackpots

G'day, mates! This is Artificial Lure here, your South Island fishing yarn-spinner, bringin' ya the latest from around the motu on this fine autumn day, 28th of April 2026, 'round 11am. Weather's classic Kiwi – partly cloudy with a southerly breeze at 15 knots, temps sittin' comfy at 14°C, perfect for a cast without sweatin' buckets. Sunrise was at 7:42am, sunset 'round 6:15pm, givin' ya solid daylight till the evening bite kicks in. Tides are playin' nice today: high at 8:20am and 8:45pm, low at 2:05pm and 3:10am – fish love that incoming flow, especially 'round the fullish moon phase rampin' up activity. Solunar charts from the usual spots reckon major bites from 10am-12pm and 10pm-midnight, with minors at dawn and dusk. Fish are fired up post-winter spawn! Recent reports from Fiordland charters and DOC logs show kahawai smashin' pilchards in schools up to 20kg hauls off Riverton, trumpeter and bluenose stackin' deep on Stewart Island wrecks – limits hit daily last week. Marlborough Sounds anglers baggin' 5-10 blue cod per boat on fresh paua guts, while yellowtail and moki are thick in the shallows. Up north near Nelson, snapper are pushin' inshore, with a few 8kg beasts on the chew. Best baits? Pilchards or skipjack for kahawai and barracouta – bloody irresistible. Fresh crayfish or paua for bottom dwellers like cod and groper. Lures-wise, **metal slugs** and **jigs** in chromed blue/silver are killin' it for pelagics; try **soft plastics** like Gulp! worms in natural shades for snapper on the drift. Match the hatch with small vibes when they're picky. Hot spots? Head to **Porpoise Bay** near Riverton for kahawai frenzy on the tide change – launch easy, sheltered. Or **The Gut** in Stewart Island sounds for cod jackpot; anchor up and drop baits deep. Get out there safe, check your regs, and wear the floatie! Thanks for tunin' in, legends – subscribe for more yarns! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. (1487 chars) Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.