Category Archives: Common Species

The ‘People’s Fish’ saves the day.

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

The humble Kahawai is often overlooked as a ‘real fish’ in this country. Comments like “just a scummy kahawai” and  “cat food” are to my mind elitist and just plain wrong these days.  A shame really, as there are many … Continue reading →

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Posted in Common Species, Kahawai | 1 Comment

February

Posted on February 28, 2011 by

February has been a shocker weather wise. Wind and big seas have turned our local water brown which has pretty much killed off the chance of catching any good fish from the beach. Small Tope sharks are about in big … Continue reading →

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Posted in Common Species, Recent Events | Leave a comment

December

Posted on December 26, 2010 by

Summer is here finally! After a stuttering start we now have (mostly) clean calm seas and a few fish about as a bonus. No snapper of any consequence yet, but lots of Kahawai and the occasional gurnard are showing up. … Continue reading →

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Trevally

Posted on November 30, 2010 by

Fishing is supposed to be a relaxing pass time, and most of the time it is. But very occasionally it just goes crazy and you find yourself running up and down the beach re-baiting, casting, fighting fish without pause. A … Continue reading →

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August in Hawke’s Bay

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

The sea is getting cleaner, the redcod are less frequent. My last few outings have produced an odd mixture of Conger eels, Kahawai, Redcod, Paddle crabs and Baracuda. The one nice exception being a good sized Gurnard. But the weather … Continue reading →

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The Paddle Crab Problem

Posted on July 3, 2010 by

During the winter months here in HB, and also in other areas around NZ, the absence of Snapper, Lemonfish, and other crab eaters cause what seems like a population explosion of paddle crabs. Its not so much a population explosion … Continue reading →

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Red Cod

Posted on March 20, 2010 by

If there are such things as by-catch in surfcasting, the red cod is one of them. Its a nuisance fish. It has no redeeming qualities at all. The flesh, should you try to eat one, is tasteless and mushy. They … Continue reading →

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Snapper

Posted on March 15, 2010 by

Snapper are one of the most sought after species by Kiwi Surfcasters, and depending on where you are in NZ they can be abuntant or completely absent. As a general rule they are more readily available in the top half … Continue reading →

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Gurnard

Posted on March 15, 2010 by

Gurnard are a very sought after species, very nice eating and a great looking fish too. They can be caught in sandy bays on fish or shellfish baits. They seem to prefer calm settled conditions and deeper water. They dont … Continue reading →

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Lemonfish

Posted on March 12, 2010 by

Smooth Hound ( Lemonfish ) caught on fresh paddle crab bait at Ocean Beach HB, Feb 2010 Whats the difference between Lemonfish and Dogfish? They dont often take fish baits. They prefer shellfish (crab or crayfish if you can get … Continue reading →

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Kahawai

Posted on March 11, 2010 by

Kahawai – can be caught on virtually any bait if they are around in numbers. Will take lures and live-baits. Often found around river mouths. When feeding in schools they will attack anything that moves. I’ve seen them caught on … Continue reading →

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