By Max Lester, Desolve Ambassador
Springtime in New Zealand means the water begins to warm up and fish become more active, feeding up after a long winter before they spawn. The west coast of the North Island is one of the most exciting places to fish in New Zealand. It's wild, can be unpredictable and isn't always easy, but when the conditions line up, it can produce some incredible fishing, whether you're fishing off the beach or the rocks, or from a boat.
Fish to Target in Spring
One of the main species I look forward to targeting is snapper. As the water warms, big pre-spawning schools of snapper move into shallower reefs, beaches and harbour entrances to feed after winter. In areas such as Raglan and Taranaki, the schools congregate over the slightly deeper mud banks and reefs. Early spring can be a difficult time to target kingfish, as they aren't so active until the warmer water arrives in late spring. Once it does, the kingfish come into shallow reefs, harbour entrances and shallow pins, making it an excellent time to target well-conditioned, pre-spawning fish. Spring is also a good time to target gurnard, trevally and John Dory on the west coast.
Understanding the Weather
If there's one thing that can make or break a trip on the west coast, it's the weather. The Tasman Sea can change quickly, and conditions that look good in the morning can become rough within a few hours. Before every trip, it's important to check the swell, wind and tides. No fish is worth taking unnecessary risks for.
Basic Techniques
Surfcasting is one of the easiest ways to fish the west coast. Fresh baits such as kahawai and octopus work best, but pilchard, squid or bonito work well too. Fish the change of light and the change of tide to get your best results.
Soft baiting and slow-pitch jigging are other favourites of mine, although they're not so popular on the west coast. It's an active way of fishing and works really well for snapper over sand and reef when the fish are feeding aggressively. When soft baiting, aim for depths of 2–25m. Any deeper than that, switch over to your slow-pitch jigs.
Ledger rigs and straylining are the easiest and, in my opinion, the best ways to target a variety of fish on the west coast. Straylining especially can produce those XOS snapper. Get a good burley running over a reef or shellfish bed with some fresh bait, and you're sure to pull some quality fish.
Live baiting is hard to beat when targeting kingfish and John Dory. Fishing a live kahawai or mackerel around reefs gives you one of the best chances of hooking a decent fish.
For the west coast, spring is one of the best times of the year to be on the water. It can be challenging on some days, but when you get it right, it'll be some of the most electric fishing you'll have!
About Max
Max (@max_lstr) is originally from Taranaki, New Zealand. He now lives and works on an exploration vessel, cruising the world in search of marine life, with a few fishing and diving missions in the mix. His fishing roots began with surfcasting and straylining for snapper on the west coast, which eventually grew into travelling around the North Island. These days he's lucky enough to fish well beyond New Zealand waters, always on the lookout for the next adventure.
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