NESTING GANNETS
The next morning, Dave helped to 
launch our centre console using the 
tractor on the ramp over the road and 
short drive over the one-way bridge.  
It was an easy launch with a bit of a 
half metre swell that had picked up 
overnight.  The forecast was for the 
wind to get up over the day, so we 
would look to come in around midday.
We shot out to the nearby islands 
where we could see the gannets 
sitting on the water in large numbers 
and we hoped they were feeding with 
a winter workup on the cards.  They 
appeared to be fighting over fish as 
we neared, but they weren’t diving 
from height, and it soon became 
apparent they were collecting clumps 
of seaweed and flying back up to 
their nesting spots on the cliffs.
It now all made sense to why 
we didn’t see them the day 
before, they are in nesting mode 
before spring arrives and with 
this on their mind, the workups 
will be few and far between.
We decided to fish in the shadows 
of the islands under the gannet 
colonies and on our first casts, we 
spooked small baitfish which looked 
about 3-4" in size.  I changed over 
to a smaller 3.75" dark coloured 
Motor Oil lure and hook three 
pan-sized snapper in a row on 
three casts.  The change certainly 
made a difference; you can read 
further about this in the Crush City 
Motor Oil test story in this issue.
The wind had started to really 
pick up just after 10:30am, so we 
pulled the pin early as the swell 
was coming straight down the coast 
and it would be a tricky retrieval on 
the ramp if we stayed out longer.
The big fish were absent on this 
trip, but we knew with spring just 
a couple of months away that 
we would be back to chase the 
gannet workups, as they would 
have hungry chicks to feed.
Lodge owner Dave overseas the 
quality control on Graeme’s filleting 
at the superb fish station.
Dave takes the centre 
console down to the ramp 
with the tractor, a great 
service for visiting anglers.
Feature
34  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE
ANGLERS LODGE 
COROMANDEL
Book your stay for spring 
fishing with campsites, cabins, 
motel units, and fishing 
charters all available on site.
Phone: 07 866 8584
Email: info@anglers.co.nz
www.anglers.co.nz

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