58 FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE Tested GO SHALLOW On a recent mid-week trip up to Coromandel, we wanted to enjoy a couple of days on the water softbaiting, and the early starts were down right freezing! With one or two degrees at 7am when launching the boat, it meant donning beanies, hoodies, jackets and gloves, with a hot Thermos along for the trip. The conditions were calm and with a big moon phase, we planned to hunt around the shallows of the Coromandel islands in the shady side out of the sun using our Lowrance Recon. This tech is super quiet and really helps when stalking the shallows while we cast and to not spook the fish. We started out using our favoured 5" Jerk softbaits in bright colours which have accounted for many fish over the past 18 months, such as Solar Flare and Rock Melon casting around the rocks, and we soon noticed small baitfish jumping in fright when the lures hit the water. Graeme Paterson was with me and as you hunt along the coastline, it is best working the areas with two anglers using different colours or lure sizes to help increase your chances of hooking fish and determine the flavour of the day. Crush City On a cold winter’s morning with a slow bite, the writer discovered the snapper were interested in the smaller, darker Motor Oil lures.
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