b'Gurnard remain the number one target over the colder months, they often move in close to shore when conditions align, often after a strong offshore westerly.move to deep water, this leaves justbaits intended for other fish, but theyto them, not as readily as bait but a few target species for an inshoreare a downright pain to deal with. Ill take slow fishing over unhooking kayaker fisher like me. On the sand,These small sharks love to behave likedogfish. Another good tactic is to fish the two main targets are gurnard anda gumboot on their way to the surface,near reef systems. I have found success kahawai, while over on the reef I canbut quickly become ballistic at the boat.on sand channels leading down the occasionally catch blue cod, tarakihiParticular care needs to be taken as twosides of rock. Spinies dont seem to like or blue moki. Shadowing all of thesevery painful spines are located on theirthe rocky terrain and stay away from it.species are dreaded barracouta andfirst and second dorsal fins. I cant grabGurnard remain the number one target crucially, spiny dogfish. them behind the head like most smallover the colder months, they often Hawkes Bay seems to have thesharks or the rear spine can reach mymove in close to shore when conditions highest concentration of spinywrist. The best way to unhook them isalign, often after a strong offshore dogfish compared to anywhere elseto cut the line off or to unhook themwesterly. Once the swell settles down it in the country. Our low winter watervery carefully with long nose pliers. Evenleaves calm gravel and sand flats for the temperatures, persistent southerlydoing it this way has risks, often a spinygurnard to hunt down their favourite winds and swells dirty up the coasts,will use the tension to roll up the plier tofood, paddle crabs. Since grunters love making it an attractive place for thetry and stick you with the barb! to hunt bottom prey, a small lure is a doggies to find food and drop off theirgreat way to target these fish. Gurnard pups. In the dirty water feeding isLURES PREFERRED move along the bottom by walking with completed using scent and since theSince doggies mainly use scent to feed,special extensions to their wing-like dogfish excel at this, anywhere you putI have incorporated unscented softbaitspectoral fins. After a prey item strays too a bait down they will find it before anyand inchiku lures into my winter fishing.close, they shoot out quickly to grab the other bottom fish. Not only do they stealBoth gurnard and kahawai take a likingshrimp, baby-flounder, or crab. /FISHINGINGODZONE41'