b'Introduced mantis shrimp numbers have exploded in the Kaipara and become a new food source for fish especially snapper, as they burrow in the sand and their large numbers have been exploited by predators.The shrimps are about the length of your longest finger so using smaller 4 or 5 softbaits are best and light jig heads 1/2oz or less are fine.Many people think softbaits wouldnt work well in the gloomy waters of west coast harbours, but they couldnt be more wrong.The softbaits are clearly seen by feeding fish and we have landed good snapper, kahawai and trevally when switching to this tactic in the shallows.Our catch rate for trevally goes up softbaiting in the harbour over bait fishing, so these are kept for fresh sashimi or smoking.As you drift along casting softbaits over the sand banks on the incoming tide, you can leave a baited rig out the back with a hardy bait like mullet or kahawai.This bait will often get picked up too and as you are fishing a sandy/muddy bottom it rarely gets snagged."A good idea is to ditch the chain on your anchor and just use a rope to keep the noise right down to a Harbour shallows are a good minimum, so you dont spookoption in winter, note how close wary fish in the shallows. the boat in the foreground is to the mangroves.The Kilwell XP with Tica OxeanMANGROVE PROTECTION5 is the ideal 10kg combo forHarbours with good mangrove growth harbour bait fishing. along the banks or off streams that enter the harbour provide shelter and protection for bait fish like sprats (yellow eyed mullet), piper and grey mullet.These are places to target at high tide also with softbaits or baits, as predators will often be found here in good numbers looking for a high protein feed.If there has been a lot of recent rain however, this can put fish off moving up into brackish water and you may not find the predators in good numbers so best to move down the harbour into the middle or closer to the entrance to find better fishing.Harbours are a good winter option and, on those calm, still days offer a relaxing fish, where you can catch a feed for the family, and you dont have to travel far from the ramp.FIGZ /FISHINGINGODZONE51'