b'HAURAKI GULF With these anchovy Evana was picking up snapper underschools, you will also the bait fish using softbaits similar in colour to anchovies. likely find Jack mackerel, pannie snapper, huge donkey-sized kahawai and kingfish all lurking below the bait.softbaits that resemble these bait fish are most successful lures, getting hit off the bottom with fish chasing the surface bait fish and mistaking your lure for one of their prey. Stickbaits are also a good option to try and lure those kingfish to the surface and salt fly fishing is also great fun with the abundance of large kahawai, always challenging trying to tackle these feisty fish on light gear.We spent the day drifting off Billy Goat Point and Sandy Bay and it was one of the most epic days of fishing, with the thousands of birds being so loud, squawking, flapping, and moving around the water in huge waves. I felt like I was in a David Attenborough documentary, with nature at its finest. Every Tom, Dick and Harry was making their way to the spot my mid-morning, but there was enough to go around with each boat getting their share of action, with many snapper and kingfish being The annual anchovy run happensWith these anchovy schools, you willboated. A couple of our mates, Richie around the end summer and start ofalso likely find Jack mackerel, pannieand Kaz, aboard the Option Tackle autumn as the water starts to cool. Whensnapper, huge donkey-sized kahawaicentre console, double hooked up on targeting anchovy schools, keep an eyeand kingfish all lurking below thekingies after they were literally splashing out for flocks of birds flying low andbait.Often you can see the kahawaiout of the water and hitting the hull sitting on the water as this is good signand kingies busting up on the surface,of their boat opposite us with a loud that there is thick baitfish underneath.fighting for the bait. thud. Another mate pulled up beside us, Your sounder will show big, red denseBecause anchovies are so small (aroundshowing off his massive 17-20kg kingie schools of anchovies. 10cm long), smaller, lighter/transparenthe had just landed from Billy Goat Point.Unfortunately for us, fresh kingfish sashimi was not to be, with none committing to our stick bait follows, but several nice snapper and trevally were in the Yeti chilly bin to take home for a few nights feed. We finished off our trip with another lovely night spent sleeping on the boat, watching dolphins on the horizon against another stunner of a sunset and more fishing the following day before heading back to the mainland at Takapuna. A relatively easy retrieve at the ramp this time, being a Monday afternoon and most fishos back at work. Our sounder was packed solid showing red withAll in all, a successful inner Hauraki the anchovy schools, followed by predators. adventure and one we look forward to repeating again.FIGZ28FISHING IN GODZONE MAY/JUN 2021'