b'GURNARD The writer with a nice gurnard taken on a slow jig while at anchor.G urnard are agetting away from the muddy inshoreBlair ties his own staple catch offconditions and travelling a bit wider. my home coastGurnard enjoy cleaner feeding conditions here in Hawkeswhich is also less favoured by species I Bay and theam trying to avoid. The bay gets battered colder winter- by southerlies which bring in large spring conditionsswells that stir up the bottom. This is provide a goodcompounded by heavy rain which shoots time to fishsediment out from any of our major river for these tastymouths. Unless there is a settled period red grunters. I have developed severalof weather, 20m of water would be the effective techniques to target them.minimum I want to fish.ledger rigs with a KLT Hawkes Bay winters experience aAn ideal area close to the ramp is inrecurve hook close to huge change in seasonal species. Most2535m over the sand, here in idealthe bottom to ensure the bait is on the sand.typical predators like snapper andhunting grounds gurnard can spot the kingfish migrate north and are replacedlure or bait just above the bottom.Out by scavengers like spiny dogfish andhere gurnard travel down channels andAreas like dredge dump sites are an dreaded barracouta. Both replacementsmost fish seem to arrive over a tideexcellent option to fish, with one quite are a big challenge to plan around andchange. Although channels are quiteclose to town I can even paddle to on most of my day can be spent preventingrare in our open plan region, they can bemy kayak. The dredge digs up a huge these two fish getting involved.found near reef caused by the irregularamount of food for a range of species terrain. One of my favourite spots is rightincluding gurnard. Just after a fresh dump HUNT CHANNELS up against a rock wall, here a 1m holethe fishing can really fire since many fish The boats packed and the rods are onhas been created by the current hittingare attracted to the free feed. The rise board, weve just left the ramp. Wherethe structure. A perfect sandy channelon the bottom can clearly be seen on to now? Some of my most successfulis created after years of current runningthe sounder with some rubble mixed in days during winter have come fromthrough. Out in the open it is muchbetween; from rocks transported out of spots with clean water. This meansharder to find a steep drop like this.the dredging site. 58FISHING IN GODZONE SEP/OCT 2021'