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Finally! The Bay of Islands is officially on fire! I’m pleased to report multiple workups have been observed, showcasing some fantastic school snapper beneath them. This is a story too good not to be told! Just last Tuesday morning, we ventured out in a brisk easterly wind with swells exceeding 1 meter—definitely a ‘sporty’ experience to say the least! I was using a slow pitch jig when I hooked into a solid pull but, unfortunately, lost my lure due to a knot failure. A crucial reminder to double-check your rigs! In a surprising turn of events, Barbara was fishing on...

The Bay of Islands fishing report for November 13, 2025, reveals a mix of experiences among anglers. Some have successfully caught school fish at the 30m mark, while others, including myself, have faced challenges in locating them. My fishing trips over the past few weeks have shown that deeper waters, around 75-80m, are where the real action is happening, particularly with heavy slow jigs. Despite marking substantial bait on my sonar, the Bay hasn't quite 'fired' up as it did last year.To enhance my success, I've found that adding a bit of bait to my slow jigs significantly increases my...

The latest Bay of Islands fishing report for 30 October 2025 brings exciting updates for anglers eager to cast their lines! Labour weekend Saturday started off great, with many reports of nice fish being landed or released. The Kingfish were aggressively attacking jigs around the iconic Hole in the Rock while anglers were also snagging some extra-large snapper. One customer even came into the shop with a net so large that it barely fit his catch! On Friday evening, I decided to sneak out and discovered that the school fish were still deep, with depths of about 70 meters or...

It's on again! Last week, we hit the waters again, targeting the elusive Bluefin and returning home with a boatload of snapper and trevally. The excitement kicked off when we spotted gannets diving and dolphins playing around the 60-65m depths near the 9 Pin. Although the workups were brief, drifting through the area proved fruitful, yielding several delicious pannie-sized snapper for dinner.Just last Tuesday, we fished around Waiwiri Rock, joining over 20 other boats in the hunt for bluefin. The water was teeming with bait and birds, and I spotted some impressive underwater arches. We employed slow jigs and softbaits,...

Welcome to your Bay of Islands fishing report for September 18, 2025! Our fishing efforts over the last fortnight can be summarized as hit and miss. We've experienced notable success with slow jigs at around the 60m mark. However, fishing can be unpredictable; one day we catch plenty, while the next yields very little. Reports have indicated good catches using baits and live baits around the Black Rocks, which might mean I put my strayline gear away a bit too early. In recent outings, workups have been scarce and often short-lived, with birds appearing for only brief moments. Last Monday,...