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Posted 07th July 2022

July 2022 Fishing Forecast

July 2022 Fishing Forecast
July 2022 Fishing Forecast

Welcome to a wet and windy typical NZ winter, where the weather windows are fleeting & the fishing can be frustrating. To avoid the disappointment of the cooler months the key to success is doing your homework & understanding the changes cooler water makes to your chosen quarry. That being said, while cooler temps slow down some of the mainstay species like Snapper and Kings, the current Bluefin Tuna run presents the opportunity for some world class game fishing. Trout begin to migrate towards their winter spawning grounds making them easily locatable in waterways that are still open. Also, species that relish the cooler temps come in to their own, Gurnard, Blue Cod, Hapuka/Grouper and Trevally, to name a few. If a favourable weather pattern presents itself, it is worth rugging up and making the effort to get out on the water in July.


A recent trip to the Barrier resulted in some great fishing, with most methods working well. On the way across we dropped Kohga’s in 50m for a steady stream of smaller Snapper. At the Barrier we worked the shallows softbaiting with BaitJunkies and managed some nice Snapper up to 15lb. A quick boost out wide resulted in a few rat Kings on livebaits, this was the one area we experienced slower fishing, potentially due to the moon and lack of tide. From there we made the call to rip back into the Barrier and strayline into the evening, this again produced a steady stream of Snapper up to 13lb. While we were fortunate on this day most techniques worked, during July and August a good tactic can be to have a few methods up your sleeve & mix it up over the course of the day. It’s likely you’ll find a technique that gets the result.


Some of our Team Daiwa crew have been getting stuck into some nice Bluefin Tuna down Waihau Bay. Both Injun Park and Ricky Scott have nailed some quality fish over the recent weeks. Both of the lads have been using the Saltiga Leverdrag 60-2 Speed on the Tournament Game Bent Butt Rods. This set is the perfect compromise between power and comfort, it is perfectly suited to chasing Bluefin Tuna. It is hard to think of a better eating fish in the ocean & it is certainly worth braving the cold to chase these quality gamefish. If you do make the effort, make sure you take a stack of ice & do a bit of research on how to care for your catch. It can make a huge difference in the eating quality.


If you’re a mainlander, now is the time if the opportunity allows to make the Durville Island pilgrimage. The winter fishery here presents some of the best fishing available in NZ, with both trophy Snapper and Kingfish on the menu. Like most winter fishing, it can be a bit slower but you can be rewarded with a fish of a lifetime. Dropping 200gm Kohga’s in the deep is sure to put you in a good position to hook into a mega red. Mechanical Jigging / Topwater fishing the usual haunts can also result in a Kingfish of a lifetime.


A crucial element to any winter fishing is patience. Generally the fishing slows down but with a bit of perseverance the quality of fish can make braving the elements worthwhile.


Good luck out there this July!

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