Porangahau Beach Marine
We started off last year managing the Porangahau Beach Motel and have since changed the name to Porangahau Beach Marine. Our motel is on the beach and we can see the whole 16km of beach right up to Blackhead Point from our place, so we are really in
touch with what is happening on the beach. If anyone wants to know what the conditions are like on the day, just give us a ring on 06 8555112.
Vehicle Access
Porangahau Beach is approximately 50km from Waipukurau on the east coast in Central Hawkes Bay. It is ideal for kitefishing as we have offshore westerly winds about 80% of the time. The beach is safe to drive on as long as you keep off the soft sand.
There is 16km of driveable beach and there is plenty of room for everyone.
A Great Spot for Kitefishing
Over the last 15 years we have been bach owners at the beach and have always had a few Kontiki fishers in the area, including us, successfully fishing the beach.
This year started off as normal but by Easter the activity rose to at least 20 plus people
a day with Kites and a few Kontikis on the beach. The increase in fisher numbers is not a problem as there are so many good kitefishing areas along the beach. Kitefishing is becoming very popular in the region.
Over last Summer the fishing was red hot with a number of 20 lb plus snapper being taken on Kite powered rigs. There were also heaps of snapper up to 15lb, gurnard everywhere, the odd trevally and some very big kahawai being caught off our beach on
both Kites and Kontikis.
We get very few small snapper in this area. In winter the 2 to 3kg school snapper aren't around, but some huge snapper are still taken. Kite and Kontiki fishers will usually catch a heap of big gurnard and a few spiny dogs, so winter fishing is certainly
worth the effort even if you aren't lucky enough to hook into a big winter red.
Where To Fish
The best fishing places at Porangahau Beach are in front of the country club building and at the end of the tree plantation around 6km up the beach. The best approach is to come down at low tide and check out where the holes are and fish the holes on
the incoming tide.
Snags
Kite and kontiki fishers should keep well away from in front of the houses as there is a hidden rock just past the breakers that catches all lines that go past it. Blackhead Lighthouse beach is ideal for kitefishing in north to northeast winds. If you
head out that way just remember to keep south of the point and away from the rocks if you are using a Longline.
At the lower end of the tide you could use a dropper ledger rig off the rocks as the rock shelf drops straight down to about 20 metres. This area is ideal fishing for kingfish. While in this area another good fishing spot, Snapper Rock, lies just north
of the river mouth in 21 metres of water out around two kilometres from shore. It got its name from the many big snapper that have been taken there over the years.
Catches
The Local Kitefishers Doug Bassett has been kitefishing at Porongahau every possible weekend since the beginning of the year using a 65kg Dropper Rig.
Doug goes out in almost any weather. On a recent trip Doug set 10 hooks in winds which went from a
moderate 20 knots to howling gusts between 60 and 70 knots, the kind of conditions where the sand is lifts off the beach and blows straight into your face like stinging needles. Doug has caught some great fish, his previous Kite Dropper Rig catches include
two snapper of 25 and 30lb at Easter and a 20 pounder taken a couple of weeks earlier.
Another local kitefisher Harry Job called in at the motel with a 21lb snapper he had taken on a Nighthawk Kite powered Longline Rig at Porangahau Beach. The next day another kitefisher with a Bottom Longline Rig caught a nice 18lb snapper and a lemon
fish.
Local kitefisher Trev Sciascia fished his Bottom Longline Rig in early winter. He consistently records very good catches of big gurnard, using salted bonito as bait he manages to avoid the dreaded spiny dogfish.
Surfcasting
Quite a few fishermen head off to the river mouth, this is 8km up the beach. It is always good surfcasting there and they catch some good fish. It is also good for floundering at the river mouth and there have been some very good-sized flounder caught
there during spring and summer.
Give Porangahau a Go
This area obviously has a lot of potential and those wanting to kitefish Porangahau only need to call into Porangahau Beach Marine to find out what is happening on the beach.
John keeps up to date with what is being caught so, head to the beach and talk to the locals. They certainly know how and where to kitefish all year round.
You can find Porangahau Beach Marine by going over the bridge past the golf course and the shop is around 100 metres further along the road. John has a digital camera and is prepared to photograph your catch at his shop. So if you are fishing at Porangahau
Beach drop in and get your catch recorded. John also has a full range of Paul's Fishing Kites rigs, kites, spare parts and bait in store. |
