With unsettled weather over Christmas giving to smoother seas, there are hopes of improved fishing from the shore, says Ōpōtiki Bait and Tackle boss Keith Davey.

“Boat fishing has been successful for weeks, thanks to the sea temperature warming up early,” Mr Davey said.

“This has brought pelagic species closer in – with one report of yellowfin tuna being caught in just 40 metres of water.

“A charter boat skipper working off Tōrere reported so much activity that his clients stopped trying to catch snapper and concentrated on pulling in yellowfin.

“They caught 10, plus a bigeye tuna, releasing most of them and keeping a couple of nice ones.”

Shore fishing was expected to improve due to the more settled weather, though juvenile sharks were a nuisance to long liners, he added.

“There are a few too many sharks off the beach, so people putting their long lines out are catching juvenile sharks unfortunately, mainly small hammer heads and bronzies (bronze whalers).

“It is a breeding ground round here, so you get that at this time of year.

“Overall, the snapper fishery has been living up to its reputation at sea, and with the settled weather, we’re all hoping for productive outcomes fishing off the coast as well.”