Gearing Up for Winter Fishing Action

Another species that really comes into its own over winter is trevally. These fish can test both your patience and your tackle, but when you get it right, they are one of the hardest-fighting fish you’ll catch in the shallows. Winter trevally fishing is often all about timing the slack water periods and building a consistent burley trail to bring fish into range.

I love setting up on a good bit of foul or shellfish-covered structure and letting the burley do the work. Keeping the baits small and natural is key. Tiny cubes of pilchard, bonito, or shellfish presented lightly can make all the difference when the fish are fussy. For hooks, I’ve had excellent success using Black Magic KL 3/0 and 4/0 hooks. Their shape gives fantastic hook-up rates, especially when fishing lightly weighted or stray-lined baits.

Trace selection matters too, especially around rough ground or when bigger fish turn up in the trail. Black Magic 20–40lb Tough Trace gives you the abrasion resistance needed while still allowing a natural bait presentation. A lot of anglers fish too heavy or move their baits too much when targeting trevally but slowing everything down and letting the current work naturally can completely change the results.

Of course, winter also opens the door to some incredible offshore opportunities, especially for anglers prepared to head wider in search of deep-water snapper. Some of the best snapper fishing of the year can happen during winter, particularly when targeting deeper pins, foul, and work-up areas well offshore.

These winter snapper often school tightly and feed aggressively around bait schools, making slow pitch and mechanical jigging deadly techniques during the colder months. The great thing about fishing deeper water in winter is that the fish are often less pressured, and when you locate them, the action can be seriously good.

Black Magic Sunaaku and Flipper jigs have become go-to options for this style of fishing. The Sunaaku jigs are perfect when the fish are sitting close to the bottom and require a more subtle fluttering action, while the Flipper jigs are ideal for covering water and working more aggressively through bait schools. Colour selection can make a difference depending on water clarity and light levels, but one thing that remains consistent is keeping your presentation close to the strike zone and staying always connected to the lure.

Winter is also the season that gets many game fishers excited for one thing — Southern Bluefin tuna. These fish are the ultimate cold-water challenge and are becoming an increasingly realistic target for Kiwi anglers heading offshore during the colder months. There’s something special about gearing up on a freezing winter morning knowing you could connect to one of the hardest-fighting fish in the ocean.

For me, winter fishing is also about adventure. It’s about watching weather charts, waiting for those crisp calm mornings, and making the most of every opportunity when the conditions line up. Some days it might be quietly drifting for gurnard in a harbour, other days it’s sitting on a trevally burley trail with mates, and then there are those bigger missions offshore chasing snapper and tuna in blue water conditions.

The colder months can produce some of the most memorable fishing of the year if you’re willing to embrace it. Staying warm, staying organised, and having confidence in your tackle setup all play a huge role in success. Winter is not the time for old rusty hooks, damaged trace, or tired gear. A little preparation before each trip can make all the difference once the rods load up.

So instead of packing everything away this winter, maybe it’s time to gear up properly and make the most of what the season has to offer. From harbour gurnard and hard-fighting trevally through to deep-water snapper and trophy Southern Bluefin tuna, winter fishing can be every bit as exciting as summer — and sometimes even better.