April and May snapper fishing: Mid-water tactics at the Hen and Chicks

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April 8, 2026

April and May are prime time around the Hen and Chicks. Last year's biomass was so stacked it pulled yellowfin tuna in while snapper fishing; first time I've seen it. Hint: the big snapper aren't on the bottom

Whangarei autumn fishing outlook: mid-water snapper in 65-80m, yellowfin crashing the party, and why you shouldn't fish the bottom.

NZFW AUTHOR

Nik Key

In the past 10 years Nik has fished the Hauraki Gulf and Northland as a professional guide and skipper (lures only). Nik has gained a lot of knowledge and written numerous feature “How To” articles for the NZ Fishing News. Many of these articles were on how to find the fish and then catch them using lures only (hard and soft-baits).

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April and May snapper fishing: Mid-water tactics at the Hen and Chicks