I have heard about a few caught down there over last summer / autumn. If I was serious about catching a Kaikoura Snapper I would fish around Mangamaunu. Talking to people who have fished the east coast beaches before the 1970’s they were quite a common and a expected catch. That mainly applies for Cloudy and Clifford bay but also around Kaikoura.
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Whitebait Season starts 1 September 2026 and ends 30 October (inclusive). Chatham Islands: 1 December to the last day of February (inclusive)