Rabbit Island Surfcasting

The beach at Rabbit Island is shallow and sandy and is good for safe swimming and fishing. It is a favoured spot for surfcasting being just 15 minutes drive from Richmond. Occasionally snapper is caught from this beach. The best fishing is towards the Mapua end of the beach near the inlet to the Waimea Estuary. You are not permitted to drive all the way to the inlet of the Waimea Estuary, but you can park your vehicle and ride a mountain bike the rest of the way. There are heaps of spotties and yellow-eyed mullet in the channel for bait. Tidal influence is very strong in the channel. There are a lot of juvenile fish in the inlet, which as every angler knows, attract bigger fish!

You will have to wade out a fair distance before casting your line off the beach. Even at the maximum surfcasting distance, you are unlikely to be fishing in water over two metres in depth. Snapper is definitely caught from this beach. However, you are not going to get many bites from other fish. It is worth using quite small 1/0 hooks. Thee will take a good-sized snapper but might be small enough to take other fish.

This beach is tremendously popular for swimming over summer. Waders are unnecessary even on a cold day the water will be warmer than the air temperature. I’ve noticed that many anglers have embraced kayak fishing along this coast in order to get out to where the fish are in deeper water. Mapua Wharf.

Generally, the beaches are gently sloping and quite shallow around Nelson. However, at times big schools of baitfish come right in close. These are followed by kahawai and other species. In particular yellowtail kingfish also come in close to shore after the kahawai. You will know if it is happening as sea-birds will give the show away. A kahawai fished as a live-bait under a balloon is the preferred method for catching the kings. At times kingfish are caught by this method even from the wharves in the middle of town.