🎣 How to Catch Gurnard on Soft Baits in New Zealand (Complete Guide)

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Gurnard are one of New Zealand’s most underrated fish.

They’re delicious, fun to catch, and respond extremely well to soft baits — especially when fished slowly along the bottom.

If you want a reliable species that bites year‑round and tastes incredible, gurnard are hard to beat. This guide shows you exactly how to target them using soft baits from boat, kayak, or shore.

1. Why Gurnard Love Soft Baits

Gurnard are bottom feeders, but they’re also opportunistic hunters. Soft baits work because they:

  • imitate small fish and crabs

  • move naturally along the bottom

  • stay in the strike zone longer

  • trigger reaction bites when lifted and dropped

Gurnard aren’t aggressive like kahawai or snapper — but they’re curious and will follow a soft bait for metres before striking.

2. Best Soft Bait Sizes for Gurnard

Gurnard prefer smaller profiles.

Use:

These match the size of the small baitfish and crustaceans gurnard naturally feed on.

3. Best Soft Bait Colours for Gurnard

Gurnard love contrast and subtle movement.

Top colours:

  • New Penny

  • Motor Oil

  • Pumpkinseed

  • Glow White

  • Brown/Gold fleck

Natural colours work best in clear water. Glow or white is excellent in deeper or murky water.

4. Best Jighead Weights for Gurnard

Because gurnard sit on the bottom, you want your soft bait to stay low and move slowly.

Use:

  • 1/4 oz for shallow water (1–10 m)

  • 3/8 oz for medium depth (10–20 m)

  • 1/2 oz for deeper water or strong current

A heavier jighead helps keep the lure in the strike zone longer.

5. How to Work the Soft Bait

Gurnard respond best to a slow, subtle retrieve.

The Lift‑and‑Drag Method (Best Technique)

  1. Cast out

  2. Let the soft bait hit the bottom

  3. Lift the rod tip slowly

  4. Drag the lure 20–30 cm

  5. Pause

  6. Let it settle again

Gurnard often strike during the pause.

The Slow Hop

  • small hops

  • long pauses

  • keep contact with the bottom

This imitates a wounded baitfish or crab — irresistible to gurnard.

6. Where to Find Gurnard

Gurnard love:

  • sandy bottoms

  • muddy flats

  • channels

  • edges of drop‑offs

  • harbour mouths

  • 5–25 m depth

They rarely sit on reef or foul ground.

If you’re catching kahawai or snapper mid‑water, drop your soft bait to the bottom — that’s where the gurnard are.

7. Best Time to Target Gurnard

Gurnard feed consistently, but the best times are:

They’re also one of the few species that bite well in winter.

8. Gear Setup for Gurnard

You don’t need heavy gear.

Use:

Light gear helps you feel the subtle bites — gurnard often “tap” before committing.

Final Thoughts

Gurnard are a fantastic species to target with soft baits. They’re accessible, delicious, and perfect for beginners learning bottom‑contact techniques.

If you fish sandy areas and work your soft bait slowly along the bottom, you’ll be surprised how many gurnard you can catch.

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