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Espresso 
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 Topic: Kina, fulltank...east/west
Posted: 17 Nov 2011 at 9:28am |
Cheers guys, yeah it's all good out there for sure! Ah whale watching, Rick I reckon this aspect is a complete section in itself in the wonderful world of workups!  Whales would take me a few chapters to get to grips with in terms of their activites and the massive influence on fishing they can have (both good and some not so good) just out here. Yes I actively search for and try and choose a workup with a whale feeding in a defined area if possible 1. I turn all sounders and radios off before I get to a whale workup (ww) as whales feed using their eyesight and sound and I want to encourage not stop this, slowing down and stopping away from them up drift. Several boats zooming in and around, sounders on...the whale can leave straight away and even though most guys hookup, it's over soon and gawk around wondering why. One reason I prefer to be 'alone' with a whale - I've have been fishing with a whale for hours at times. Hopefully I'll get to literally whale ride this summer. 2. Gannets behave quite differently around a whale so I can sometimes spot that there is going to be a whale present from a long way away, sometimes even pick the right gannet body language as one flys by towards a distant whale 3. Whales use dolphins, and visa versa. Whales will hone in on dolphins feeding, dolphins bow-ride whales, its a mutual arrangement at times 4. Bigger snapper can hang with whales for quite some time, and will feed very close and up the water column much higher than normally. 5. I'll change colour and style of SP and rod/reel used when arriving at a ww Just unloaded the smoker...oh the deliscious smells, nice big fat snapper from a ww...  out night with a cold one I reckon 
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Espresso
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Posted: 20 Nov 2011 at 8:01am |
...and out of Bradley come my fattie snapper this morning, ex whale workup Freshly caught the other day..  Smoked 'em!
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Predator07
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Posted: 20 Nov 2011 at 8:34am |
Only a few more days mate and I might see you out there....
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Light is faster than sound! That is why some people appear to be bright, but then they start talking
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Espresso
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 9:56am |
..so a whale of a time it is then
Incredibly the planets lined up straight enough for a fishin' mission,
and naturally whale workups have been messin' with my mind...so when you
get an opportunity for an ultimate thrill flying a warplane for a true
blue birds eye view to check things out first (thanks Ross)...GO!
..steady
Up and around the local islands for a while, scoping the place was amazing, such detail
..even up and around where we had an Export Gold Match Fishing league for a looksie
Back on terra firma, Amateur and I had a cunning plan. To drift near
motionless and catch lots of big fish, with one of those whales nearby
and all would be Zen...
Z-plan worked 
Our whale for a day let us play, stayed with us for hours, circling
slowly and effortlessly, spouting and generally keeping very close
company...
The fishing was SUPERB! Big snapper keen-as, even sent down one of these
lures, which a hefty snapper took a liking to - but gave up his scallop
lunch to gain his freedom, good on ya mate.
The fishing was picture postcard yesterday, virtually every drop a big
snapper for Amateur, most fish between 50 and 62cms, nice. Happy chappys
hookin' up in perfect conditions for hours...
Mine was a kingie day - there were large schools of them flashing
through the centre of the whale's circular area, so a fast retrieve of a
Catch Piper was the order - and whammo! A long, tough and exciting
battle with everything tested to the limit (yeah conditions were
good)...
...meanwhile Amatuer was filling the big bin with double digit snapper
and finally after half an hour of endurance and patience...
Reward on the 6lb line
We rustled up more kingfish and snapper and could have kept catching king after king and snapper after snapper -
Amatuer sliding a 60cm snapper back all healthy was a sure sign of all
being well with the world. We slid home on the mirror finish and put some fat fillets into the special smoking-fish marinade.
A whale of a time alright.
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LEVCAT
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 12:04pm |
You know how to do it Espresso! Practically the james bond of workup fishing you are.
Brilliant stuff |
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Damo
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 5:52pm |
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oh lord
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www.charterconnection.co.nz
www.coastbarbell.co.nz
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Frostfish
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 6:55pm |
i just watched your vid, the free one in bayfisher. i thought it was a great effort.
really enjoyed the whale swimmin bit.
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Catchelot
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 6:58pm |
Very nice...how long did the kingy take on 6lb string Grant?...bloody awesome 
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If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.
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Predator07
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 7:14pm |
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Nicely done mate, hard work for us on the snapper front today....scollies are tasty though.....
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Light is faster than sound! That is why some people appear to be bright, but then they start talking
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tightlines2
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Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 8:49pm |
Originally posted by Predator07
Nicely done mate, hard work for us on the snapper front today....scollies are tasty though..... |
Same here  . Met Grant on the water today and I think it is a perfect case of "you should have been here yesterday" 
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Remember it's not the number of breaths you take that is important in life, but rather the number of times that life takes your breath away.
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roughy
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Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 5:37am |
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Awesome !!
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Espresso
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Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 6:59am |
Cheers Levcat, Predator, Roughy and Damo, good stuff Frostfish glad you enjoyed it . A full 30minute battle with that Kingi Catchelot even did a bit of backing up on it as the fish really dug in about 15m below the boat, just wouldn't budge! But budge it did eventually and now looking mighty tasty I reckon..herbed and spiced for the Bradley 
TL2 - yeah it was looking & sounding quiet alright when I saw you
yesterday (I was out taking Wavedancer for 4hr flying fish trip in the arvo), but headed out and found some snapper. A couple of 15lbers and a quick dozen good sized pannies thankfully - sometimes ya just get lucky 
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tightlines2
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Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 7:25am |
 Some happy punters right there. You certainly did get "lucky", but I'm sure all those hours spent on the gulf helped with plan B. 
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Remember it's not the number of breaths you take that is important in life, but rather the number of times that life takes your breath away.
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Capnnod
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Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 7:49pm |
Nice work as usual Grant, saw a couple of these beasts as well, gee their breath stinks 
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Espresso
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Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 2:23pm |
Nice shot Capnnod, heh yeah downwind when they spout getting misted in green fishy mucous  The kingfish and snapper finished off nicely in the smoker late last night, all vac packed this morning and smelling scoffable, and I guess since it's blowing 30+kts noreasterlies out there today with no sign of letting off, may as well keep the smokers duties lined up. Down to the local butcher and the beginnings of some Christmas smoked hams
 Left is maple cure, smothered in maple syrup, to be smoked with maple wood. Right is Demerara cure, with hickory seasoning, to be smoked with hickory wood. Funny thing while fishing this week, after all this flying about, I saw a flying fish fly by just south of Tiri, I can't remember ever seeing one in the gulf before.
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Espresso
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Posted: 26 Dec 2011 at 8:27am |
The vagaries of fishing ay, a week or so of 30kt + easterlies putting a halt to most, then a lull but the fish have other things on their mind than feeding a lot of the time apparently now. Sounder chokka with snapper sign, and baitfish - but very challenging to get any bite from them...testing indeed. While the inner channels are firing at various times of day, with many many boats around, Amateur and felt like a quiet drift in the deeper H2O, after a 27lb snapper coming aboard my Wavedancer trip during the week, why not start at spot x? A peaceful Christmas day, driftin', fishin'...sweet. Really tentative bites, we had to try everything, which we did over several hours of contentment out there. Smaller, lighter presentations were the better ones. Some monster blitzed me and it felt like another true biggie, oh well. Amateur consistantly hooking fish, slow and steady wins the race they say and a nice bin of 11 fine snapper presents were kept just north of Tiri, even with the tax man deciding to get in on the action, no wonder things were a bit nervous down there!  Cool day cheers Ian
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Keith C
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Posted: 26 Dec 2011 at 8:39am |
Great to see a report Grant. It has been an unusually long time between "recreational" reports. Your reports are always a worthwhile and informative read.  We found a very slow retrieve of a sofbait with many dangly bits up off the bottom helped turn the nibbles into a take. So much of the sign did not deliver and then we would drift onto a few which would be nibbling.
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fozzie
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Posted: 27 Dec 2011 at 9:55am |
Good stuff Grant and Ian, we were also out Xmas day, similar area, got fish, but had to look hard for them, unusually quiet bird activity, and also noticed a lot of sharks about.Stuck with the softies all day and were rewarded with a nice bin of good sized snaps, a king, and absolute solitude upon the water before the holiday makers all hit the water.
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Dont take life too seriously.....no one gets out alive any way.
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Espresso
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Posted: 14 Jan 2012 at 9:31am |
Hi Keith thanks - those fish in the gulf have been playing hard to get a
lot of the time alright, frustrating and challenging to make it
happen while they're in breeding mode.
Yo Fozzie - good on you for coming up trumps, yes the birds have been
very quiet - unlike the water lately with the boat traffic. Motuhie channel is more like Queen Street. Funny, while I am enjoying a lot more time out on the water hunting down fish with Wavedancer, I spend less time actually fishing on the coffee machine myself, oh well not all bad So just enough time for a quick little evening session, wary fish though due to the lack of tide running while Andy and I out for just an hour to grab a few freshies for dinner. Inner city shallows, 1 and 2oz weights, the little Green Anchovy and snapper on the charge - man do they fight hard! Using heavier than expected weights (3oz Jolly Roger in 12m of water) were producing some good sized fish of 50cm when the tide was really cranking.  From one extreme to the other - off to Great Barrier early tomorrow for a quick day trip, should be fun and it'll be interesting to see what's happening in the outer gulf..
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Espresso
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Posted: 15 Jan 2012 at 5:42pm |
...aye was a goodie out Barrier way today alright (though not on the coffe pot) - 'twas a dedicated Kingi mission and mission accomplished, 62 kings until the arms gave way on all three muskateers Yeah baby!!! Kinda cool grabbing a chunk of delicious smoked kingfish while we were absolutely smashing 'em bro! Time enough again now to smoke 'em if ya got 'em Outstanding day, good weather conditions, can't wait to get back there by myself for a slightly different approach , absolutely amped. A few of them sure got there smackin' in on me - don't they know that's 'illegal'  ?! Feeling a bit battered and bruised with a bit of blood loss of my own with a few fiesty fish thrashing the jigs and slashing a digit or two  - ah them's the breaks of a great day fishin' I guess. Hey - lots and lots of excellent snapper sign out in the gulf in various places - but they're breeding hard out for sure, not really interested in softies or jigs at the moment. Oh and chasing workups just aint a happening thing guys...but when they do it's going to go BOOM!
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Christmas Espresso Report here How to fillet snapper here
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