Belated trip report from the 8^th of Feb bottom end of Waiheke Island.

 

The plan was live baiting for kings with my fishing buddy Peter, so on the way out from Kawakawa bay via the inside channel off Man O War Bay there was a sporadic workup of Kahawai with some jack macs down deeper. With enough of each to get us started we pushed on to our spot. Sent out a nice medium Kahawai bridle rigged  with a 12/0 under balloon, Pete sent out an oversized Jack Mac also under a ballon, quickly followed by a small kahawai free swimming with a Mustard Demon circle adorning its nostrils.

 

We weren’t quite positioned where I wanted to be so pulling in the burly and free swimmer we idled about 100m and re set in much better current flow. Jack Macs had now turned up in the burly and the first take on the free swimmer resulted in retrieving an empty hook.

 

Next victim meet the 10/0 circle and sent on its way, while we were busy catching more livies they all disappeared, this is usually a good sign and Pete then spotted a monster king in the burly, swam right past the outboard followed quickly by the free swimmer getting smashed. After giving what I thought was long enough 15s maybe felt like an eternity pushed the drag up and held on to see if we could make the connection with the circle, unfortunately it was not to be and a very dead and scale less Kahawai was retrieved. Expletives where flowing thinking I’d blown the chance.

 

20 minutes went by and the jack macs went quite again, Peter was just re setting the jack mac under the ballon as for some reason it was trying to hop back in the boat, just as I saw the return of King in the burly trail. Their it is Pete its back just has he throws out the jack mac the hook pulls out, while he is quickly trying to get another livie out my Kahawai under the balloon got smashed. There was no early strike this time, clearing the decks of live bait rods getting ready for the strike, once the ratchet on the TLD 50 had a steady rhythm hit him hard as we were only shallow and chances of getting reefed by a fish this size was high. The fight didn’t last very long and Pete gaffed and landed the king to much hooping and hollering.

 

The reason for the short fight would become apparent later on. Supper stoked with a new PB kingfish photo’s were taken and boat made ship shape as everything was thrown everywhere. Upped anchor and set off to get it weighed.

29.8kg

When we got home and processed it for the smoker, upon retrieving the bait from the gut, the 12/0 had gone into its heart which explained the short fight.

 

The retrieved bait also provided quite an insight in the how kingfish feed on Kahawai.

 

1.        Crush its head to kill it.
2.        Scale the Kahawai before swallowing (I assume it helps speed up digestion)
3.        Swallow Kahawai

 

Knowing this explains why I have missed out on a lot of kings when using Kahawai as bait as they muck around with them quite a bit so you have to give them heaps of time and not strike too early. 

Was big enough to earn my first pin from the fishing club. now to crack the 30kg mark...

Nice work Spence!  Some interesting points you make there.

Great read, congrats on PB F1SH3N

Peters witnessed me missing kings on Kahawai many times, The usual response " you didnt wait long enough" followed by they scale kahawai before the swallow them. After getting two baits back without any scales on them, taking a look at the kingies raspy teeth are perfect for the task.

Took two batches to get it through the bradley as it wouldn't all fit.

Mean fish!