Well where do I start - I think this might be a long one.....

We were booked in for our annual 3day stint at White island aboard Pursuit with Rick "The man" Pollock, Last year saw me catch my PB king - 140cm @ 36kg and didn't think it could get any better than that...

That's where I was wrong - heading out to Whale island on the first night the plan was to stock up on Mac's, arriving there just on dark we set up for a long night catching bait. There was myself and five of the boys so we were keen to catch a heap to last the trip, also the plan for tomorrow night was to anchor at Whites and catch flying fish.

Rick had told us that the moon faze was perfect for a night session on Kings so I was fully looking forward at doing that, I have never fished for Kings at night before. Through out the night we caught a lot of livies but most were small, a couple of the boys headed to bed around midnight but Scotty, Luuk and I soldered on through out the night. We ended up heading to bed around 1.30am as the baitfish didn't seem to get any bigger.

I woke again around 4.00am to see bigger livies in the blue light down the burley trail, I quickly dropped the sabikis and started to hook into them. They turned out to be nice big blue Koheru, after catching a few I decided to wake Luuk up to come and help as I new come daylight they would probably be gone. We ended up catching a good 30-40 of them for us and the boys to use on the trip

We headed off towards Whites just after breakfast -

the decision was made to fish the middle ground, Rick said the fishing for big Kings had been hard but was hopping the deeper reefs would hold some good fish. Heading out to the spot the wind died away and it looked like it was going to be a great day on the water, hitting spot X we were in about 120mtrs so 3 dropped live baits while the other 3 jigged up front. I love fishing deep water cause you just never know what can come up from these depths in these places... Through out the day the wind disappeared and it was glassy conditions, Whites in the back ground and dropping livies down deep you just couldn't of got it any better - Our first few baits ended with a couple of solid Kings but nothing like we had the previous trip.

My first King boarded for the day

My Penn Fathom 40NLD on the Fathom 24-37kilo rod getting tested

He could hardly get any line back then all of a sudden it went slack, he was gutted as it seemed to of dropped the hook...

After catching a couple more Kings it went quiet so Rick made the decision to move on as he said it looked like we had out fished our welcome at that spot, when moving we always have the Penn International reels out for big game - on the way out here we actually hooked a small albacore. It was getting a little late in the evening and Rick wanted to try the spot we fished last year with great results - as we came past the Volckner Rocks and just before our spot the Penn Internationals began to sing - Jon ran down to one and I headed to the other, I only had my little braid belt on but so far it hadn't let me down. I asked the deckie George if I would be alright with it and he sort of chuckled saying if you want to use it just jump on, as I grabbed it John's fish had dropped the hook so It was all up to me to get my one in. Jon said he had seen a yellowfin grab his as it had a couple of goes at the lure so we were picking that's what I was hooked into and if so it would be my first... 20mins later we boated my first Yellowfin @ 34kilos it was high fives all-round

We anchored up just on dark hopping the flying fish would be around and Kings not to far behind, as the sun went down we could hear a few big splashes then a couple flying fish started jumping and even flew in the boat - yip the Kings had arrived and they were chasing every flying fish. They stayed out on the perimeter of the lights but with the under water light you cold see the florescence like color they made chasing fish. Jon was casting stick baits Ant's was trying to scoop up the odd flying fish while the rest of us tried for livies. The Kings would stay out around 20mtrs even when chasing the stick baits, we dropped a couple of livies that got nailed and we managed to boat a couple but just small models. Once again around 11- midnight a couple of the boys hit the sack but yip Luuk, Scotty and I stayed up, I was excited knowing that us three could pitch some baits to these fish and have a great time hooking into them. I took one of my surface lures and took the hooks of to entice them in casting range with our livies or dead flying fish. Luuk was keen but Scotty stayed on the baits, I hooked up a livey on Luuk's bait runner and told him to wait until they were close enough to pitch the bait and then hold on. Casting out my lure and winding in we had several following then I told Luuk now, The livey hit the water and instantly the baitrunner screamed Luuk was hooked up with a big smile on the dial

Scotty tried to stay on the baits but after Luuks 4-5th King he was eager - I hooked up a dead flying fish and he lobbed it out after the chase of the lure he had a couple of runs then the baitrunner once again screamed.

Man it was so much fun pitching baits to Kings at night and you could see them still smashing the odd flying fish on the surface every now and then. Once again around 1.30 we decided to hit the sack with our Kingfish buzz on a high. Around 4.00am the swell had crept around the corner more and Rick decided to move the boat closer in, I was awake so decided to keep an eye out for more flying fish for us. As we settled there were more and more turning up, I was scooping them up left right and center then all of a sudden there were Kings everywhere - It was to hard to resist as after throwing out my lure with no hooks again I had about 50 chasing it and smashing it on the surface - What a sight and a sight I had never seen before, I hooked up a dead flying fish and lobbed it out - for some reason these things are like chocolate to them even dead, you don't even really have to work them but what I do is give them a bit of a sweep like you would a stick bait - this seems to really turn them on. After a couple of sweeps the line started to peel then I struck and it was all on, rod buckled and standing on the back of the boat by myself in the dark with a solid King on I was on a high - after 10mins I had it at the back of the boat and being there by myself I also had to land It, Looking behind me it was lucky the long handled gaff was on the deck so grabbing it I put the hook in its mouth and lip gaffed it - man it was a solid King to and getting it on board I was gutted my fight hadn't been filmed but even worse I couldn't get a pic of it - It wasn't huge but lying it on the measure board she went 113cm..

 

After taking a quick pic with my phone I quietly slipped it back over the side - All this action and no one to share it with  I had to go wake up Luuk just so he could see the big Kings that had turned up - he didn't look to impressed until I casted my lure out and had 30 odd kings chasing and smashing it in the darkAlthough impressed he headed back to bed...Just as it was getting light I hooked up another flying fish and lobbed it out, after a quick couple of sweeps there was a big swirl by a big King then before I could do another sweep it engulfed my bait. The reel started to scream and by that Time Rick was up and about sorting things for breakfast, It was a good king and with us only 50 odd feet off the rocks I had to fight it hard - The rod was bent like a horseshoe and with a tight drag set it was still pulling line , I was slowing it down with my thumb and after 10mins Rick came over to see what all the fuss was about. He could see I was hooked up to a solid King and the best one yet of the trip - I gradually got it to the boat and it was a solid King alright, Rick quickly went and got the tag ready and helped me boat it. We were both impressed and putting it on the measure board it went 130cm and close to 30kilo - I was stoked as and getting at anchor 50ft off the rocks man what a fight....

Scotty had woken up to see what all the noise was about and with his jaw wide open he couldn't believe it, I told him there were some big Kings here you need to get a bait in the water. Rick managed to get a pic of it before I slipped her back over the side. I told Scotty to grab a flying fish and to use my rod as I had set it up for pitching baits out un weighted - I casted it out for him as it was an over head and with a big bait, handing it to him I told him to sweep it a couple of times and once again there was a big swirl "yip yip I said look look it's gonna grab it - I told Scotty to hold on and then the line started to run, pushing the lever up to strike the rod instantly bent and the reel didn't stop screaming. He was having trouble and I said it's a big boy man you need to slow it down your gonna get dusted. He tried everything and after about the 3rd big burst it was all over, man it must have been a good fish and a lot bigger than my 130cm one I had just caught... By that time everyone had woken and I was telling everyone to hurry up the big Kings were here in close - Stickbaits, live baits dead baits anything.

Jon and Rick H were on the sticks Ant's threw in a flying fish and Luuk also threw in a flyer. It got a little crazy but this was what everyone was waiting for - The boys pulled in a couple of nice fish that morning but by the time they were up the bigger mods I think had moved on but they still managed a few around 115cm - Man what a night / morning I had catching King fish, this turned out to be the highlight of the trip for me and although I didn't beat my PB the exciting night fishing for Kings and with the Yellowfin just took the cake for me

Once we had breaky after the Kingfish mayhem we decided to finish our trip off trying for a couple more Puka or deep water Kings so we headed for the deep water we fished yesterday - The deckie George was getting the big game gear ready and just as he set the drag on the first set the big Penn 80VSW started to sing Rich H grabbed a belt and got strapped in then all of a sudden 100mtrs out a Marlin started leaping everyone was yahooing as it jumped several times - we were hooked up to a stripy of around 90kilos

it was all panic stations strapping Rick in and Rick P sorting the boat. Rick was doing well gaining line when he could and letting it run when needed, getting to the leader after 40-50mins George got a wrap on it. It came up shaking it's head and after a couple of times doing so it dropped the hook 10mtrs out

 

 

 

What a spectacular trip it turned out to be with a variety of fish caught - I only had around 4hrs sleep the whole trip but I had the best time of my life.

Rick is a top skipper and I would suggest if you are looking for similar action I would be trying to book a trip aboard Pursuit.

What an epic trip with a great bunch of guys at Whites

Tight lines