Exploring Kawau - new softbait PB

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (13) Likes(13)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Exploring Kawau - new softbait PB
    Posted: 23 Apr 2019 at 7:45pm
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23 April
A memorable day off work, from early start to finish - with water spouts and lightning along the eerily yellow dawn horizon as I left the beach, and thunderclaps above Martins Bay as I landed, having done my first circumnavigation of Kawau Island.

The goal was to explore the island's rugged and beautiful coast in my little FC465, and try any likely looking spots along the way to the famed North Channel.

With no previous trips to reference, Side-vu was helpful showing reefy bottom in 10-16m. The wind seemed to swirl around the various points and bays, and made it hard to work out the direction to cast in.

I got only one or two tantalising pulls at first, but eventually got a solid hit on the drop from a strong 53cm snapper which went in the bin. It took my new favourite lure, a Z Man 5" Streakz Curly Tailz in 'Midnight Oil' - which I got from Australia. It's Motor Oil but with gold flecks. Dynamite. The fat body and wiggly tail seems to attract solid hits on the drop using 3/8oz.

I kept moving and the same lure eventually got nailed below some beautiful cliffs and the fish went on a screaming run, followed by powerful nods and tail beats, and more runs. Eventually up popped my new PB on softbait - a chunky 68cm red (pic below). I released it to fight another day and it swam away powerfully.
All quiet for a while, then got mauled by what I think was a real donkey. Couldn't stop it running and running, despite strongly set drag, and it broke me on the bottom. Another case of what might have been, as I headed ruefully for North Channel.

Plenty of sign in the channel, but I could only get small takers on 7" jerk shads (Z Man Atomic Sunrise and Bruised Banana). 
Saving grace was coming across on the way home what seemed like a hectare of big kahawai busting up near Iris Shoal. They were there for ages, and I had a ball with small Z Man and Jackall anchovy type softbaits. Brought home one 55cm torpedo for Thai fish cakes and put the rest back.

Near Martins Bay, kahawai had a massive ball of anchovies pinned against the cliffs. Amazing to see the dark teeming mass of fish fighting for survival, surging in one direction, re-forming and going the other.

As they say, any day fishing beats a day at work, but this one was particularly satisfying - edging closer (in 2cm increments) to the 80cm dream on softbait.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2019 at 7:52pm
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Nice. What a day. The condition on that snapper. Couldnt get much better.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John_Ra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2019 at 7:58pm
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Nice Read & well done. Love those Atomic's & Motor Oil....
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishful Thinking Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2019 at 10:32pm
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Looking out from the bach looked like great conditions on the water with cloud cover later. 

Nice to hear it was productive water as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 700 LTR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 7:33am
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Awesome report! 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 7:46am
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Great report Lester.  PM to be sent soon.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Sufishent Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 8:36am
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Great report. Would have been an unreal day on the water with the mist and rain and surprisingly little wind. Jealous as.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 9:37am
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Well done!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 11:05am
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Originally posted by Sufishent Sufishent wrote:

Great report. Would have been an unreal day on the water with the mist and rain and surprisingly little wind. Jealous as.

Thanks mate. Bizarrely, I didn't get rained on until I landed back at the beach - I could see the patch of rain going along from Sandspit, past Snells etc. Though the thunder claps over by Tawharunui Peninsula were a bit daunting, oddly didn't seem to rain under them.
It looked like it was pretty stormy out by the Barrier most of the day. But yes, what wind there was dropped so by lunchtime it was very flat - with still a bit of ocean swell out beyond Kawau.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 11:09am
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Originally posted by cirrus cirrus wrote:

Nice. What a day. The condition on that snapper. Couldnt get much better.

Thanks Cirrus, I know you appreciate the conditions around you when you fish, and it was definitely a case of doing that while catching the odd good fish.

As you say, that fish was very chunky, thick across the tail, and spat out a big chunk of crab or something when I was taking out the hook. I'd love to have seen the strong one I lost, was a step up again in power. Next time!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 11:11am
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Thanks everyone for the encouragement and comments. I need to do a report about my recent trip up to the Far North as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 12:32pm
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Man that's a fat snapper. Nice write up. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 1:03pm
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Nice Lester fatty that one ☝️
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Snappa Geoff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:31pm
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Great read TK! Nice Snap, the bust off might of been the 80Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:36pm
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Originally posted by Snappa Geoff Snappa Geoff wrote:

Great read TK! Nice Snap, the bust off might of been the 80Wink

Haha, rub salt into the wound why don't you!! Big smile Hopefully my time will come. 

Congrats, by the way, in your win in the (DB? not sure) national annual length comp which closed this month - you are definitely the big snapper king. I just read that you'd won in the latest NZ Fishing News which arrived at my dad's today.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote PE Pete Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:38pm
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Nice one Lester, keep at it mate that 800mm fish is out there waiting for you.
Tight lines
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:39pm
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Great report and a beaut snap. Far out that would have been a ball on the soft bait gear!!!!one of those days and a few feeds from that fish!! Got to love NZ
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:47pm
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Originally posted by PE Pete PE Pete wrote:

Nice one Lester, keep at it mate that 800mm fish is out there waiting for you.

Thanks Pete. Thought about you on the drive up (visiting you to buy the rod was the last time I was up in the Mahurangi area). You're lucky having that superb fishery almost literally on your doorstep.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 5:51pm
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Originally posted by Muppet Muppet wrote:

Nice Lester fatty that one ☝️

Thanks Dan. I remembered your advice about the Kawau area when I was out there, and experience that JW passed on a while back.

Sounds like you got a great fish yourself on your last trip. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Motorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2019 at 8:57pm
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Good read TTK. Fat snap as well.
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