Keeping a journal for the local sounds useful BB, I'm getting to know mine a little better, the seasonal movements, where the fish might be morning and afternoon, on an in coming and out going tide, where the bait fish are, which areas of mud have fish feeding, the water temperature etc, there's a lot to register and it's all in flux.

Well done Shane tasty fillets and some surfing. 

Glad to hear your family member is looking up.

Sorry lads been slack on the reports!

Was a busy winter playing Pressy rugby and kids sport still managed a few winter trips though, a couple good bags and a skunking in July... first time in 5 years , very humbling paddle back in a nasty southerly.

Had a couple great quick trips to OP on the yak recently binning out in an hour or less, snaps up to 60cm, double hook ups with a slider out the back and softie out the front alsomanaged a few full trips right round Waiheke on the boat last two weekends. Come across some huge work ups , Gannett, dolphins and lots of snaps just north of Onetangi 30m, no kahwia or kings though.

Kingaling unsure if it was you or not but an article in Boating Nz September issue had an oarsome article on a kayak legend Paul Caffyn. Dude practically paddled the world. Reminded me of your interest in paddling to GB. This guy has released a few books I'm sure would be worth reading if intrested in navigating long distance on kayak... anyway magazine with buying just for his article.

As always good work HY and the rest of the crew for keeping up the yak chatter .

Photo from OP yak snaps.

Nice catches!
I recently started long lining. Tried first at Campbells around the 10m marks. The sea bed is fine mud and sand. Aiming for some gurny, but only snaps came. Picked up after one hour or so. Many were 28-29, with two around 35. Most fun part was 6 small kawa on one sabiki which equals HY's record.

Mate long lining is  not way to fish off here, or even in rangi channel. All about little fish we do don’t  try to catch, including small kahawai. For bigger legal snapper fish use a softie or a bigger bait like on 7/0 or 8/0 hook moving forward on a rod, with maybe whole fillet of those miniature kahawai. Or whole head. Pretty confident gurnard run is over for this year as well as is seasonal winter thing.

I got four yellowtails on my Sabiki on the way out this morning, which was all the bait I needed. The water visibility was good and there was no wind which was great, but the really exciting moment today was watching a huge snapper follow a fish I had hooked to the surface, it came to about a metre below the surface, but wasn't interested in the next bait I offered, still it made me happy to see such a magnificent fish at my local patch.

Thanks Shane.

Spent the last week working remotely from Mangawhai.