Nice one job on the Mac head HY!
My office is in Browns Bay and all week it has been acres of tern work ups and boil ups from my office window so I hatched a plan to hit Army Bay for an in close strayline sesh with salmon burley pellets .
On the water by 7am I decided to troll a small Rapala x-rap on my way out to the reef .
About 50 mtrs out the Rapala got hit by a good size kahawai doing its theatrical aerial stunts. Got it to the yak and the small trebles pulled as I tried to lift it in… there goes my ceviche!
Ah well… wish I had a net… Carried on paddling out with the X-rap out the bag then wham! Rod buckling over again, no aerial theatrics this time , but a big snap !
Got it to the yak and as I attempted to grab its tail it shook the bloody hooks again!!!
What a rookie… and instantly wondering why the F I didn’t have a small net I threw this lure back out and carried on padding out - Then the rod bent over again! At this stage I’m absolutely gob smacked at how this rock star lure was performing as I’d never used it before (bought it at a Bass Pro Shop in the USA 3 years ago).
The nods were fast and twitchy and a good wee fight bought on a nice trev! Tbh I thought at this stage after losing a kahawai & a snap , there’s no way the soft mouthed Trev is going to make in the yak…
I managed a gill grab and got it on board!
Wife will be happy with a trev sashimi…
Got to the reef anchored up and started throwing pellets around me, first time I’d given it a crack.. casted squid out , outgoing tide with a light southerly and everything was lining up perfectly with current & wind.
Good session unfolded with a few snaps to take home and share around.
I will definitely be trolling the x-wrap when paddling around . Oh and on my way back in another legal snap hit the rapala which I released … was a good Sunday morning, back in by 10am. Tight lines team.

Keith C wrote: That x-rap is a good copy of a baby kahawai Mr Miyagi!

HY - I just watched Takus vid. How good! I must I admit I’m “that guy” at the end of a fishing trip that takes home the lonely kahawai left at the bottom of the bin that no one wanted! Ha! Kahawai ceviche or sashimi goes down well in my household!
The stigma in NZ around its eating quality works in my favour!

Far out, you guys have been catching some nice fish lately

MR MIYAGI well done on the bibbed lure mate
I occasionally run the Halco poltergeist xdd 50 lure. Its a deep diver & very small in size, but its almost like dragging my drogue around.... very effective tho



Quick strayline sesh at Meola reef yesterday in 2m.
Ive fished Meola since 2018, not much now lately, but my regular kayak fishing mate fished it the day before, late evening & into the night with a full bin to 49cm
I went to my usual spot, fish pretty much straight away on the last 2hrs of the incoming, 20mins after the start of the outgoing, it was all over. Heaps of throwbacks to 32cm & strong current, needed 1oz to get to the bottom
Fresh mullet were best baits today, pillies were stink, squid not much better
Busted off by a king, snaps snagged me in the weed & the bloody paddle boarders paddled over as the fish were on the bite & killed it twice..... the reason I don't fish it as much now
Good day out, plenty of fish for us 34 36 41 & 44cm

Im sure I read Steve had moved to the far north
If so, I've used Jeff Murray reel repairs, based in Titirangi / Green bay area.
Usually drop off, pickup following day or 2

https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/jeff-murray-reel-repairs_topic19545.html

I was out testing new toys today: a Baitshark live bait tank, which worked well causing very little drag while paddling and keeping the mac's alive for hours, and a new paddle, a Viking F-light crank shaft paddle, this thing is awesome. 

I'm hoping for a properly cold winter - struggled to get many Gurnard and Squid last winter. Too warm and too much NE wind.

It was a lovely day for the yak, I went out this morning looking for a kingfish. Macs were hard to find but I caught two small ones and a huge one: a big mac:),  I rigged up the big one and paddled around the reef, before long there were boil ups all around me, the Mac got taken but it was spat out alive, so I continued with a few more laps until another big kahawai took it. I then tried soft baiting quite close to the rocks, and scored a Johnny and a couple of snapps.

Yes Banana Boat, I'm just a beginner at this but I've wrapped the Kahawai steaks in paper towels and cling wrap, keeping it dry and chilled improves the taste over a few days for me, but it's usually eaten before then, I love it.