Ended up entering by barneys rock. Vis was crap there but not bad after a short swim around the point.

Seen all those jelly things you're talking about. Look like some sort of fish eggs or something??

Had 4 or 5 seals jumping in and around me. Was a bit worried they might steal my butters.. Anyone ever had that happen??
Had a huge school of small kahawai circle me as well while the seals were there.. Almost like the seals rounded them up.. haha.. Was just waiting something bigger to appear.

 

We ended up with 7 butterfish and some paua. Seen plenty more but we had enough for a couple of feeds. Only seen small moki. no biggies. 

The swell dropped as the day went on so decided to go for a fish on the boat.

Was super calm and thousands of baracoutta everywhere. They were jumping out of the water chasing baitfish. Stayed out till sunset and towed in another boatie whos battery went flat.

 

Southerly wind picked up this morning so ruined the sea again

 

Sat morning, headed out at first light off the seal sanctuary.  Vis was disappointing, and fish life on the weed minimal.  However, this gave me a chance to put the gun sight firmly on the blue cod, and so a few kina went into the catch bag in preparation.  Out over the sand I smashed those boys up and on the next dive there were a good few cod there.  It works!  Nailed the largest, and then got two of his smaller buddies which were legal - but only by a cm or so.  Still - legal's legal!  Well chuffed with that, we headed back for some brekkie.

 

As Felixx mentions, saw him and the Chch massiv pull up as we wandered to the carpark.  Pointed them back down coast, and after a feed followed them.  The bay we went back to was f*cking rough, with the rising tide making entry and exit 'interesting' however it was deffo the best spot across the area.  I slaughtered a few more butters and got some pauas, but my fish cull was nothing on that of the massiv, who are truly sharpening their spearing skills.  ChCh will be feasting on fish this week!

 

After a couple of hours, we outed, said our goodbyes and headed off for lunch.  After that, it was time to try out South Bay.  It was flat, but vis was real bad with a ground swell kicking the place up bad.  Still, always up for an opportunity to get wet, I carried on regardless, and good job I did!  After ages of nothing, I came across what I thought was a huge school of moki.  But they don't school that big - usually they are in threes and fours, not 100's.  So I investigated closer and blow me if they didn't look like terakihi, but that just didn't make sense.  8m deep, Kaikoura, turkeys?  Nah.  So I figured spearing one was just the ticket, and here it is:

 

 

 

Warehou maybe?  The slime was real sticky, the flesh and head/ body was soft, the pectorals reached back past the anal vent, the front dorsal was short with small spiney rays.  After death, the scales flaked off real easy, and the skin also marked easily.  Black spot just behind the gill plate. What's the professional opinion?  It was 30cm long. 

 

After that boy, I found a hefty blue cod (can't stay away from them!) and that was in the murk of 10m down with about 3m vis.  Worth giving it a bash anyway.

 

Finally this avo I headed out with a mate on his jetski.  Now THIS is the wayt to spearfish!  The swell had increased overnight and the coast looked pretty closed out, but 10 mins out on the ski and we were in some clear water.  Jump in on a reef and it looks like an aquarium!  10m vis, butters and wrasse everywhere.  Having buttered myself out I tried for a decent moki but there were loads of small boys and no big ones.  Ah well  - it was worth it all the same.  The trip back ws slow as the swell was still increasing.  Had a last dip at South Bay Reef but that was rough as toast and I was soon out of there and back on dry land.

 

And then I left my spearguns by the car, forgot about them, and drove off.  If anyone finds / comes across a black freedivers 90 cm gun with yellow writing and a green leash to a silver shark clip, alongside a black freedivers 90 cm gun with silver writing and a white cord leash to a silver shark clip, that were left to the right had side parking area of the private launch ramp in South Bay then please let me know!

 

A sad end to an otherwise awesome weekend of spearing fun.

 

 

 

I've never seen Warehou whilst in the water. But when I lived in Akaroa I set a net out infront of the fish and chip shop. Ended up with a school of around 20 of them.

So they are about. just maybe not so common whilst spearing.