Here’s the report from our week in the far north, week just been. It’s fairly long winded, but the fishing got better as the week went on, culminating in an epic day 5. As such the report is light on pics at the start but some good ones from the last 3 days. Hope you enjoy the read on a rubbish winters day!

Deacs and I departed Orewa early Monday morning, destination the far North, for a trip which has become a regular 6 monthly occurrence for the last few years now. In tow was our new boat, a 4.7m Euro RIB powered by a 60hp 4 stroke Mercury, along with a truck load of bait n berley, landbased gear, boat gear and general fishing trip paraphernalia.

First stop was Whangarei where we picked up the final crew member for the trip, my brother Grovo and loaded his gear into the boat and truck and we were away. A final stop in Kaitaia to gas up and we were at destination Waitiki Landing, only no one else was... the place is currently closed! We had thought this may be the case but getting any sense out of that crowd over the phone is nigh on impossible, so we employed the back-up plan and headed back down to Houhora and booked into a cabin at the heads campground.

After unpacking our gear it was getting late in the arvo so we shot out for a quick boat fish. We discovered the anchor in the new boat was rubbish and wouldn’t hold over the sand so we came back into the lee of Mt Camel and anchored over the foul in about 6m and deployed berley. Snaps came on the chew straight away and we had a mean little session for a couple of hours with 2-3kg fish scrapping real hard in the shallows and current. 2 were kept for tea that night before we pulled the pin and headed in.

Day 2 – Houhora

The forecast before the trip had been quite average and turns out it was on the money. We had checked out our favourite launching spot at Tapotupotu the prior day but the swell was up a bit and tides not right for launching/retrieving in the creek. So the plan for Tuesday was fish out of Houhora, landbased.

We headed out first thing and our first choice spot, a ledge near where Deacs had nailed a 32kg king last trip, was out due to the swell smashing over it, so we scoped out a 2^nd choice ledge. After more problems with our ****ty anchor not holding and us getting frustrated we decided to head in and down to Kaitaia for a new anchor. So back to Houhora, in the truck and down to the big smoke where we picked up a new anchor and some gas and headed back for round 2.

By the time we got back to the ledge the wind had picked up to a gnarly 25+ knots and where we would need to anchor the wind would have been pushing the boat towards the bricks, so we abandoned that plan and with the wind howling and swell still rolling in we surfed back to Houhora harbour, with our tails between our legs, again!

Bugger this, we grabbed the boat gear and set up an evening strayline session just inside the harbour mouth and proceeded to battle with a bunch more 2-3kg reds in all of 4m of water. Real tough scraps in that depth of water, great fun, but not really the reason we go to the far north! All fish released. We needed a change of attack for day 3.

Day 3 – Top Coast

After some deliberation, soul searching and cursing of the forecast on Tuesday evening we decided upon a good old fashioned walk in for day 3. Destination was the top coast.

Up and away for the hour drive up to the top and we were on our way to a ledge that has produced the goods for us more than once in the past. The wind was already howling SW but our ledge would provide a bit of shelter in the lee of the cliffs.

After an hour or so walk we were on the ledge and set up. A wee hiccup with our berley bucket saw plan B onion sacks deployed and it wasn’t long before Grovo gave a shout as a nice snap came up and nailed his half pilly on the surface in the trail, before the hooks pulled. Good signs.

Baits were being hurled all over the show now and Deacs pulled in a nice red to kick things off, followed by Grov as well.

Then Deacs was next with a good red on a half pilly on softbait gear and Grov with a couple more good fish also, the 2^nd of which went about 15lb from memory. 

 

The boys were back now and we set about trying to catch the king but he wasn’t interested and my livie ended up being sharked, the 2^nd for the day. I pulled in another nice snapper and despite a pannie snap for Deacs on a softbait, that was about it for the day.

Various other snaps in the 2-4kg bracket were caught during the day also, we didn’t bother with photos on most of those. One pannie snapper for the day had felt the steel due to a swallowed hook and bleeding from the gills but the rest had been released. We trekked back to the truck and headed back down to Houhora, encountering some mates along the way...

So a much better day than the first 2, with plenty of snapper over 10lb, best about 15lb and some king sightings and a bustoff to boot.

Day 4 – Houhora

The forecast was looking better for Thursday with the swell due to drop slightly and wind also drop somewhat, so we decided on round 2 with the ledge we were going to fish on Tuesday. We loaded the boat with both landbase and boat gear and headed out first thing.

The forecast was right and we managed to anchor the boat satisfactorily and land around the corner from the ledge we wanted to fish, out of the worst of the swell. A quick walk up and around and we tucked onto the side of the ledge out of the swell, which despite having dropped was still a very solid groundswell, we made sure to keep an eye on it and kept clear when the bigger sets rolled in.

This ledge screamed kingfish with a good drop off and a heap of white water but in honesty was fairly dead. Livies were scarce but we did manage a couple of kahawai which were swum all morning with no action, and no follows on the poppers or stickbaits.

I managed one ok snapper around 3kg on a pillie and a couple more pannies came and went but as the day wore on we decided on a change of attack, packed up our gear and went for a strayline session out of the boat to try target some big reds.

We parked up over some foul in about 15m and got the berley pumping. Snapper started coming on the chew and it wasn’t long before some good runs and hook-ups were happening. Deacs got the first one worthy of a photo, I think it was 13lb and released.

Then both Deacs and I hooked up at the same time. Deacs got his in, a nice red of 16lb which was sent on its way, I thought we took a pic, but buggered if I can find it. Anyway, I was still going on my fish. Could this be a monster red?

As the fight went on I was less sure and then on first colour sure enough there was a yellow tail in evidence. King. Deacs did the honours with the gaff shot and this little 10kg king was destined for a date with my smoker this week. Not a big fish but on 6kg gear in only 15m and over foul I was pretty happy with the capture.

We continued fishing with more fish coming aboard in that 4-5kg range along with many pannies, some of which felt the steel as we wanted to keep a few today for a party Grov was having on Saturday night. But not the real biggies which we were after. So as evening approached and the tide slowed down we pulled the pick and headed back to Houhora for a fillet up and a couple of jars.

Day 5 – Tapotupotu Bay

Thursday night yielded more deliberation on what to do the following day and after much discussion we decided on taking the boat out at our old favourite stomping grounds of Tapotupotu as the swell was forecast to drop enough to enable launching and wind to be dieing away. A boat fish was decided on as we thought the remnants of swell would make landing for a landbase fish difficult.

Up early and on the road we got to Tapot’s and yep the swell had died enough to allow us to launch. What was even better was there was just enough tide to allow launching in the creek which made that a heap easier. We got out between the sets easily but upon exiting the bay we saw the wind was blowing harder from the west than forecast so we ditched our initial plan which was to head towards North Cape ways for a jig. 2^nd option was get in closer and have a strayline. Ironically upon looking at the coast it would have been quite easy to landbase as the swell was sufficiently small, but we had brought only our boat gear.

No dramas, we parked up over some foul in about 16m and set the berley. Despite a strongish westerly the current was stonking and strong enough to hold the boat with it so we could strayline out the back, ideal.

The snaps were biting pretty much immediately with baits being picked up often on the drop and solid hook-ups and mean fights the order of the day. Deacs got the first one worthy of a photo, about 17lb. We released this fish but he floated belly up and after watching for a minute we pulled the anchor and gave chase, netted him and tried a revival again but he was goosed so went into the bin and will be smoked this week.

Grov was sitting up the bow and dealing to plenty as well.

I chimed in with a few of my own. Among the better of them, 10lb and 17lb.

This continued for the run of the tide when the bite died off a little but also the wind had dropped away substantially so we went for a run out a bit deeper to prospect an area that looked good on the charts.

We were in the general area thinking of a strayline a bit deeper in 35m when we spied a trevally school. Change of plans and the jigs came out, let’s see if there’s any kingies hanging with them eh boys. We crept up to them and Deacs had an exploratory drop, more hopeful than confident. Swish, swish, swish went the jig, then BOOM fish on! The Stella was screaming, hmm maybe there are kings here! It’s ok Deacs we’re over sand it looks like I said, when suddenly the fish was running the other way and grate grate grate found some reef then PING! Sheeeeeeit!

Ok so there’s kings here (and a bit of reef), the other jig rods were quickly brought out and I snuck the boat up on the school of trevs again and 3 jigs were dropped this time. Deacs hooked up again and soon had a fish of 15kg to the boat, substantially smaller than that first bust off, but a perfect size for smoking so he was despatched to the bin.

Back to the school and it was Grov on next. An awesome fight on the Saltist ensued before this one came over the rail, a quick weigh, photo and it was released. I think this one weighed a shade over 20kg.

Back to the school and it was double hookup time with Deacs and I both being taken to the rail on good fish. Boy this was some fun fishing and made even better being out of our little boat! Got these in at a similar time and mine was about 17kg with Deacs fish being better at around 22kg.

So you know the script by now, release the fish, motor back to the trev school, drop jigs and WHUMP, fish on! Another double hook up and this time it was Grov and I on.

Mine came to the boat first, a PB for me of about 19kg. Photo and release. I was running a JM400 coupled with an OJ4000P.

Grov was still battling his, the old Saltist and TCurve combo really earning it’s keep. Finally his fish popped up and sent back after a photo. A nice one about the 20kg mark.

Repeat process. This time it was just the one hook up with Grov connecting to another really good fish. Saltist squeeling like a pig and finally in came this one which weighed out to 23kg. A PB for Grov and also sent back.

This was where we took a break from the kingy action and tried to catch some of the monster trevs which we could see krilling in the school by switching them over to chunks. They were moving around a bit though so it proved challenging, drifting was too hard so we anchored up, but could seem to switch them over to the chunks.

As we were straylining though Deacs hooked up hard and a good battle occurred on his 15kg gear, some good runs had us calling it for a small king when up came a nice red. It looked about 15lb but was deceptively fat and upon weighing it came out at just over the mark, 20.5lb, not a big trev but not bad either!

So another good snapper bite occurred with good fish up to about 14lb coming on board. By this stage we were over photos and most would get dragged in by the trace and biffed back. It was harder in the deeper water and strong current to get a good hook up, letting them run for ages was the order of the day. All too soon time was catching up with us and having to get back home that day we pulled the pin about 4pm and left them biting. It was an easy run back to Tapot’s and no dramas coming in to the beach, although the tide was dead low so a beach retrieve was required with no water in the creek. All good there, drag the boat up onto the hard before loading it on the trailer dry, don’t take any chances.

So back to Houhora, load our gear up then head for home. Customary dinner of KFC in Kaitaia on the way and we arrived back at Orewa about 2am. The conditions had made it hard for the first part of the week and with much less landbase fishing than usual made for a change, but with the boat fishing being so good that made up for it.

I can recommend staying at Wagener Park camp at Houhora heads as the facilities are excellent - bait freezers available, boat ramp right there, filleting station at the beach, bunk cabins, communal kitchen, showers etc and the owners were very accommodating with regard to late checkout as well. In saying that though if Waitiki Landing re-opens (was supposed to be open at Queens Birthday according to the Te Kao store) then we would probably stay there again as it’s so close to the top coast.