So the plan was hatched. Me and our 15yo son, up at 4.30am sunday morning and head for Tauranga with the softbait gear. 4am came way to quick, however with the wife up ready to go to work I crawled out of bed and headed for our sons room. Aj, Aj you awake. I wanna sleep was the reply......****, my fishing buddy just pulled the pin.
As I headed up the kaimais with a empty passenger seat I contemplated ringing my mate kitno, but it was early and didn't want to jepordise a friendship
. I hit the water just on daybreak and headed the little stabi out the Tauranga entrance. Then the big question.....Left or Right .
Right it was and as I headed towards Papamoa the lure of the big Motiti island sucked me in, the stabi almost pulling me in that direction on its own accord. The further out I got, the glassier it got. As I cruised in close to the Island I started wondering what, if anything was going to happen. As the first cast hit the water I could not believe my luck, when after about 10 seconds I hooked up. ****.....no one here to witness it haha. I landed a nice snapper of about 40cm. I was stoked. A few more casts and nothing so I shifted around the bay a little. Next cast and the same thing, hooked straight up. I caught 5 fish in the wash like this over the next hour......Then it happened.
The lure had only just hit the water and there was a swirl behind the bait. Then the line went straight and before I knew what the hell was happening the reel started screaming. I looked around....****, no one here. I tried in vain to stop this brute but the big thumps were to much for the 16lb leader and as I put a bit more hurt on the fish the rod tip flew back and the reel went quiet. I stood there for a moment, just a moment then the language just started to flow automatically and before I knew it I was yelling at the rocks telling them to never...EVER use 16lb leader at Motiti Island. As I regained my composure and re-rigged my rod I actually had a weird sence of accomplishment that I had even hooked into that fish. WEIRD eh.
A heap more casting but nothing. Then I moved about 50mtrs to a big rock that was getting a lot of wash around it from the swell. The first cast was a shocker and I had a quick look to make sure no one had seen it. LMAO The second hit the mark, About a meter from the rock, as I started to work the lure back towards me I got a hit. But no hook up. I started to work it again.......Whack and reel screaming again. This fish had some serious HP but somehow I managed to stay hooked up. After twenty odd minutes I seen this magnificent fish. As it came to the boat we both caught eye contact for the first time....I thought, ****, you're huge. The fish obviously thought, ****, you're ugly because it took off on one hell of a run. Another 10 minutes before I seen him again. As he swam into the net I stood there in awe of this amazing creature. It seemed so wrong to keep him but I just couldn't get him to swim on his own again. Maybe I had him out of the water to long. I measured him and he was 78cm long.
As I arrived home I wondered if I was about to join the 20lb club. With my wife and son there for the official weigh, Was I disappointed with the 19.2lb reading. Hell no. I had caught a fish people strive their whole life for, Had caught it in rough terrain, , on 16lb leader and on a softbait and my knots held on. while fishing solo. SUCCESS??? HELL YES!!!
I will try to load some photos.
Cheers
Ivan.