Snappers, Sting Rays and Sharks - crazy times

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    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 at 9:49am
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Hey fellow fisho's - I hope everyone is staying safe out there and hopefully we can get back out there and get a line wet soon.
Our last night set on our 5 day trip to the awesome far north was to see if we could land some snapper to take home, our first day set saw us skunked. There was a lot of weed and being the full moon biggish and strong tides. Heading down to one of our favorite spots round 8.30 for the first set on the change of light we had the whole beach to ourselves, we set the old Tiki for a 20 min run then a 30 min soak. We were pretty keen to see what we had as we were all baited up with fresh Kahawai strips this time. We had gone out the front of where we were staying a couple hours earlier to catch our fresh bait in the boat.
We also noticed a lot of the weed in the water had gone from the previous days last set. 1st set saw us with a good start with x7 snapper with one up up around 50-55cm 👌🏻 so we were pretty happy with that. 2nd set went a little pear-shaped for us, we re-baited the hooks and sent her out for the same 20min run. By this time it was around 11.00 and after the 30min soak we started cranking her in, when we were retrieving we had a snap on the 2nd hook then a small stingray which got tangled so we stopped the line to sort and let the fella go. Just before we were about to start up again a there was a massive splash in the break water and snap went the main line- we got sharked.
It was unlucky to have the main line cut but now add in an out going tide and it’s 12:00 at night with no boats around. We can see the tiki strobe sitting about 350-400 meters off shore and Stevo was guttered thinking we wouldn't get it back, we waited to see if by chance it would get closer. I didn't want to go and get the little boat at this time to go and rescue it and the thought of having to do it in the morning was just as bad. I have grown up surfcasting and I'm not bad with distance casting so I grabbed my surf caster and tied a large lethal lure on, I knew I couldn't reach the tiki but over the years I have hooked up lost rods over board and even off wharf's.

Knowing we had retrieved a few hooks already my plan was to cast as far as I could across our kontiki line, slowly retrieve across the sea floor in hope I could hook up on one of the traces or clips. I started casting and retrieving as I walked up and down 10-20mtrs either side of our set, Stevo was like what ever buddy you loco boy. I knew at some stage I was bound to hook something and as Stevo was heading back to the car and on about my 10th cast I yelled out to Stevo “Yep got it” Stevo was like WTF and shocked. Hooked up I slowly wound till we got the main line, i did a back to back uni to winch it back in - and after all that fiasco we even had another 2 snaps on it. Tight lines


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Apr 2020 at 11:40am
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very practical fishwhisper and great effort. To get a couple more snaps as a reward wasn’t bad either 👍
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote macrayfish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2020 at 5:20pm
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Mate  - get a Shorething.
And never worry about sharks again!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote FizFisho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2020 at 2:44pm
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Titanium
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High quality as usual Jas.

I really feel like you are almost apologetic for using the kontiki.

There isnt  person I know of, on this forum or youtube who throws back as many quality sized fish and you guys. You are a real lead by example when it comes to catch as minimal as needed and put the rest back person. Many times ive seen you put back 55cm fish early on into a boat session, only taking home 4pr 5 fish between 2 people. You are also not a Snapper snob which this country needs more of. If only more of us were not suiting up, the amount of legal Kingies in the mass numbers under the surface would have most boat anglers think they are rare, if anything its something we should be exchanging for Snapper for 3-5 years in certain areas and get a Rahui on many places that are well over fished and plagued by Kina choking the reefs to literal death. 

The Kontiki is awesome fun in a lot of peoples eyes and is ideal for those who cant afford a boat for the west coast, even the east. Personally id buy one of the budget $1200 5 hook capacity Drones (inc sinker weight). Gets you out over the back on the west coast.

But the Kontiki definitely has the potential for larger numbers of fish. 

I reckon a collab video with Geoff down in Mokau would be a mean idea for when the sars-2 is under control. 

The most under valued vishing channel on youtube imo with the amount of high quality videos you have pumped out over the last few years not to mention TV stints. 

I have only been using Mustad Demon circle hooks now for about 10 years. I actually fish the 9/0 which i have gut hooked a 15cm Snap on, but 99% of the time its in the corner of the gob, but just shows you if they hungry what the can swallow. 

I also like the fact there is no requirement to set the hook as such, although I give the rod firm lift back up at the end of the wind down just to be sure.

What I also look about the Mustad Demon aside from its high quality and sharpness, is the shape is just slightly different to the budget commercial circle hooks. If I was buying a small longline for th boat Id replace with all mustad demon 9/0s, the perfect hook imo. 

What I also like when fishing off the rocks is just some 80lb fluro via a knot to the mainline and the 80lb fluro, probably 10 metres or so, tied straight to a single 9/0 Demon hook. Given there being no other terminal tackle and the circle hooks design being for no foul hooks, I will often take freshy KY but usually end up with fresh live baits with a sabiki bait rig, Often U I will leave them whole, hooking through the mouth, making for a Kingy, JD, Snapper or a large KY being all chances. Tend to then walk in with more Berley as its seldom hard with berley to get bait fish going. Usually there is a rock pool by, if not I send one straight out and keep a few for fresh dead baits.

Just means no losing terminal tackle with those lovely koheru swimming in the berley column or a slab of dead bait doing likewise. 

Might be time to dig out some old footage to keep the vids coming. But given how well NZ has done with putting the vrus into a proper level 4 lockdown unlike the Aussies who still let people get out there on the water etc, we might be under way in 2 weeks, 4max imo.

Id imagine you would have gotten the boat immediately at this spot, with the oppurtunity for it to get washed up, so a real PITA saving cast for sure. Good job.

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