About Feb this year, the boys from work approached me about organizing for them a fishing trip. I informed them that as I don’t plan fishing trips halfheartedly, it would be awesome and not cheap. I inquired as to the species and size of fish that was on their wish list. “Big Snaps and maybe a few Puka for the pot” was the reply.

With that in mind I set about getting the right boat to head for the right spots at the right time of the year. Brett on Assassin was chosen as the right skipper/boat combo, the Mokohinau Islands were to be the destination and early Dec was planned as the right time to maximize our chances on the chosen species.

All year the expectation was inching up and the crew keen, two weeks before the date, one of my crew decided he would rather take his wife to Aussie for a romantic weekend, (or rather his wife decided to spend his fishing money on it). AHHHHHHH, with him and another pulling out it left us in the lurch for crew, if we couldn’t find at least one more we would have to cancel. Anybody I knew who may have been able to take time off on short notice was rung and teased with promises of smooth seas and big fish. Lots of tyre kickers later we were still short. A phone call to Chris from assassin was made to see if she could come up with a replacement. Two days before the trip, a forum lurker named “Knobby” signed on, whooo hoooo we were off.

Sunday dawned fine and clear in Tauranga, and when our shift finished at 730am we were loaded and on the road. Arriving at sandspit wharf at about 1230, the gear was stowed, engines started and beers opened.

First stop was around kawau as there were heaps of birds working and a collection of boats drifting, Diversity among them. Not much was collected as the guys worked the cobwebs out of there systems. With the Mokes beckoning, we didn’t hang around looking for pannies. A couple of hrs of fast cruising saw the islands I had always dreamed of fishing materialize, awesome place that screamed good fish.

The conditions had deteriorated and made drifting uncomfortable and unproductive so the call was made to anchor and burley. Two spots and a couple of reasonable snaps later Brett selected a reef to do the twilight strayline session. That’s what we were waiting for…  

The boys started to hook some nice fish 12lb and over. They also started to really get on my case. I was supposed to be the resident Hauraki Gulf expert. All I could catch were humongous scorpion fish and moray eels. The snapper were starting to get bigger and so were the attitude of the guys giving me crap. A few tope started making an appearance too; the guys were disappointed time after time thinking they had hooked good snapper.

I was glad because it bought them down to size and also Tope and large snapper go hand in hand.

My twin 10/0, half fillet of barracuda took a sudden lurch, I was fishing in freespool and the sudden take spun a loop of braid out and a small birds nest was the result, I nervously unpicked it as whatever was on the end slowly chewed up my bait. No sooner had I unpicked my line than it started slowly moving off again. The slow count to 5…point the rod, push up the lever drag, come up tight and a quick strike to set the hook and the rod tip was wrenched back down and line started melting back off the spool. The bait started about 150-200m down the burley trail and see-sawed back to the boat over the next 5-10min, Man this was a heavy fish. The boys were asking me what was going down as I had been trying to keep the fish a bit low profile; they had been alerted to it by the crackle of line disappearing off the spool. I told them “probably just another good tope” while secretly hoping for the big snapper. Finally colour down below and YES he’s a snapper. Into the net and as it came over the side out came the “WHO’S YOUR DADDY” I had been saving to rub in their faces. It was a nice fish and obviously over 20lb, photos taken and he was slipped into the chiller to become Xmas dinner. The most vocal of my antagonisers quickly dropped there heads and concentrated on their baits. Though a few more goodies came to the net that evening, none had surpassed that fish.

As dark settled over the Islands we slipped into the anchorage under the lighthouse and had a feed and tried to catch some livies for the next day, Brett had the knack and the small enough sabiki and put about 15 Yellowtail in the tank, they were followed by a flying fish that had knocked itself out on the hull.

Morning arrived with the frolicking Dolphins splashing around in the bay, quick cuppa and we were off. First few snapper spots didn’t fire so considering conditions weren’t the best and were forecast to get breezier; the skipper thought it would be prudent to get a few Puka in the bin before the bash home.

About 5 drifts produced enough fish for the bin, man they fight well on braid in 80-90m. Had a few nervous moments on the little Avet SX and Okuma Braid Concepts Rod.

As the breeze came up, we were starting to loose a lot of rigs as they dragged over the reef, so the call was made to steam in close to cover, cook a feed, then head for home.

The trip back was not as bad as we expected, the miles were eaten up to the sound of snoring from the crew. The bird life was incredible as we neared the coast and Omaha had so many it was impossible to ignore.

A great session was had amidst the acres of plummeting gannets, good fish between 5-10lb's falling to everything that was offered. Baits, softies, old grim reaper jigs and myself on the pink Lucanus jig. Boys had smiles a mile wide with fishing that they had never experienced in the BOP.

Arrived back in Sandspit for a huge filleting mission and by late arvo we were loading mountains and gear back in the vehicles, Knobby bid the crew goodbye and headed off with all his fish as well as the frames of our filleting session, having a Thai family would ensure that nothing was wasted.

We retired to the campground down the road for a relaxing and well earned shower followed by having to work our way through the left over beers with Brett’s help. (Had to ensure there was somewhere to store fish after all.)

All in all a fantastic trip made even better by a skipper that knew what we wanted and delivered with style. Thanks Brett, plans are afoot already for a return visit next year.

Big thanks to Chris too for your work helping to fill the spare space to allow the trip to proceed.

As I finish this report the Smoker’s just rung to say our fish is ready to be picked up…..see ya