Out With The over 12's & Under 20's

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2018 at 10:17am
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Titanium
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Joined: 14 Oct 2013
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Headed out on mid morning Wed intending to hit a few spots around the bottom end.
Was thinking could be a little hard fishing and considered maybe would have to throw the long line over to have all families go home with a good feed.
Between the ramp and bottom end  have a few foul spots marked. As usual stopped at the 2nd mark with a little sign, about 2 to 3 miles from the ramp.
We stop , drop a line over, then set up rods , gear, burley pot etc for 5 or 10 mins, so when get to intended spots can simply stop and drop.
Within a few seconds , rod screams .. nice mid 40 cm snapper... By this time a couple more rods over the side...another low 40s comes on board.
1 more and thats a feed for each family, so rest of the day is just bonus  good company and fishing.
Then a mid 50s , a couple little throw backs.. a nice high 30s pannie.
Goes quiet, decide to pull up lines explorer around a little.. bang another 40/50 plus .. then a good smoker KY.
 Eventually decide a change of seinrary head right over to ponui...couple drifts.. nothing.
 Getting to mid arvo, so move to a spot with bit foul on between us and ramp... still ramp is in sight. Again fies up.
 We decide to just finish off the bait on the board , clean up and head home as the bin would not take another 40 + snap.

What initially was thought to going to be a hard day fishing, was constant good fish all in 3 to 7 m of water, all in sight of the ramp.
4x mid 50s snap
4x mid 40s
3x low 40s
1x mid 50s ky
8 to 10 smaller ky several turned into bait rest split for smoker.
 Most important thu...good company, nice day on the water, and bring back a feed, as always do.

Watching for possible brief window next wed/ thursday.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lowbox Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2018 at 10:23am
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On the water at 7:20 (Gentlemans hours!) at Westhaven. Got a full 500m from the ramp when I noticed the water was boiling with Kahawai, and some terns were going in. 
Dropped a microjig in and it was hit on the drop  - and the head shakes told me it was a Snapper. Up comes a 35cm model. then another. repeat 5 more times, turn boat around go home. Might have used .50c of gas!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 700 LTR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2018 at 10:32am
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Lowbox, I experienced the exact same thing the other day unreal fishing at the moment.

I don't even think I was there long enough to get the motor warm.......
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote onanotherjob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 6:33am
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Got out yesterday from okahu bay ramp fished the outgoing tide . Plenty of mid 30s fish odd bigger model within eyesight of the ramp .
Coming back in an hour before low was a world of crap at the ramp nearly lost my ute to the sea .
Used the skinny lane between wall and pontoon as it was avalible . There was 10 feet of slime to the water . Just as I began winching boat on to trailer ute went for a slide until the middle gap of tandem trailer wheels caught on end of boat ramp .
Got the boat off and drove out it was close thing with the back wheels of trailer over the ramp end . Moved the boat round to inside of ramp was better but okahu bay needs some love Broken pontoon two summers in a row and constant lack of water blasting on the ramp .
I use a 2wd 3.0 diesel ute with lsd and brake the trailer when winching on need to keep someone in cab with foot on brake at moment for low tides . The back of ute tends to bounce a bit when boats just coming on to trailer .

Be careful on the low tide best to have someone in cab with foot on brake if you have someone spare . On this occasion had a newbie and his wife could have been worse had a beer and laugh after and wee all stayed calm



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lowbox Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 7:41am
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Lucky escape - that ramp can be slippery as greased teflon. I slipped over there last winter and fortunately saved the rods by carefully breaking the fall with my thumb... very careful there at low tide now.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote brmbrm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 5:27am
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Sunday, 9am start with a couple of first-timers.  Flat as. Motuihe channel so they got a decent ride in the boat as well. Dragging curly tails. "This is what you do - press this - let out line - when it is on the bottom.....oh, wind this in: fish on". Pretty hectic stuff. Fish came in patches - 35-40s, undersize, then some better ones, biggest 55cm. Bin full, ride home the long way.

Motor oil and electric chicken both worked, microjigs not really (or maybe I didnt have much time).  Yellow kabura. Fantastic weather.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 8:52am
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Titanium
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Sounds dangerous on the ramp. 
for those who are having issues with vehicles, could you think about using the roped trailer trick, and leave your vehicle on the drier high-traction area (like some people do on the beach)?

And for walking around, maybe get hold of someone's old felt-soled trout wading boots - they were banned a number of years ago due to the didymo scare, but some people still have them in their garages I'm sure. They are incredible for their grip on slippery rocks under water.
A bit of hassle, but I'd hate to hear of a member breaking limbs in a fall.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lowbox Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 3:51pm
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A hard day out that came right in the end. Naval base was slow so off to Rangi which was plagued by tinies, so off towards Rakino where I found a giant work-up all to myself. But it was Kahawai work-up and they were so hungry that my poor lures could not find a snapper. Having entertained myself without any of the target species I ducked through Rakino channel and finally located some obliging Snaps who scoffed Orange Kaburas and Silver micro-jigs at a good rate. Home in the chop to meet the Fisheries Research people who I am now on a first name basis with.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 5:49pm
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Titanium
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Sounds great & some nice snaps. Interesting you found Kahawai. I have yet to see a Kahawai out there all season,except for one very small fast moving school with a couple of terns over it. Hope the Kahawai have turned up in numbers,even if somewhat late.Just love to catch them on light gear and bring a couple home for the table.
Were the ramps crowded,or has everyone gone away.?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 6:18pm
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Hi Cirrus - been out Friday and Saturday - mostly bait fishing with newbies , relations etc.
Heaps of Kahawaii at worm beds 20m and in close Murrays bay this morning 9m - between 1-2kg - caught dozens this morning and just let most of them go. They were a real nuiscance when we were trying to get a few snapper for tea.
Talking to a few guys at ramp they said Kahawaii were in plague proportions around torbay as well and they struggled getting much else.
Great fun for the crew I had both days - they loved it.
See below screen shot this morning - all fish on screen are kahawaii.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 6:52pm
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Titanium
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Thanks Redfinger. I am encouraged. This time last week ,all the way down the North side of Rangitoto,motutapu,Rakino channel. Not a sign,and same previous trips. Maybe the warmer than normal water temperatures has delayed them. Who would know.
On the other hand good snapper fishing  managed a nice 56 cm snap last sunday plus some smaller ones, and the week before my wifes 16 lb snap.. Still havent quite  figured out how she managed that.LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lowbox Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 7:08pm
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There was a huge workup on the north end of the Rakino channel today.... all horse Kahawai as far as I could tell.
I took a french chef fishing a while ago and he was amazed by the Kahawai - all their fishery is hammered and bait fish are a catch so he was just gobsmacked at the abundance. He made the most of the ones we caught. 
I like the fillets  - fresh, flour and shallow fried, or a 6 or 12 pack in the smoker - but thats a lot of smoked fish!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Apr 2018 at 9:15am
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Titanium
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Thanks Lowbox. Will be out there someday soon. Interesting how your friend the French chef was gobsmaked at the abundance . They also had that once ,but no more. Think we need to be mindful of what we still have.
Schools of Kahawai bring the ocean to life. Thousands of shearwaters, terns ,gannets and other birds,and the dolphins that also sometimes turn up to complete the picture. Fish that leap a meter clear of the water,skip and spiral across the surface in shimmering light,always watchful for the big kingi that may be following one up,or the snapper and other fish feeding deeper and down current from the school.
And fresh fillets dipped in flour ,pan fried,or smoked ,or chunks in a Thai green curry with coconut cream. Top fish for all of that and more.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (4) Likes(4)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 2018 at 11:03pm
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Titanium
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RANGAUNU HARBOUR and environs, Northland

I towed the FC465 up north for its first away trip in the week leading up to Easter. I must admit to a few nerves heading off up SH1 with the family after a quick stop off in Albany to pick up the tub of my favourite soft baits I'd left on Redfinger's boat. I've never towed a boat further than from Fish City to home when I bought it, but soon relaxed into the drive.
Just as well I picked up the softy tub, as one of the Gulp Crazy Legs (New Penny) accounted for my best fish of the trip - a nearly 9lb trevally from the harbour shallows which went like an absolute steam train. I got another slightly smaller one another day. Great to have nailed a couple of famous Northland trevs - and they made stunning kokoda and sashimi.


The KariKari Peninsula/Doubtless Bay area is a fantastic place to visit, with lots of options for family outings to pristine beaches such as Matai Bay. The Rangaunu Harbour is superb to fish in a small boat. My first solo beach launchings went very well, no mishaps. It's an ideal place to take the 4-year-old out - pretty flat except in very strong SW winds. i cast softies, while we dragged a 1/2 or 3/4oz jighead and soft bait for the little fella. During a rare slow patch I perked up his flagging spirits by asking if he wanted to try a "special" flounder lure I got from the US (which he had enjoyed playing with at home and tried to snaffle for his lure box). A big thumbs up from him, so on it went, and bang - two nice snapper in two drops. It's made by Almost Alive Lures and proved to be very tough as well, ended up more or less as good as new minus the eyes which fell off and plus a lot of teeth marks! I reckon it'd be dynamite in lots of shallow muddy harbours.
Image result for almost alive flounder



In two windows of very light winds we pointed the 465's nose out into Rangaunu Bay and the open sea, with rolling 1-2m swells, but no wind chop to speak of. Beautiful to be out there, and there was cobalt blue water at the 18m mark. So clear.
We got some nice snapper to the mid-50cm range, but no biggies unfortunately. Still, it was really about enjoying the location in the little runabout and gaining confidence with the boat, which I certainly did. It feels like a big boat for its size in the open water, if that makes sense.
One bizarre thing happened out in the open sea, with a disturbance behind us that turned out to be a massive (20lb+) snapper thrashing on the surface with its head fully out of the water. i thought it must have embolised or tangled in something, but when I clicked into gear and chugged over with vague plans to opportunistically net it, it had disappeared and left floating on the surface was half of a large olive coloured reef fish (parrot?). Presumably the moocher wrestled with it all the way to the surface in 55ft of water?

I lost my best snapper of the trip to a big bronze whaler in the harbour channel - two thirds of the way through the battle there were three big jerk/thumps and a screaming run before the line got cut. Doh!

No joy with the dreamed of kingies, despite some full on efforts catching livies and trolling, drifting with them etc. I had a few goes with stick baits near the harbour entrance, but just hooked some horse kahawai. Maybe my kahawai livies - about 50cm - were too big? i couldn't get any smaller ones. And there was a lot of sea grass fouling my lines. Oh well, a good reason to go back again.

My little fishing buddy is proving to have lots of patience and enthusiasm, and was very forgiving when daddy banged the chilly bin into the tip of his little X Factor rod and snapped the tip off. Thankfully it could still work okay, as below in the open sea out from East Beach, but a new X Factor is on the 'to do' list.





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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2018 at 5:50am
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Titanium
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2018 at 2:59pm
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Ideal boat size for that spot Lester - easy to launch and go wider on good days.
Were there any piper on the main beach you could possibly have targeted for livies?
Would have thought top water lures around the shallow reef between main beach and entrance would have got some interest.
When spearfishing there years ago - heaps of kings on that shallow reef - less but bigger ones at entrance. Lots of big Trevs on that reef too but you found them.
One day we can go to staffa rocka nd shallow patch pretty easily from there.
Great trip and report!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2018 at 3:23pm
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Titanium
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Thanks mate. I'm stoked with the boat, very proud owner. Good point, as always, re the piper. I had watched Big Angry Fish and ITM Fishing Show use kahawai to get kingies in the harbour entrance area, so that's what I focused on trying to replicate. If I'd switched focus to piper I might have had some luck. I'm sure a quick effort with a bait net (if I had one) or little berley trail would have turned up a few silver baby marlin.

I had one kingie monstering a livie in the mid harbour, but didn't hook up, and a big one followed up a kahawai I'd hooked on softbait near the entrance from among the school boiling on the surface. It looked massive 15 ft down. Got my heart racing!

At one stage we saw a school of piper leap for dear life well along the channel edge up harbour from the main beach. I spent about three hours in total casting piper-style top water lures from that beach, but no joy apart from one attempted hit by a kahawai. 

I also need a tutorial in what snapper sign looks like in 20m, sometimes there was a huge amount of sign on the bottom out in the open sea over sand bottom, but not 'slugs' or 'eyebrows', or the typical kahawai sign 'lines'.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Redfinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2018 at 6:28pm
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I'm sure the kingfish were there just notthat cooperative!
Snapper sign on a flat bottom can just show as a shading of different colour hard on bottom, a few blobs etc close to bottom - yes do show sometimes as arches, eyebrows or just "scratches".
I quite often askmyslf what else could it be? on a sand bottom in 20m the most likely culprits are snapper, squid or jack mackeral
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Shark-Bait Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Apr 2018 at 8:20pm
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Been a while since posted, so just a couple from the other morning, fishing is going off up here at the moment (Whangaroa).
Happy Days



Life is short so make the most of every day.

   www.oceanangler.co.nz
   www.fullonfishing.co.nz
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Apr 2018 at 9:29pm
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Titanium
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Wow, beautiful fish. I used to follow your reports about the Tamaki Strait area, very influential in my early efforts at soft baiting. Good to see you're slaying it up north.
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