Very well...
And rather eventful
Yep had a crew, lots space.. and good company.
A Sth Aftrican , been out a couple times with work mates, other than that only a bit of bass fishing in Aussie.
Let me know on the dat early morning so was a made rush to head down to the wifes work, pick up the truck.
Loaded up and off mid morning.
Tide just starting to run... light breeze
Couple quick prospect 10 min drops on the way out to bottom end...Drifted around 1st spot , picked up a mid 30s.. and low 40 in couple minutes, So that covered basic objective.. Feed for all.
Headed a little wider , long drift.. Put another mid 30 and low 40 in the bin..
Next drift a nice 4.2kg...and an nice pannie.
Tide picked up by this time, plus light breeze.. one more drift pops another 4.8 kg in the bin.
In between few udersized.. so hand feed a couple to the shag off the stern.. neat birds these.
So busy all the time, hard to get time for a sandwich.
one more drift.. tide full run.. everything gone quiet.. off the bite now.
So take a look around shag, up in the guts... then sea up in one narrow gut the remains of a hull, and more debis up in the very small cave... We get within a few meters of young shags being feed on the cliff face, swimming around the boat in the clear water...nice just to chill back, have something to eat drink.
So start on a drift nth on the outside shag, couple bites , couple undersized , uneventful, then another further out, the same Like the bite switch turned off.
Getting late arvo, Wind picking up so expect a slow cruise back over the Tamaki straight..nps thu.
Had what we came out for..
Then a pod of killer whales pop up in front , decide to go wide and catch up.. crew never seen them before... So we chug along beside with them coming up close by, then after 5 / 10 mins they go down and gone.
This has taked use to another spot, tide full run, wind same direction , but decide may as well do another drift over it, and wash down , stow away everything for trip home.
And another fish for the bin.
Then head home...
Trip across the tamaki was all good, angle into the chop, set speed at 22 mph, conformable trip as have excellent power of the stern.
Damn get to the ramp, didnt give it a thought.. dead low tide.
Slide the boat across the mud, into the ramp.. back the truck down and the trailer drops into the thick mud over the tyres.. Slide the boat onto the keel rollers and the boat comes out of the mud nps, with the electric drill.
Up wash down the trailer..
Put the 1st stern tie down on, fine 2nd , the hook snaps, and the tie down catch digs deep into my hand.. never mind sort out later at home.. blood eventually stops.
Then head home... 3/4 way home. water temps goes up.. pull over and most of the water blown out of thwe over flow..
Call up a m8, if could possibly tow the boat home.
Hes soon on his way, We re fill the radiator.. only took couple liters.. and decide to start heading home.
So mate gets off the motorway and waits between us and home, just in case.
We get to home, then the 2nd to last , small hill, temps goes up a little, and again the last hill up our road, but home .
Drop trailer off the truck, tractor out, turn and park, unload, foam up boat for clean down next day. In the shed and start filleting. Wife brings out a couple freshly drawn espressos.
And teaching crew how to fillet to get most off..with good quality and very sharp knives...Quick learner this guy...quality not speed, and speed soon picked up.
Fish all get gutted at sea and go in the bin clean...he learnt how to do that easy...
I finish the filleting the big fish , he rinsed out the bait and fish bin, benches washed down with hose, all one.
We divide the fish up.
Crew paid for the gas, which meant ?I owed him some money, 25/ 35 dollars.. we would not tell me what the gas came to .. would have been $85/ 95. Said he had by far the best day out, done so much , saw so much, learnt so much, and said was worth every penny...
I could not ask for a better day..
The truck.. water little low next morning when checked.. topped up warmed up and a very small seap on a rear hose.. looks like been there for a while.. and leak on another hose...
Would explain .. low water , gets hot, more pressure , front hose leaks.. and both have very weak factory clips.
Drop those off, replace with a couple ss jubilee, no leaks..
Truck all good for a dinner down Onewhero last night.
Replacing all hoses clips next week
The rear tie down...going to replace both hooks with heavy carabinnas.
The hand.. got home, stretched it open to get bleeding again, then poured kero in to stop bleed and make heal up real fast.. should have a stitch, but it will be fine.. and is this morning
Kero / lamp oil/ paraffin oil.. doesnt sting like meths etc. Very effective old school bush remedy from days of having hurricane lamps when in the bush.
Now looking at the weather window next week.. tues/ wed thurs.
Damn the fishing out there has been good since mid sept this yr