But it has been a pleasure to get the little Surtees back onto home waters and our favourite haunt around the Sargent Channel.

We had a slow day last Saturday but gradually accumulated 5 keepers, mainly on sliders with strips of salted kahawai and barracouta. Luckily my wife was on forn as she pulled in four of them. We met up with Far Quirk out there and had a nice chat on the high seas. 

Today we tried an afternoon fish for a change and headed out to just look around and see what we could find. We picked up some live jack macs at our usual spot just in case there were any kingies around then spotted some birds mooching around over by Motuihi. There were few kahawai, but under the birds were masses of baitfish. "Find the birds, find the bait, find the fish" worked this time and we had a hot soft bait session ending up with 12 keepers including 45 and 47cm beauties. The sabiki rod also picked up a nice trev. Zman smoky shads did the most damage. 

The live bait in the tank came home to be converted to berley.

Nice relaxed launch and retrieve at Bucklands Beach.  It's nice to be home.

Went around to kaiaua farms and managed to get 9 small snapper,32/34,moved to a 16m mark I have and produced tiddly squat, undersize by miles. Fish not really biting but more mouthing,disturb after the weather??

And at least 12 gurnard all of 200mm.

Dumped all the valvoline 2s oil and refiled with quicksilver,what a difference,sat at 3800rmp which relates to 25mph ,return trip used 22lts as last time out almost 30lts,same conditions.

Heading out tomorrow evening for a few hours around Auckland Harbour. Taking the little pup for his second boat trip so don't want to go too far.

Had a fish through Rangi Channel a few weeks back and got some good eaters on orange sliders and micros, but went out the next week fishing around the same area and off Cable Bay Waiheke area and got lots of small stuff - much harder fishing.

Keen to hear how people have been getting on and thoughts on where to go.

Cheers,

Jason