Tips for first trip out?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Fishing Reports
Forum Description: Share information about your latest fishing trip
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129420
Printed Date: 02 Feb 2026 at 5:36am
Topic: Tips for first trip out?
Posted By: Ecko
Subject: Tips for first trip out?
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 12:50pm
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Hi everyone Me and a mate bought a 5.3m fibreglass last week and are yet to get out on it. Sunday is looking like the goods so we are hoping to launch at Gulf Harbour (as it seems a safe ramp for newbies to launch at). We've both got boating experience and fishing experience however haven't owned our own boat before (always parents) and haven't been out for quite awhile except for on charters. We have no Spot X's or local knowledge so if anyone has any general tips or specific tips to the area that would be highly appreciated! We are planning on drift fishing softbaits. Cheers |
Replies:
Posted By: miahd
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 1:18pm
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Reports into the NZFN office indicate there's been some good action just east of Tiri, between the island and the start of the cable zone (be careful where you drop your lines!) Another good spot to try is to drift in 26m to 21m, parallel to the bottom end of Kawau - just cruise along on long drifts, try some different soft-baits and slow jigs to see what's working on the day. I like to use CMap Embark to plan where I'm going to go before I head out - it's free and super simple to use. http://https://letsembark.io/core/select/new_place/@174.80375172149684,-36.51414769379842" rel="nofollow - Here's the Kawau area pinned on the map . ------------- Editor @ NZ Fishing News Magazine. |
Posted By: miahd
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 1:35pm
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Also, as a reasonably fresh skipper (I too am used to going out with other skippers, despite having spent years on the water), my biggest thing when going out was to make sure I wrote myself a checklist on my phone of all the things that others would usually do so I didn't forget them until they just become second nature. Double check everything and take your time getting down the ramp if you're not used to it. It took me a good couple of tries to get my boat/trailer exactly where I wanted it when I was launching/retrieving. The biggest thing I learned was to trust that my trailer was moving as a turned the car down the ramp, rather than waiting to see that it had moved (like I was actually doing) and ended up fishtailing my way down to the water  I might be telling ya how to suck eggs, but if not, then there ya go :) ------------- Editor @ NZ Fishing News Magazine. |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 2:10pm
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Thanks Miahd that's hugely helpful! Any and all advice appreciated. We will give that a shot! |
Posted By: the demon
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 2:18pm
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10-12 meters between shag and tiri , limit last week .All the other boats were out wide 40 meter mark . Down load navionics on your blower , zero in around tiri and heaps of marks for you to try . Good luck |
Posted By: White snake
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 2:34pm
| Also maybe consider going for a couple of test launches when the ramp is quiet so you know your system works.We have all been new to this game at some stage and some people forget the mistakes they made through trial and error.Nothing worse than being the guys in the line of boats holding up the process with an audience watching. |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 3:07pm
Navionics on my blower? This has gone right over the top of the head! Thanks Demon, we will definitely bear those tips in mind. Much appreciated!
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the demon wrote:Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 3:15pm
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You can download the Navionics charting software onto your Android or Apple phone. Useful if you don't have a chartplotter or want to look at charts at home etc. Assuming that you have a fishfinder, use it! This time of year in the area you are going to the fish are starting to concentrate a bit so drive around until you see fish sign and then fish there. There are plenty of fish in that wider area to find.
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Posted By: bigred1
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 4:28pm
| The navionics app on my phone (use an iPad for big screen) and an old fish finder is all I ever use now (and 1/2 the time I don’t even use the sounder). Well worth getting. Borrow a longline and throw that out so you get something to come with, nothing more depressing than coming home empty handed for weeks on end while you learn. The app tracks where you go so you can find it again if you go for a look about. |
Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 4:44pm
| Right now, if you use the fishfinder, and are patient enough to only fish once you find fish, you should have a good day every day. If you stop where the fish might not be you can waste most of your day fishing for nothing, or you might get lucky. This is one of the best times of year to be fishing. Take a sabiki and grab a Jack Mac to put down near the bottom as a livie. Kingfish often hang with the Snapper schools around now. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 6:21pm
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Navionic for sure on you cell looks like this with much more http://webapp.navionics.com/?ticket=ST-1493511625rNKBQNGYg0-pXbHduqG#boating@10&key=l%7Bn%7DEqdhj%60%40" rel="nofollow - http://webapp.navionics.com/?ticket=ST-1493511625rNKBQNGYg0-pXbHduqG#boating@10&key=l%7Bn%7DEqdhj%60%40 Also throw in a spare battery/ or jumper battery |
Posted By: brmbrm
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 6:33pm
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As its the first trip I would suggest fishing comes second and launching/retrieving/getting out and back safely if the priority. It will take a while to get used to what you need to do. Might be worth going somewhere like Westhaven at a quietish time to launch, retireive, laucnh, retrieve etc. make a list is a good idea. Make sure the bungs are in. Wear the lifejackets etc etc. Re the fish, I dont go up gulf harbour way, but there are generally plenty around. Use a drogue. Drag a curly-tail on a worm hook: new penny or motor oil. That normally outfishes worked SPs! Enjoy!
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Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 7:11pm
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Thanks everyone. We are taking the boat to get a new house battery/dual battery setup installed Saturday as a precaution. Going and buying new lifejackets tomorrow. Have just downloaded the Navionics app and looks the business. We are well armed with SPs, kabura, sabiki and heavy tackle to livebait the Kings. Here's to hoping! |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 8:15pm
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Take some time to find the fish on your sounder. Once you've found them, it's often (but not always!) a matter of simply dropping a slow jig and catching them. Your kaburas are a good choice, probably the easiest to fish. Stick with it if you don't catch. 95% of my fish fall to slow jigs and we are never hungry for fish! Drift speed is important. I've lost count of the number of times I've been out with friends who allow their boats to drift too fast, have no idea where their jigs/softies are in relation to the sea bed, and then claim that lure fishing doesn't work. You need a sea anchor in all but the calmest of conditions, and one that is big enough for your boat.
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Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 8:19pm
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I'm less than a year into my boat owning life and I echo what others have said - Gulf Harbour on Sunday morning, with 8s on the ratings and reports of fishing going off out from Tiri - may not be the place to go for your first outing!! There will be a queue from well before first light, and probably real pressure coming back to haul out. Ditto re the checklist. There's a good one in Mike Rendle's book on boating in NZ. I adapted that with tips from other experienced boating friends, typed it up and had it laminated. I go over it the night before, and then it goes in the boat with me every time. |
Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 8:52pm
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Relax don't worry about the queues, fish will bite all day and very often better in the arvo in spring. Just don't do anything silly like getting too close to kayakers.
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Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2018 at 10:37pm
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Hello TK Do you have any suggestions on a quieter ramp for a first trip out? I'm open to suggestions. Not overly keen to be under the pump from other fishos unnecessarily! Would you be happy to share your list? I can PM you and email address Thanks
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 7:36am
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Worried about backing up? I echo the words of my father.. how to.. unfortunately he died a couple yrs later before actually showing me. So my 1st attempt was th 16' caravan into a narrow space once got to the camping ground. 1/ take it slow 2/ When stats to go wrong, do not keep going back HOPING u will get it straight again... pull forward a little..and aslightly more than you think 2/ is where people waste a lot of time, trying to 'fix' something that cant be.. Cant find a ramp...a no exit street and a driveway. Some trailers reverse straight, do what you want, others will hook one way or the other, espec with no load on. |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 8:26am
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I'm a confident trailer driver having been driving horse floats for the last couple of years! But still there's always that first time out pressure. Does anyone have suggestions for a quiet all tide ramp to launch in the Greater Auckland region |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 8:29am
| Regardless though steps thanks for your words of advice. I will certainly put it in the memory banks! |
Posted By: churbay
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 9:26am
| Make sure the bung is in😀 |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 9:32am
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Quiet ramp.. on the weekend? Thats depends on the weather..  If the ramp has in (right side from land) and out (right side from seaward) basic sea road rules, thu get 'bent' a little with commonsence and consideration for others.... around the mid day early arvo. With good weather, weekend.. Mid morning tend to get the eairly birds coming home.. busy and both side tend to be working coming in and out. mid arvo tends to the the same. As suggested above.. dont make it a fishing trip.. but rather a sea trial, have a look around, get the feel of the boat over wakes chop etc. That prioty, and droping a couple lines as a bonus. Do not forget, note the tide change time and current directions for the whole trip...you can go from dead flat very light breeze, to chop up in a few minutes with current against tide direction. You are looking at SW for the whole weekend breeze sat , dieing off on sunday... SW or W is good for east coast as you are in lea of land in most coastal areas. Thu places like the bottom end of tamaki can chop up with westerly coming down from the sky tower. Most of all.. if you have good batteries , jackets, communications, split pin on the prop good.. the 'Murphy stuff' have a good time. If you 'listen ' to Murphy all goes well. |
Posted By: OuttaHere
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 10:19am
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Leave the livebait stuff at home, and most of the fishing gear. As mentioned, treat it as a sea trial, maybe with a little bit of fishing if everything is going nicely. Worry less about going for a fish than just using it as a practice run. If you head out with the mindset of going for a mission it will lead to poor decision making. Be prepared to can the trip at any point. If the motor is running poorly, take the boat out of the water. If it's really hard to start at the ramp, take it out of the water and figure out why, don't assume you'll be able to sort it once you're out on open water. Even once you get it started, run it at fast idle (if it's a 2-stroke) for a while, then turn it off and make sure it re-starts easily. All good reasons you don't want to be doing this at a packed ramp with lots of impatient people around. |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 10:36am
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Very valid points and in agreement. Thanks Rozboon for your points about the motor. |
Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 10:45am
| New to you, used boat. Have you tried your cold start procedure out using muffs at home? Good idea if you haven't got the cold start already nailed. A lot of older 2 strokes have their own particular needs to start well. Better to work that out at home rather than at the ramp. Take extra oil and fuel of course as you don't know yet what your consumption rate will be. Take a basic tool kit and of course all your communications gear in case of a break down. |
Posted By: Ecko
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 10:49am
True. Yes we've done the cold start using muffs at home, will go for another practice launch tomorrow if weather allows. Have got extra oil, extra fuel.
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