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Chasing 30's Mokau!

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=129550
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 6:55pm


Topic: Chasing 30's Mokau!
Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Subject: Chasing 30's Mokau!
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2018 at 1:13pm

Hi All, had another memorable day off the big smoke- Mokau! yesterday afternoon. Firstly regarding fishing the Westcoast from Manakau to down this way where ever you read reports on were to go for Snapper, everyone  seems to have this 50-60 metre mark as the place to be. 

For years iv'e  scratched my head thinking your driving past the best fishing to be had in alot closer. Especially if the 20lb barrier is on the bucket list as it is with most Snapper fisherman if it hasn't been achieved. Still plenty out there but are easier to catch in closer using more effective methods to target them. 

Thats my opinion only. On to the FishingThumbs Up Couldn't  catch bait on Sabiki's  at Favourite spot  so made the decision to head back in by the cliffs where we could see Gannets Bombing a few hundred Metres off shore. It paid off and had ten big Kahawai in the bin before to long! But that was no where near enough as we were to find out later onBig smile out Heids and i went again and set straylines. Quiet until the tide turned then they started hitting the big baits with intent as they build up for Spawning. Smashing a whole fillet and destroying them in twenty odd seconds! 

We were hooking up good fish to 20 lbs and over, all went back apart from some smaller models kept for eating. I was after something bigger so changed over to all big Kahawai Heads and underbelly as baits. Wasn't long before i had a screamer of a run! i let it go and go visualising when the fish might have it engulfed enough to strikeWink 

Let e'm have it and wham it was all on. huge runs, get some back and let e'm go again. Eventually had fish to net, upon lifting thought its a 30 lb da! but upon weighing back in town came up just short. Best Snap for a while and a long fish for Measure Comp. After the last kahawai was used pulled the pin leaving the fish on the bite still. 

First photo is of an unhooked releasing a mid 20's at side of boat charging off leaving a trademark tail splashLOL Other two of the big one i kept on boat and at home after cleaning boat with Heids. Cheers All....





Replies:
Posted By: Johnny Watson
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2018 at 1:24pm
Awesome reort Geoff and congrats on the big snapper!!!


Posted By: White snake
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2018 at 1:24pm
Top effort geoff.i made the trip up couple weeks ago and couldint believe the condition of the fish.managed one at 10.3 kg and some real nice 5 to 6kg fish.Had dolphins and gannets around us most of the day.What a truly amazing fisherie you have at your back door step.


Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2018 at 2:08pm
Great report to read on a shi^^y Saturday afternoon, Geoff. Massive snaps, well done.
I have always wondered that about the fishing out west, re the depth. I know guys who've been on charters out of Kawhia and Raglan and they are given massive sinkers to stop tangles and hold the bottom in that depth, doesn't appeal really.Each to their own, as they say. But I know i'd rather be in your little Mac catching donkeys than miles out at sea in 60m.


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2018 at 6:45am
Originally posted by The Tamure Kid The Tamure Kid wrote:

Great report to read on a shi^^y Saturday afternoon, Geoff. Massive snaps, well done.
I have always wondered that about the fishing out west, re the depth. I know guys who've been on charters out of Kawhia and Raglan and they are given massive sinkers to stop tangles and hold the bottom in that depth, doesn't appeal really.Each to their own, as they say. But I know i'd rather be in your little Mac catching donkeys than miles out at sea in 60m.
Thanks TTK, I did that, took another Forum Member out on Mac last weekend! A post is due anytime. Should be a great read!Beer


Posted By: robdunk
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2018 at 8:31am
Awesome fish, what would your PB be?


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2018 at 9:03am
Originally posted by robdunk robdunk wrote:

Awesome fish, what would your PB be?
15.7 kg's, caught in 2006 and a few mid 14 kg's over the following years. Beer


Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2018 at 3:45pm
Great fish Geoff.
 
Geoff was hoping to fish the Kawhia Snappa Casha comp on Friday /Saturday but despite best efforts could not get a ticket (it sold out some time ago) there was a capacity field of 280 odd anglers, he would have blitzed the winning fish by a good margin and taken second place as well.
Bugger.
 
Cheers


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The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2018 at 5:35pm
Originally posted by feeder feeder wrote:

Great fish Geoff.
 
Geoff was hoping to fish the Kawhia Snappa Casha comp on Friday /Saturday but despite best efforts could not get a ticket (it sold out some time ago) there was a capacity field of 280 odd anglers, he would have blitzed the winning fish by a good margin and taken second place as well.
Bugger.
 
Cheers
Thanks for the kind words Dennis! Heids may of got 2ndBig smile Got to be in to win though. Tried buying tickets a day after they went on sale in Sponsors Shops but all goneCry Three Boat loads of Kawhia Guys Fished Mokau for it. They stayed below me, I showed them my fish, blew them away, then came all the offers of I'll weigh it in and go ya halfs etcLOL


Posted By: Muzzfishing
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2018 at 6:13pm
Wow Geoff there is some huge Snaps down your way. Thats a good looking Snapper.Thumbs Up



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Posted By: CrayZfish
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2018 at 10:18am
Love the monster Snapper down there Geoff, they all look like giant pannies, not much colour and no ugly lumps from smashing shellfish.
 
Are they all like that or do you get some gnarly red buggers with the big foreheads??
 


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Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2018 at 6:20am
Originally posted by CrayZfish CrayZfish wrote:

Love the monster Snapper down there Geoff, they all look like giant pannies, not much colour and no ugly lumps from smashing shellfish.
 
Are they all like that or do you get some gnarly red buggers with the big foreheads??
 
Hi Stephen, Only ever caught a few with a lump, but they still the job done smashing shellfish! The big one in this post had decent size Paua shells crushed up digesting in its guts. One i got a few weeks back had a freshly eaten crayfish with a tail around 30mm wide.Beer


Posted By: Marligator
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2018 at 6:32am
Great fish Geoff what is the water clarity like where you fish and in along the coast, if it is fairly poor most of the time then this will explain why they are not darker in colour and look more like pannies. My understanding as to why our east coast shallower water snapper are much darker and redder is because the water is generally clearer allowing more light to penetrate deeper (quite possibly the UV light is the issue) and the fish get sun burnt. I know over in Oz when they first started fish farming snapper all the snapper were like what we would call kelpies and of very little value, they had to develop a new way of doing things, I am not sure whether they have shade cloth or have deeper nets, bt they have got it sorted.

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Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2018 at 8:06am
Checkout the size of it's gob in the last pic.

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Top 10 finish
2024 Grunter Hunter.


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2018 at 1:37pm
Originally posted by Marligator Marligator wrote:

Great fish Geoff what is the water clarity like where you fish and in along the coast, if it is fairly poor most of the time then this will explain why they are not darker in colour and look more like pannies. My understanding as to why our east coast shallower water snapper are much darker and redder is because the water is generally clearer allowing more light to penetrate deeper (quite possibly the UV light is the issue) and the fish get sun burnt. I know over in Oz when they first started fish farming snapper all the snapper were like what we would call kelpies and of very little value, they had to develop a new way of doing things, I am not sure whether they have shade cloth or have deeper nets, bt they have got it sorted.
Hi Marligator, the water where i fish is 80% of the time a little murky as i'm off two river mouths. When it rains heavy they are brown, pushing it out to sea. So your theory would be spot on! Only Caught a hand full of bigger Snaps over the years here the darker red, and its like spot the odd one out!Beer


Posted By: Marligator
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2018 at 2:11pm
Geoff thought that would be the case, are you fishing up between the Mokau and Awakino rivers a lot of the time.

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