latest report is of 31 y/f and 6 marlin - don't know of any weights

all the fish, y/f and marlin, were caught 5 or 6 miles behind white island. y/f were out of the blue ie no work ups. the forecast tomorrow is 20knots of southerly so i'm not sure how many boats will be way out the back of white then.

apparently so. there hasn't been a y/fin hot spot behind whale for about 5 seasons now.

The last tuna comp we did which was 5 years ago - we got ours off the Motu and only a handfull of the 100+ fish came from the once magical meatballs off the Whale! A few nice black marlins where caught in that area thou!

The year before our team got 5 over 40kg about 5nm off the Whale on livebaits - too "easy"!

re the boat sinking heard the boat sank on the whalf and they had a crane there this morning trying to salvage it

strawberry

Latest report as at1715hrs.

6 Marlin, 1 Marko, 1 Blue shark, 1 Kingfish & 38 Yellowfin!

WOW!    what a day for Whakatane.

GOOD STUFF!

I know its only Day One, but where are the people who were saying that the last 3 years was a sure sign we would never see YFT in the Bay again?

obald

good point Oblad...

I was sceptical that we wouldn't get another good YFT season in the BOP in the fore-seeable future....but I am more than happy to be proven wrong in this case!! .... ....some must have managed to dodge the purse seiners tools of the trade!?

Six marlin?....any tagged??

fish just weighed - 77kg y/fin which you would have thought would be the winner but two boats behind it a 112kg big eye was weighed!!!! no longer a y/fin comp but largest tuna wins, that will take some beating.

the 77kg y/fin is the largest caught in the club since 89, i caught a 74kg back then and 1st time its been beaten. looks like its all go!! wish i was there.

whoa....I am impressed.....we need some photos!!!

Obald???....damn....renovations!! 

WOW Great fish.........well i wish i was there......

this will get the punters going that is for sure......  plus put Wakatane back on the map as a Tuna Tornament to fish....... im pleased for the Club as they just keep at it regardless.......  at least this year they will be rewarded.....

very true Lethal...very true indeed!!!'

A lot of others would have folded it a few years back, but the punters kept supporting it and like you say they are being rewarded....

Bay of Plenty take centre stage!

I have heard an interesting rumour from the Wanganella's but will wait for confirmation before letting that one outta the bag......

Lethal.....leave early Sunday back Monday?

This is a seriously exciting thread. Sod bloody work - I want to go fishing ......NOW!

obald

Ahem..... what was it I put in a post in early December about water temperatures being the highest in years ... and that the gamefishing season is gonna be the best in years.

would you beleave i just signed up for a 24hr work stint over that peroid just to help out....... dam...... well for 60hrs pay for 2 days work...... i thought might as well nothing much is happening anyway... even if its in the middle of my dam holidays........ will still leave to go up North but on Tuesday now instead....

yep i heard some rumours 11-13-13.......... sound like it went well Kerren.........

You off to Houhora Lethal?

Kerren, my well placed source says its now up to 50, that was a day or so ago. I can just see them rushing down to Raglan on the next northerly....

Same source dropped a shortbill off the Manukau last weekend. Its going to be a hell of a year I think. May even pull out the blue marlin lures.... Would make a great cover shot.

Thanks for that C2C and you are right the hallmarks of an epic season are unfolding....50??....holly smokes....can't wait for the full report.

Are there fish down Raglan way?...haven't heard anything from that quarter as yet...or are you meaning for refueling purposes??

and a Shortbill off the Manukau?....huh?....next someone will catch a black marlin out there...........maybe even a bluey...or perhaps a wahoo...or even a sailfish?

certainly wide open prospects!

The weather is the problem. There are more blacks than you think this way. I spent over 9 hours on one a few years ago and we hooked one on "Stormbird" on its very first day of gamefishing. I decked for friends the first day of the Raglan One Base on that occasion. We hooked it in 30m of water off Manu Bay at 11 1/2 knots. I worked the deck for a season at Cairns so when I suggest it was better than 500 you can decide how conservative I was being.... It did the full head and shoulders thing three times. I will never get sick of seeing that.

And here's my tip for the weekend. About 18 years ago I fished with a friend out from Tauranga. We finished up off the Aldermans. A long story but the third day was Anniversary Monday. We hooked a black in 10m off the northern corner on a skip bait. The fight was short in that depth. I'll say it was 800lb, although I know how big it really was. The friend is the owner of the charter boat Duvauchelle. We have another trip planned together for Monday. My kid will be having his first day of gamefishing. I wonder if the big black mamma may have a few offspring in the same place?

all good stuff there C2C.....and best of luck with your quest!

Question for ya...how many "westcoast" Blacks have been landed on recreational gear that you know of?

The Black we (Pat, Mark K and myself) got a few years back was a great surprise I can tell you!!

plus ours = 2 ......anyone else got an advance on 2?

yep Bender.... getting everything ready this week... double checked and im off hopefully Tuesday 27th......

just picked up a new reel to try as well of which i have waited 2years for...... the new Formula 24kg two speed..... Rick P and Smithy have been giving em a hiding to over the last 18mths...  with no problems i must add......