The Drought is broken
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=37174
Printed Date: 04 Aug 2026 at 3:45pm
Topic: The Drought is broken
Posted By: NZFisher
Subject: The Drought is broken
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:16am
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The weather gods have played fair this summer and Saturday was no exception. 3 knot variables and -.25m swell. Leigh reef was the target and a small crew was assembled for the assault. 0700 on the water and a quick paddle out to the Old Man for livies followed by a gentle stroll out to the reef with a non-compliant 25cm Trevally in tow as a kingfish appetizer. The birds were working the whitebait schools and kahawai/rat kings were busting the water regularly. It was gonna be a f**kin ripper! but as these things often do, it never really got going....4 hours later, after about 100 jig drop & retrieves and 25 plastics lost to the greeblies the patience was wearing a little thin. We had about 100 kings of various sizes from 40cm up to about a meter regularly buzzing the yaks, but they had only managed to scare my livies to death so far and no takes. The guys with me had a few catch & release Kings, but i was still on a duck by 1130. I saw a school of Koheru below my boat and strung up some no. 12 Sabiki's with a 5" Pink Shine as weight to drop on them and try & get a 'real' livie. No go immediately so i dropped the line to the bottom. Then all hell broke loose. I wasn't prepared to be hit by a king while the Sabiki’s were on and played it very very smooth. Reduced drag significantly and just used the curve of the rod to pressure the fish up. It is by far the longest battle I've had in the yak and my savage/Exceller combo performed admirably. the only problem was that about half way up the fish changed. Suddenly I wasn't being pulled to Chile, I was on an up & down struggle, which i was actually winning bit by bit. The water clarity was exceptional, about 10m vertical, so I was peering over the side trying to see what was coming in.....still too bloody deep. The fear was if I apply any more pressure the sabiki mainline would part (10lb mono....sh*t!!) After some more cajoling and gentle lifts the last 10m were given up far too easily by the fish and finally a, what, a Snapper!!! lay beside the boat. It was easily my best form the yak and immediately looked 20+ I had no gaff, but by this time he was wasted and was no problem to bring aboard. Any thought of release was dismissed by the distended bowel and swim bladder and the fact he'd come out of 30m. It finally weighed in at 9.68kg or just under 22lb and is my best snapper (and first 20) in 14 years - that is one hell of a long time between drinks!!
Profish, softplastics and a 20lb. Perfection.
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Replies:
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:22am
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Thats awesome Derrick. Well done mate, long time coming! ------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: NZFisher
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:28am
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Cheers Jade, First 20 from the Yak, and first since 1995....I was resigned to the fact I'd lost my mojo..... ------------- |
Posted By: one leg
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:30am
Well Derrick nice fish shame about the boat thing but very well done(10lb)  that will put you ahead of Pete------------- woman who say they are equal to men ,show lack of Ambition . |
Posted By: LEVCAT
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:32am
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yeha mate what a story... excellent stuff.
well done 
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Posted By: mozz
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:33am
| Congratulations. thats an awesome effort. |
Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:35am
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Look at that sea wish it was like that yesterday!! Well done....
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Posted By: fatjimmy
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 10:40am
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thats really amazing! i got one like that up in late dec.
same size.. must be a good spot!!
well done!
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Posted By: biggear
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 11:54am
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nice fish. ------------- Dont let the grey hair fool you! |
Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 11:59am
awesome
-------------  www.kavemantackle.co.nz
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Posted By: Doubie
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 1:09pm
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What a day - thae water looked superb. Great story Delbnz and a beaut fish to boot
 . Congratulations |
Posted By: Dorsal fin
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 4:14pm
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Fantastic effort ! Mate there is no such thing as loosing your Mojo in a Profish ------------- . |
Posted By: crowbar
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 5:15pm
| Great story & excellent fish especially on 10lb trace |
Posted By: BeachedAsBro
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 5:46pm
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Yeehaa!!! Nice report too mate
My only 20lber off the bricks was like that. Mates around me pulling in pannies all evening and I was looking like being zilched... then out the blue - WHAMO!!!  ------------- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish caught will we realise we can't eat money. |
Posted By: MJ
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 6:13pm
| Thats a great catch. Lovely looking fish. Well done. |
Posted By: Nsane
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 6:20pm
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Nice one.. Congrats on your 22lb |
Posted By: Capnnod
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 8:11pm
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Top fish from a Yak! or anythig for that matter.
------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: jimt
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 9:15pm
| Hi. Good effort. My 2 pb's have been 24 @ 24-1/2 lbs, about 4 miles from where you were. Keep it up, cheers. |
Posted By: spaycee
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 11:34pm
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Heya delbnz, well done, I was just telling my mate about you tonight (Im a fellow yakkie too). I was one of the freedivers you guys were fishing next to. Shoulda seen the size of the Kingies 3m beneath your yak at times not to mention other critters with teeth!
Was a great morning out on the water was it not? ------------- I've always wanted to be somebody...I guess I should have been more specific. |
Posted By: spaycee
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 11:37pm
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Oh and well done on that Snap, must admit, my sounder doesn't work at the best of times but it was full of chunky sign that morning like I"ve not seen before, you must have landed one of those chunks then! ------------- I've always wanted to be somebody...I guess I should have been more specific. |
Posted By: sikaslayer
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2009 at 11:41pm
| Top stuff. I'm still waiting for mine! |
Posted By: CEEBEE
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2009 at 3:50pm
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A fine specimen, makes up for all that idle time waitn.
------------- I STARTED THE DAY WITH NO FISH AND I STILL HAVE PLENTY LEFT |