23 AprilA memorable day off work, from early start to finish - with water spouts and lightning along the eerily yellow dawn horizon as I left the beach, and thunderclaps above Martins Bay as I landed, having done my first circumnavigation of Kawau Island.
The goal was to explore the island's rugged and beautiful coast in my little FC465, and try any likely looking spots along the way to the famed North Channel.
With no previous trips to reference, Side-vu was helpful showing reefy bottom in 10-16m. The wind seemed to swirl around the various points and bays, and made it hard to work out the direction to cast in.
I got only one or two tantalising pulls at first, but eventually got a solid hit on the drop from a strong 53cm snapper which went in the bin. It took my new favourite lure, a Z Man 5" Streakz Curly Tailz in 'Midnight Oil' - which I got from Australia. It's Motor Oil but with gold flecks. Dynamite. The fat body and wiggly tail seems to attract solid hits on the drop using 3/8oz.
I kept moving and the same lure eventually got nailed below some beautiful cliffs and the fish went on a screaming run, followed by powerful nods and tail beats, and more runs. Eventually up popped my new PB on softbait - a chunky 68cm red (pic below). I released it to fight another day and it swam away powerfully.
All quiet for a while, then got mauled by what I think was a real donkey. Couldn't stop it running and running, despite strongly set drag, and it broke me on the bottom. Another case of what might have been, as I headed ruefully for North Channel.
Plenty of sign in the channel, but I could only get small takers on 7" jerk shads (Z Man Atomic Sunrise and Bruised Banana).
Saving grace was coming across on the way home what seemed like a hectare of big kahawai busting up near Iris Shoal. They were there for ages, and I had a ball with small Z Man and Jackall anchovy type softbaits. Brought home one 55cm torpedo for Thai fish cakes and put the rest back.
Near Martins Bay, kahawai had a massive ball of anchovies pinned against the cliffs. Amazing to see the dark teeming mass of fish fighting for survival, surging in one direction, re-forming and going the other.
As they say, any day fishing beats a day at work, but this one was particularly satisfying - edging closer (in 2cm increments) to the 80cm dream on softbait.