Forum invades Little Barrier!

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    Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 10:33am
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Titanium
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29 Sept 2019

Having avoided any debacles with the change to daylight saving, a small but excited group of Forum members gathered at Sandspit to board JW's stylish big Surtees hard top Tickety for a much-anticipated lure trip out into the Hauraki Gulf. 
Our luck was in, with a sunny, but breezy day ahead of more crap on the way.
Jonathan (JW) is rapidly making a name for himself in the charter market with Northside Adventures since making a 'sea change' from too many years behind a desk, and it's easy to see why. He'd been out in the pre-dawn catching a few livies for the trip before picking us up and his custom Surtees is a great fishing set up.

It was great to meet JW in person, and fellow members Clifftastic, Popeye, and Macrayfish. We were soon cruising out through North Channel aimed for Little Barrier, the Surtees making light work of a rising NW chop.

None of us 'crew' had been to the island before, and it was truly impressive as we approached - a looming jagged dark hulk topped with a swirling, moody, cloud. The plan was to fish softbaits in close on the sheltered sides in 10-17m, before having a crack in the deep drifting kaburas.

With the big shute deployed, we spread around the boat and gave it heaps. Clifftastic is a softbait newbie, but soon had the technique nailed, and was the first to hook up. Just a little one, but he got on to a couple of nice ones later in the high-50cms. JW regularly reset our drifts and I got on the board with a twin of Clifftastic's fish in the high 50cms on a Z Man Fusilier 7", and lost what felt like a heavy fish which just sat there as a dead weight, then broke me off on a rock just as it woke up to the fact that it was hooked. Typical!
We shifted to a number of spots around the coastline, all of us in awe of the Jurassic-looking vegetation spilling down to the rocky beaches, and the amazing birdsong. What a place!

We had a small kahawai livie out and the drag screamed at one point. JW thought he saw a big snapper-like shape mooching around near the concerned bait. 

The story of the morning was fairly tough fishing in close, so we headed out wider and though JW had us over plenty of sign, the fish had their mouths shut except for a few nibbles and one pannie for Popeye. JW couldn't locate any workups with the binos, so in a building northerly the call was to head back to the area we had done best on the softies.

Little Barrier is certainly a soft baiting Mecca, with patches of foul and pristine sand visible below even in 12m. To show us amateurs how it's done, JW had a cast from the anchor well and immediately nailed a beauty in the mid-60cms on a Motor Oil jerk shad and passed it to Clifftastic to fight with aplomb. I got another nice fish which fought powerfully - again on the Fusilier colour, which was working best for me.

The call was made to head for home about 4pm, and despite JW saying it was very hard fishing, I had really enjoyed having the chance to fish such a beautiful place and land a few really solid string pulling fish. I'll have to go back with JW to have round two with the biggie that eluded me this trip.

It was a slower trip home across lumpy seas before we stopped off at a couple of spots near Kawau - last chance saloon, and Popeye nailed a nice pannie. A fitting end to a great day on the water.

If you are a keen lure fisho, particularly softbaiting, I'd highly recommend a trip with JW and Northside. JW never stopped working to get us on to fish, has quality gear on board if you don't bring your own. We ended up with plenty of fish to go home with, but for me it was more about the chance to get out to an area I'd heard so much about but would never be able to fish under my own steam.

Thanks JW for putting on a special price for us members. We appreciate it and I look forward to another trip with you one day soon. I had a fantastic day, and to Popeye, Macrayfish and Clifftastic, thanks for the fun company and banter.
I didn't get any pics of fishing action, but here's one of the stunning island. 


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 11:20am
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Titanium
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Cool...
Was looking at this trip on the quiet.. was weather more than anything...
 Havnt know such few windows for around 7 or 8 yrs now..
Will certainly be looking towards the next...

Never been on a proper charter....or the barrier yet.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 11:47am
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I have no connection with Jonathan whatsoever, but he's given me a lot of help through the Forum threads, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his operation - his communication with us was great, and he ran a really professional day, never stopped working to get us on to fish, changing up lure colours, moving the boat even a few metres to get on to the right drift line etc. 
he has tea and coffee, water, sunscreen, all the safety gear, a loo if you need it.

I've been on a few of the well-known lure fishing charters over the years and Jonathan is right up there. His Surtees is about 7.5m and well set up.

I know you are more of a bait man, Steps, but I'm sure you'd enjoy soft baiting and lure fishing in that location. Spring will be awesome with work ups etc before or after some soft baiting in the shallows.

Drop JW a line and see what's possible. [EDIT: I see below he's happy to have bait fishos dropping into the work ups alongside lure fishos, which is what Damo used to do with Diversity. It works well]
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (2) Likes(2)   Quote JW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 1:59pm
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Titanium
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Thanks again for coming and for putting up a trip reportThumbs Up. Really great to meet you all. Awesome crew of like-minded people. 
I was very happy that gap in the weather allowed us to get to Little Barrier. It's a special place. 
Was very tough fishing but that area can turn up a PB even on the toughest days. Persistence was nearly rewarded for TTK with a fish that knew exactly where to swim to win it's freedom.
Even so, respectable fish were landed over the course of the day. BTW no problem with bait fishing on board when I'm doing the work-up hunting trips Big smile

www.northsideadventures.co.nz
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Far Quirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 4:58pm
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Well done Lester.  Slightly quiet, but you still nailed some nice fish.  The colour on that last snapper is a beautiful kelpie brown.  You must have a helluva lure collection - never seen or heard of a Fusilier.
Far Quirk - I'm goin' fishn!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 6:15pm
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Originally posted by Far Quirk Far Quirk wrote:

Well done Lester.  Slightly quiet, but you still nailed some nice fish.  The colour on that last snapper is a beautiful kelpie brown.  You must have a helluva lure collection - never seen or heard of a Fusilier.

Yeah, lovely fish of 59cm. It had one bung eye, but liked the look and brightness of the fluoro green/blue Fusilier colour. 

You're not wrong, Geoff - I've got plenty of Z Mans to chose from! I enjoy trying different ones, including colours or styles that you can't get in NZ.

Fusilier is a new release this year out of Z Man USA - Ocean Angler got a shipment here but sold out quite quickly with the marketing hype they generated. I got mine from Australia at a good price. It definitely got more hits than the other colours I tried, though for an educated man like yourself I certainly wouldn't claim it as a scientific study. Got all three of my good fish on it, plus the donkey that busted me. Would have thought a natural colour would be better in the gin clear water and reasonably bright conditions, but the fish voted with their mouths. Though obviously technique and luck plays a part, JW said some days a particular colour is really 'on'.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Telecaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2019 at 10:14pm
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Sounds great boys, well done 👍
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Clifftastic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2019 at 9:41am
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Great write up Lester. Good to meet you all and cheers JW for a memorable trip!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2019 at 8:16pm
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Thanks Tyler. You were on fire, considering you hadn't soft baited before. Hopefully I'll see you out on the Tamaki Strait over the summer season. I'll try not to drift over your berley trail with my soft baits Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Popeye. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2019 at 9:26pm
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Thankyou for a great day Jonathon, you put in the hard yards and 10 out of 10 for effort to put us on fish.
To anyone considering a charter on soft baiting jonathon is a great guy, good boat, nice gear and only too willing to help.
Was an awesome day on the water and great to meet some like minded fishes & f'netters.
The venue was to be remembered, 1st time at Little Barrier, untouched picturesque and Jurassic like.
Lester a well penned recount of the day. I only wish I shared your skillset on soft baiting and you reaped the rewards for comittment time and effort. An education I will enjoy put into practice in the future.

Great to meet all of you and look forward to the next trip.
Richard
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2019 at 10:08pm
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Looks like it was a good day. i very nearly put my hand up for this one but in the end the lure of a west coast mission proved too strong for my lack of will power. Good on you JW, a long term forum member giving something back. I wouldn't trust that Popeye though. I took him out gurnard fishing once then he slayed me in my own gurnard fishing competition Big smileLOLBig smile
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Snappa Geoff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Oct 2019 at 5:45am
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Great Day all round Guys! Top effort JW offering a discounted day out to Forum MembersThumbs Up
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