With weekends of rotten weather and the time we did get out proving to be fruitless we were amped for a cracker day as chirping tweets had told us that the spring run of Snapper had indeed arrived. We were ever watchful as the winds prior to this day were howling and cold Sou' Westers with patchy skies and thinning clouds diminishing into light greys with a scattering of that nuisance misty light rain ...a spray even. Typical end of winter patterns for up here, so I was sure we would enjoy a more tranquil wind pattern the next day...we were forecasted for SW winds dying out.
A leisurely drive and launch at Parua Bay at Gents Hours saw us only the third customer at the boat ramp. We were like giggly kids as we transferred gear from car to boat and strops and flags to car and had the boat in the water faster than a formula one pit crew.

Lovely calm cruise down and out of the harbour entrance, three bigs ships in alongside and one about a mile away from us that just had the pilot transferred and approaching fast, fortuitously for us the tide was perfect for us to exit stage right and skip over the sand bank and shave at least ten minutes off and not play chicken with a 20K tonne ship. Interestingly after this ship there was another two anchored out in Bream Bay awaiting their turn.

Our game plan was to venture and ply the waters past the Ruakaka River and have a look around the Golf Course and Ureriti and if no good venture further down to Waipu river. Reports suggested folk doing well in 10-15m, another favourite little bird of mine told me 20m mark... So as we approached and looked at the signs, the sounder wasn't showing much, but there was good birdlife fairly close in from 10m into 5m and less, tons of Gannets were gathering plus sitting and a few going in here and there, but seem as they were going in at an angle suggested their prey was fairly shallow and close to the surface, so just baitfish, maybe even a bit of left over whitebait coming out of the Estuarines...we had a wee drift, dragged a bait along the bottom and Mike softee'd a Gulp whilst I tried this strange and weird metal lure from a strange and weird Mr Kaveman. Bites were very little and few and far between and looking at how Mikes softee had chunks out of told me Leatherjackets. Ok I suggested to Mike that we are wasting time and that there was only baitfish here that the gannets were feeding on and no predators hitting them, so I took the helm and we headed out to the 20m mark and could see reasonable gannet sign further out, again lots sitting and the ones that were up were circling and watching and then we see splashing and fins as a big pod of dolphin amassed a bait ball and were annihalating it moving quite fast, we followed them just hanging off and observing nature and a raw feeding frenzy unfold at its best and then saw the massive bait ball on the sounder, . Action galore with birds rocketing in and that sonic boom when they hit the water followed a succession of maybe 20-30 going off like rounds of a shotgun...and then the entire pod maybe 40-50 swarmed and multiplied around the boat and gave us a sight to behold, there were many young ones barely a metre long and the adults were training them to hunt, my clunky slow camera just could not keep up with the action. They moved but as a group stayed tight in the area and we watched them feeding more with the birds watching and following them and we were left with a bait ball, quick mark on the gps as a reference and starting point and we setup a drift line.

Again a twin hook rig snooded with a ball sinker on the trace to a swivel and drag it in the current on the big Shimano Baitrunner and my second rod out the Shimano Starlo with a baby Baitrunner and that weird Kaveman lure... We worked the bait ball and did a few drifts and had some big hits and then ping all has gone light on the baits and we were Cooted (Baracoutta) as the razor gang bit us off, and even big fish on...fight wind, lift, runs...get line back...and then ping...bitten off at the swivel. We decided to persevere as I felt that as the tide dropped to that magic bite time 2 hours before low would see better fish. So after both re-rigging a few times Mikes hooks up and has a big hard fight and Mr Cooter turns up, this we gaff and keep as a bit of fresh bait.

Two minutes later and its my turn as my turn as a good tussle turns into another whoppa Cooter. Quick hands and patience with the long nose pliers to stay away from those massive fangs and she is on her way. With the trace completely sliced to bits it was time to replace it, luckliy I had pre-rigged several twin hooked snoods on 80lb trace ready to go and was back in action ready to go as a big pillie was sent down in the current and we setup another drift over the bait ball, bait down, eyes on the sounder...watching our drift, seeing the sign on the sounder,now and bombs away as we dropped softees and this strange Mr Kaveman down and just below the surface on the Shimano Starlo and Baby Baitrunner and boom a massive hit and a huge run and then  it went quiet and then then was sort of not really doing anything...Argh another Cooter mate I said to Mike... ok more runs and then stop and then quiet and different directions...I was still convinced it was a big Cooter so I thought stuff it lets just have fun so I upped the drag a little a gave it a bit of stick and then it woke up and charged off again so I thought maybe I should just be cool calm and collected and stop playing...yeah I was having fun...more runs...hmmn maybe this Coota maybe small King... a long slog later and up pops a damn fine Snapper...Net Net, Cmon Mike, hurry up bro no trace so don't touch the line... and it slid into the net beautifully as a 66.5 cm model hit the deck... and on that weird Kaveman!

Skite pic

So with jubilations and a handshake to celebrate the ceremonial duck broken for the new season it was game on! New Shimano Starlo and Baitrunner 4000 blooded, up into rod rack it went and down came the next new toy to have a play with a JM Sabre 100 with my usual go to strayliner Shimano TLD15 and that weird Kaveman lure was still staring at me....still not convinced with this thing, I muttered to Mike... Shortly afterwards the big Fin-Nor Baitcaster got hit with a whole Piper pinned with two hooks to swim natural with a small ball sinker on its nose...and this was another nice fish but on the bigger Shimano Baitunner and 30lb mono... I like to mix mono and braid and see what the bite of the day is, sometimes less sensitive mono and circles is preferred for a sensitive bite especially in the winter versus the suicide style on braid with zero stretch, those are better for an angry bite in my opinion...anyway it was taken not long below the surface maybe 5m and the reels' bail arm was still open and line just spiralled off at a great rate of knots and this was dropping a bait down!... quickly I hoisted the rod out of the holder and pointed the rod down in the direction of the spiralling line taking care not to get the line caught in the bail arm and cause a tangle and bust off...watch the line slow down and become a steady movement as the fish stopped taking line, I then carefully flipped the bail arm closed...allowed the line to come tight and gave a short sharp jab of the big Fin-Nor and it was game was on again... off it went on a brilliant 50m run...woohoo and then it stopped big head nods this was a fighter and a half, did maybe 5 - 6 runs...and turned into a 62cm model.

After this Mike hooks up on his softy and ping Coota'd... my next bait out...Zzzzzzzzing fast long run and ping Coot'd.... We re-rigged re-baited and re-grouped our game plan and thought lets have a move to where those other gannets have been gathering, we have this bait ball marked on the GPS and can always come back later. By now we were maybe an hour into the bite time and the tide had another hour before the Ebb. We watched the birds and parked our selves up wind, sorted the drift line so we would pass under them, big whole pillie at the ready, pinned with twin Gamakatsu Octopus 10/0 suicide style and that weird Kaveman thingee...Mike with squid and a softee at the ready...eyes down on the house (sounder screen) ...here we go sign appearing...bombs away, baits dropped, lures deployed... boom boom boom as gannets go in, and then oh no five gannets hit my piper all at once and one was wrapped up around its wing, so I slowly wound it in, put towels on the gunnels, gloves on the hands as these can bite and this one had a bloody big beak, got it up real close and gently wrapped a towel around and magically the bait and rig fell of its wing and away it went totally unharmed... What a relief.

Ok re-rig and get a bait ready...drift through the bait ball and boom that damn Kaveman on the JM Sabre screams off...my mate curses me with much blaspheme and expletives that would be too rude to mention ...again just below the surface barely mid water and all this in 21m... anyway big long run, stop nod nod, yep snappa bro, more runs, more nods, all the way up...and oh yuk its a sodden Coota...quick flick of the pliers, but oh no this one wanted to play for keeps so after a msiive thrash and head shakes and trying to remain calm an avoid those huge teeth I manage to drop  and she is on her way.... I then examine the hooks and assists and am stunned that this damn Kaveman's are damn near indestructible...I show Mike and we both raise our noses...look away and mutter no lure is this strong.

More drifts and Mike lands his first Snap for the day more banter and expletives as I tease him of a baby 48cm model.

Next drift and boom three rods went off at almost the same time, all three were in the rod holder, I was scoffing on a sandwich and damn near bit my fingers as the reels howled whilst I tried stop choking and sang out to Mike; All Hands Action stations... Mike had his softee rod under his arm whilst pouring a cup of tea...what a scream of our laughter and enjoyment of the singing reels and massively bent over rods... we looked at each other shook our heads and just giggled like spoilt fat brat kids in a cake shop, I  grabbed my rod with the bait on and sank the hook, set the drag firmly not too hard and clicker on and put it back in holder, grabbed the JM Sabre with that Kaveman thing and did the same and put rod back in holder and then helped Mike net his fish, and then attended to mine and eventually three more fine Snaps graced the bin...this pattern repeated with our drifts as we approached the bottom of the tide and the wind had dropped away...we kept up the same pattern and found when the tide changed the fish were still on the bite, but very interestingly we could not get a fish on the surface or mid water as the afternoon progressed as the tide began to flood the fish went down and we had to present baits and lures down around the bottom area, hence change to a heavier ball sinker for the bait rod and...dare I say it on that scary Kaveman to get down deeper also...
Another Coota, another Snapper and then I caught a glimpse of a big King and under it a school of smaller kings... Oh for a livie, I threw a piper at and it turned sniffed it and then did the classic snobby Kingy ignore, maybe they shoud be called Queenfish...she didn't even ponder looking at the Kaveman...

We joked and cajouled over the 3 fish, 7 fish and then 9 as I caught them with Mike trying to catch up as we had a huge competition and banter all afternoon. The next toy to be blooded was a Shimano Starlo spiral wrap 6-10kg, plus baby shimano tld10 and 10lb Stren braid... and we continued to have huge fun all afternoon until we reached 16 Snapper and could not put any more in the bin and decided Tangaroa has blessed us enough.

We packed up and headed in as NZTurtle, Lady Krow and Mike came out on the good ship Walkabout for and evening bash, quick stop and banter with them, telling them where to go... and it was home for the big carve up. Ok only 8 fish to cut up for me but what a mission and not much was wasted as some families wanted heads, wings and backbones, the rest of the fillets so far have fed 7 familes with my 8 fish. o bring back our 9 I reckon cos a few more poor folk would have enjoyed seafood they can no longer afford nor catch... And Mike was off to Jafaland the next day to deliver fish and kaimoana to whanau, so we were humbled with our catch and being able to share our Bounty or Hunt, as it were...this is The Kiwi Way.

Every fishing trip I learn something from studying and observing nature, sea currents, patterns and tide lines, bird behavior, mammal movements, baitfish feeding pattern, predators changing depths and heights and when they will come in closer to boats...and of course the fish bite pattern...

So it was intereting to observe and watch the birds and dolphins and their intent at the times they were in feed mode. When they would gather, watch, dive -bomb and hang off, and many sat on bat balls also, maybe they were full and resting before taking their food fish home to their chicks. There was no other birds, no pesky mutonbirds/ducks/petrels..etc

The predating fish species was amazing to see them up in the water column in the morning until Low tide at about midday and then down on the bottom layer for the incoming during the arvo

Sofftees don't always work even the flavoured Gulps in several colours and type, so mix it up with bait as well, squid and pillies were bait of the day, piper next, trevally, mullet, fresh Coota - Nothing... so learn what they like as chances are that is what they are feeding upon. In our case perhaps Pillchard schools.

We did not catch any bait fish like mackerals and kahawai, only Coota and Snaps...that was strange... we also never caught any throw back little snaps...

...and another

Yuk so overrated

And that damn Kaveman keeps following me

He will get a kiss when I see him next.