The Fishing Spot

Fishing has been tough this summer with huge weather systems presenting themselves week after week. Compounding this, the freshwater from all of the storms seems to have driven the fish out into the deep. I have certainly had to work hard for my fish this year.

My last two trips out have been in between short weather windows either in pelting rain waiting for the weather to clear or in SW winds building to 20 knots. Both trips required a lot of patience and a change in tactics to land any suitably sized fish.

My last trip out was out to the northern channel of Kawau Island. The wind was about to change with the tide and the wind was building. I was reasonably confident after my last trip so I only took a couple of burleys and a small box of pillies. The fishing turned out to be very slow and I didn’t have any tougher baits on board that would stay on the hook long enough for the bigger fish to strike. This was mistake number 1.

After being frustrated for a couple of hours, I decided to pull anchor and head to Little Barrier. Halfway across the Jellicoe Channel my first tote tank of fuel ran out and I only had one spare tote on board. I was forced to turn around and head back to my original spot. Mistake number 2.

By now the wind had picked up quite severely and it was a slow hike back to the mainland. I was super impressed with the performance of the Senator doing 17 knots head on to the SW which was registered as 19 knots gusting 25 knots on the Coastguard APP. This was mistake number 3.

This trip was a good lesson on what can go wrong if you don’t plan properly. Always take extra bait and tackle in case you need to change tactics. Always check your fuel tanks and take enough reserve for when the weather changes. Check the weather forecast both before you go out and throughout the day in case it changes. Common sense tells you that if the big boats are heading back in from out wide, then it’s probably rough out there! Tight lines and stay safe!

Tim Lawrence