With the King of Jetskifishing tournament all wrapped up, I decided to have a relaxing fishing session with a leisurely cruise for some Snapper on the Hauraki Gulf. I had been encouraged by a few other keen jetskifishos to take advantage of the great weather we had been experiencing. The previous day had welcomed variable winds and I was looking forward to the same conditions for my session… I was not so lucky, the forecast had changed and I had a slight chop to deal with… yet no problem on the WaveRunner with the luxury feature of trim adjustment to make for a more comfortable ride. Before heading out I had researched some of my previous trips, on my archived reports at the http://www.jetskifishing.co.nz/jetskifishing-reports website, assessing where the fish frequented this time last year. The information is very helpful and with seasons and changing water temperatures, fish hold in similar spots at various times of the year. My destination was out wide for this adventure, to what I call the “work up zone”
I departed from my local, the most accessible all tide ramp of Bucklands Beach and headed out via the Noises in the direction of Little Barrier… I have found in past trips, if I ride about five miles further from the Noises, nine times out of ten I will find the bird activity I am looking for. This time was no different, I usually spot in the distance the odd boat in the middle of nowhere with Gannets circling high in the air…
It wasn’t long and I was right in the heart of the work up, an awesome buzz, adding to the whole jetskifishing experience. You know with all the activity there is going to be some easy fishing, the larger fish are pushing the bait fish to the surface while the birds are dive bombing from the air, creating a giant burley trail for the Snapper beneath!
Before I had even got a chance to get really organized, my first fish of the day was caught on the Gulp 7” Nuclear Chicken.
Then I tried mixing up techniques, using the sixty gram Daiwa – Bay Rubber… Using the slow jig, it creates a different attraction for the fish. I would cast about twenty metres a head of the ski, letting the lure slowing drift back towards me while letting more line out , so it would make it to the lower fish sign. If I didn’t get a solid strike, I continued with a slow retrieve, winding my line in aiming for a fish to attract to the moving Bay Rubber! This worked a treat, with me getting a hook up each time within ten metres of each wind up from the sand, an easy option for any newbies to refine this technique.
Amongst all this activity, there were Dolphins smashing through the work ups, taking advantage of the fish life… To add to the adrenalin buzz, I was next seeing whales surfacing right in the middle of the activity! The whale experience is exhilarating, yet keeps you very cautious wondering where it will surface next!
With a few more Snapper in the chilly bin, I tried a few more jigs, this time the eighty gram Daiwa- Pirate… First one down and lost it to what I think was a cuda, the menace of the work ups. The cudas hit anything shiny and normally slice through your trace! I tried again, after re-gearing and this time another Snapper with the same technique as I used previously on the Bay Rubber.
I continued catching and releasing a few more Snapper, as I already had enough fish in my chilly bin to feed my household. Was great to be back out enjoying a sample of the hot fishing we can enjoy in the coming months… No big fish on this occasion, but the fish are great eating size for the pan.
For any of the newbies, work up fishing is great fun and makes for some easy fishing. Make sure all the safety boxes are ticked, as these trips are longer range… Come down to see me at the new shop, to check you are prepared for your next Jetskifishing adventure. Test rides are also available for anybody looking at upgrading to the latest in 1.8 litre Yamaha WaveRunners.
No comments:
Post a Comment