Report 053 The wonderful lifestyle of Jetskifishing… 5th and 6th of February 2011

With the warm temperatures we are experiencing in Auckland, comes the time of year when I organise the Jetskifishing over-nighters… With this being the first one of 2011, I and many of the jetskifishing.co.nz fishing community were really looking forward to it! We were even more organised for this one and opened the invite to the growing demographic of female Jetskifishos… The destination was a short trip from the mainland of the Hibiscus Coast to the DOC managed island of Motuora.

The schedule was very flexible with the invite starting approximately 3pm Saturday and to head over at your leisure from which ever ramp suited by those attending. Some used the locality of Orewa, to as far as Sandspit, with most choosing the lesser ride and convenience of Martins Bay. There were so many laughs on this trip, most a comedy of errors from start to finish of individuals experiences, so I will try to keep it brief yet informative!

For my girlfriend Kristy and I we only had a short ride of no more than ten minutes with the WaveRunner fully loaded up! We arrived to the island to see a few of the keener Jetskifishos already set up at camp claiming the prime sites.

I thought we had a lot of equipment, but some were higher maintenance… but I have learnt that air beds were now part of camping, so I was sporting one too for my nights camping!

Once set up at camp we sat around hearing the stories of each other’s trips over from the main land. We all learnt some valuable tips, all with the common denominator that the excitement of the trip meant less logical packing and too much rushing! Mental notes were taken - 1. Don’t drive all the way to Orewa to find the security unlocking device for your jetski is still back in Auckland. 2. Always make sure you have researched the tide to allow enough water to ride your ski out of the river. 3. When camping, you need the tent with you, not left at home in Howick! 4. Don’t carry fizzy drinks loosely onboard to explode when travelling on the water! 5. When purchasing beverages and are looking forward to a cheeky Gordons G&T in the sun, be sure to check the label or you could find you end up with a 10% Gold Beer instead. These were just a few that we may share but will keep names anonymous! What goes on tour stays on tour.

Once the whole group arrived we hatched the plan to head out to Flat rock in some building conditions… Most of the group decided to join the convoy, as a few were keen to experience the buzz of jigging for Kingfish on their new gear. Kristy and I were riding two up and as per normal, once more than one male is on the water it becomes a race from spot to spot! It was a lumpy ride out and Kristy had to hang on like riding a mechanical bull as there were some pretty messy sets of swells in a lot of white wash. The sea soon got the better of us as I was not fully concentrating while checking on the tail enders of the group, I submarined us through a wave! Quite an experience and unfortunately gifting a set of Oakleys to the sea gods!
We eventually got to the spot with the added experience of spotting some Dolphins along the way.

As well as this being a social fish we were desperate for fish to feed eighteen people… and things were looking promising with Craig hooked up on a rat Kingfish at my first stop.
Within another minute I too was on to Kingfish and it was feeling more like dinner, I was not that keen to keep it as I was winding it in, as I was keen on a soft bait session with my new array of Gulp baits and was only testing the area for the new jiggers!
Once the fish was at the surface and I was asking the rest of the team do I need to keep it? And the screams were god yeah!
All between this action Shar and Vicki turned up to the spot and had a classic story with losing a woman over board on the race out! I can say they are a keen two of Jetskifishos and always find the funny side of all our Jetskifishing experiences.
In all the chaos of me choosing not to use the gaff, I just about joined the summer afternoon dip with the fish causing me to slip at my attempt to lift it on board.

The fish was a good contribution for dinner and was soon added to the chilly bin.

It wasn’t long and Craig and Amy also had their first legal Kingfish on the jig… with Braden not long after also landing one!

With a few fish in the bin Kristy and I went and checked on the others who were persisting with their Snapper fishing.

We tried a few other spots closer to Kawau and I didn’t anticipate how far the girls could cast their line. While fishing about twenty metres away from Shar I was just about hooked in the cheek by a stray jig head… their casting range has obviously improved but needs some work on the direction!
With time against us and the wind getting up we all decided to make the wet ride back.

Another hell of a fun trip with plenty of laughs, we arrived back to the camp area, then prepped food for dinner and a few drinks with a great group of Jetskifishos.

The night was a late one and there was a couple that partied a bit later than others, showing the effects in the morning!

The skis were packed once the tide was in and each of us headed back home after a great weekend.

It was a great weekend and reminds us of the awesome opportunities with the lifestyle of Jetskifishing. Keep an eye out for these events as it is a great way to meet fun, like minded people.