13.06.2010

With a reasonable forecast is time to put Gazebo back in the water, Murray and I left town and headed out to BS1A. It is a 30 km run to the drop off, we arrived to 12 knot northwesterly and lumpy seas. We scouted around for a while and found a couple of areas of fish sign in 210 metres of water, we set up and started a drift pattern. The first fish up was a small shark, definitely not the plan. The second drift Murray had a small Hapuka (Groper) which was the plan. Over the next 2 hours we managed to catch 3 Hapuka, 3 Blue Nose (excellent eating) and a few more small sharks and a couple of small Gemfish (excellent smoked). While we were at the drop off the wind died off but on the way home the wind built up the closer we got to land, with 5 k's to go we stopped and gave a tow to a boat that had broken down.

queens birthday 2010

With winter now upon us the sea conditions have been too rough to take Gazebo out, so Johnstone, Ethan and myself headed back to the Cape Runaway for the Queens birthday long weekend. The forecast was good for Friday and Saturday but turning to custard Sunday. The sea was flat calm driving up Friday afternoon so it was looking good for a early start Saturday. We were on the water before 7am just as it was light and headed to the Cape rocks.

The conditions were perfect for the Cape rocks, usually it is to dangerous to get on them. We were soon set up with berley in the water and it wasn't long before we were catching Kingfish and Snapper.

Ethan with a 9kg Kingfish caught and released, We caught a number of small legal Kingfish releasing all but a 14.8kg which came home for tea.

Johnstone and Ethan with one of the many Snapper caught we kept 8 and released 10
including the 6.4kg one I caught.

Yes it was cold as the wind got up.


The Cape rocks... 2 big ones and 2 small ones( we haven't fished that one yet)

Leaving the Cape after a good days fishing.

The calm before the storm

Ian's Bach we stayed in at Waihau Bay.

Across the road the sea.

The scene in the morning, the swell was building, by 10am the rain had arrived. The day just got worse - heavy rain and gales all day.

Monday morning - rough as, time to go home.

The mighty Motu river in full flood.