Thread: Fishing tomorrow!

Made a detour on the way home from kids sport today to have a scratch in the mud/sand.



Didn't take too long to get a feed (was kicking myself that i hadn't thrown in the drag net and wet suits this morning tho)



There are a few different stories i have heard about how to make them spit out the sand. However there is basically no sand inside a cockle. All the grit comes off the outside of the shell when you steam them open. So the cleaner you can get the outside of the shell the better.

Best method i have found is to agitate them vigorously in a sink with water. When the water dirties empty it. Repeat the process until the shells are clean. Very tasty


@JessicaChen this is what your looking for in that stinky papatowai mud, next time your down those ways

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Cold evening fishing watching the sunset is pretty nice way to relax, couple of Kahawai from a kontiki set and nothing off the rods, Ohope Beach fishes better with a kontiki due to its flat profile.

Fresh fillets fried in butter for breakfast with a couple of fried eggs and the smoker going now for smoked fish and salad for dinner. Its a simple way to eat and live

Casting practice at the local boat ramp and my boy caught a fish on a spinner!

Originally Posted by MB

Casting practice at the local boat ramp and my boy caught a fish on a spinner!

Golden memorys right there.

Those little kahawai go great on lite spinning rods. Had a lot of fun catching them off wharves and river mouths in the past.

my fat belly would grow like a dog eating those fish it is a lot of work baiting all those kontiki hooks but I have always at least caught something. It does seem a bit more like work though compared with only baiting 1 rod. I don't use it much since I have the boat now but it would be cheaper than launching the boat I guess.

Originally Posted by rugerman

Those little kahawai go great on lite spinning rods. Had a lot of fun catching them off wharves and river mouths in the past.

my fat belly would grow like a dog eating those fish

Yep, fun fight, not unlike a trout on light gear. We ate the fish as the boy was keen. Scaled, gutted and gilled, head off then steaked. Coat n Cook and deep fried. It was actually pretty good!

Originally Posted by rugerman

my fat belly would grow like a dog eating those fish it is a lot of work baiting all those kontiki hooks but I have always at least caught something. It does seem a bit more like work though compared with only baiting 1 rod. I don't use it much since I have the boat now but it would be cheaper than launching the boat I guess.

Agee Rugerman, catching a fish on a rod or handline off the beach, rocks or boat is way more fun. A boat is on the cards, I just have to decide where we are going to settle in NZ first. The kontiki or long line is way cheaper to buy, run and maintain than a boat, but as you know/say no where near the fun. Here I was thinking fish was good for your, maybe its all the butter..
Cheers FBD

Took a workmate out this morning.
Had dropped a couple of cray pots yesterday arvo....one crab no crays.
At least no sand sharks or conger eels in the pots.
Stayed shallow rather than target big snaps and be plauged by spiky dogs.
Woulda thought the gurnard would be in by now but still too early in my go to spots.....17 deg water temp.
9-10 panni snapper,couple of Trevor,couple of kahawai, couple of cuda and in on the high at 11.
Nice morning on the water.



And not a single shark caught.

The big tide trip!

Well looked at tide times couple of weeks ago, made a plan crossed fingers and hoped for a good run.

Weather played ball and the team headed for the flats once again for a mid week evening trip, we arrived at different times with the VC clan in the water testing out a channel I have tried as well…looks full of promise but never seems hold fish on the ebb tide.

Did the catch up yarns and with the estuary still holding a lot of water we headed for @ROKTOY shallow spot, it was an unusual ebb an hour before low the estuary was still holding a lot of water we set up a dig across the shallow channel in a runnng tide, got a couple of bites that exploded into rays ..they hit the net and fortunately blew over the top. Our luck didn’t last and we snagged one then another as VC was shook the first two loose a third one busted up…‘‘twas a shit show “

So back to square one 3 drags 7 rays one token flounder later, seemed the rays were everywhere had one hit the surface well away from the net , steamed at high speed on the surface straight at me waist deep, did a hand break turn and crashed into the shore …exciting stuff indeed.

So with the whole gang VC Roctoy the Imports and the token dog all hungry for a fish our blessed Pengy changed things up and bringing a wheel barrow to cart nets fish and ice etc what a bloody great idea!

The ebb tide eased off finally about an hour and half after the low tide so into the dark we dragged seemed the rays had left for deeper waters and the flats had settled in for the evening, four in the first dig , became 10 in the second , bodies and chill in the air saw folks wanting a hot shower and a seat on the couch ..especially if you had being fishing all day (vc) the fisherman that goes fishing for work only to come home and go fishing again.

Last drag we got a bite a huge thump but no bust up had me thinking we had old stinker being lazy and sitting in the drag waiting to give us a final wiz up when we beached the net, so we dragged towards the headlights of the shore crew ..up the shore we hauled a few delicious flats and then boom up it came a huge rig , and a couple more flats.

VC sorted the rig and we iced the other flats , the moon rose and we wore out. Off to bed ..great evening

Heading out again tomorrow if anyone wants to tag along.

Took Dad out today, will post report when clean up sorted.

Took Dad out today.
After 5 days of appalling weather finally could see if my pots were still there.
They were I had tucked them up in a sheltered cove.
Nothing in them and remaining bait bloody stinky!
With a good forcast relocated and rebaited.
Small tides the goal was actually to get some oysters rather than fishing as such but by the time we got up to wards the spot current was running and I thought we can't waste this.

Ankor and burly down... deploy strayline it only gets half way down and is taken.
Nice 35cm panni snap.
We had a run of three or four 35-40cm pannies one after the other...then a lull then cuda and tangles....then the wind came up.....like really came up.
Wind against current good times.
Boat side on a meter plus of chop,burly pot and a rod round ankor.
Sort that catch some more pannies and a couple of donky gurnard....it's shit and I keep saying 2 more min if we don't catch table fish we gone and every time I say that we are hooked up.

Both Dad and I are pretty salty ol sea dogs and the wind is not forcast and I hope it will drop but it gets to the point where we are both fuck it we've got more than a feed let's find some shelter and work our way home and maybe get some cod in a sheltered spot.

Off to sheltered cod spot, Dad scored one beauti blue and lots of snags we are drifting too fast in the wind.....but it's dropping
And just like that the wind stopped,sea didn't go flat but it got 90% better so we had a drag for some oysters.
It's very difficult to dredge 40m with a recreational dredge and actually have it work.
Dredge worked but float didn't ffs.
Two short drags for a couple doz then hammer down flat out all the way home to catch the high tide and get on trailer.


Cleaning up and Wifey came down when almost finished "where's the fish?"
Well I gave Sara four snapper and Pip a couple and some gurnard and cod and Dad took the rest and I kept four oysters cos you are sick of fish.
So new diet she is eating fish.....about bloody time!!!!

Shot out on the low to check pots, one sand shark.
One of these days I'll catch a Nelson cray in a pot
Twas a bit windy.

Funny looking sand shark! Looks more like one of the beach boys

Out this arvo with @axeman.
Amazing weather no wind at all.
Fishing was a tad slow with the small tides,blue cod out on the sand after we had already gone into the coast to catch our limit bloody typical.
Water Viz was amazing for winter....could clearly see the bottom in 6-8 m which made me wish I had thrown in the dive gear.
Didn't chuck the rifle in so naturally there were goats everywhere.

Monday salt baths Flounder trip @veitnacam @kukuwai , @axeman @Pengy 730 AM …anyone keen