What a great result in unpleasant weather. Well it was for the two teams on board Assassin on Saturday.
Softbaiters from all over the North Island turned up to fish the Berkley Softbait Contest out of Sandspit.
After a short briefing and a good meal on Friday night a lot of boats headed out to Kawau in antisipation for an early start on Saturday morning.
This was a softbait only contest and the big difference was that the snapper are all measured and photographed, so the fish can be released if that is your preference, or keep a few for dinner.
The teams were made up of 2 to 4 members and the top five snapper count for the main trophy.
We headed out to Flat Rock at 5am from Schoolhouse Bay, finding it a bit dark to start fishing with softbaits we stopped in at Burgess Bay for a cuppa.
The first fish at Flat Rock was 55 cm , I thought here we go but the rain and wind made it miserable so in to Challenger and a 63cm snapper for me but the team was having trouble with the current .
There were no real workups of gannets they were just diving randomly so we made a track for Pakiri.
It was a bit on the nose going up there and with no sign of life on the sounder I thought I'd made the wrong decission but decided to give it a go anyway. After some small gurnard and snapper a work up towards the Hen caught out attention. After a hell session with all the team hooked up at times Wayne Downer had our best fish of 72.5 cm 15 pound.Pete had a 67 cm snapper.
It was time to head back to Sandspit after a brief fish at the end of Takatu for a blue cod for the most species so with that and a good kingfish, gurnard, baracuda, kahawhai, pilly and snapper we were in with a good chance.
We won the trophy thanks to the team, something I have been chasing for the past three softbait contests. Thanks to the team
one of the highlights of the contest, Jordan Heron, aged 9 caught the longest snapper of 73cm and Dad Rodney caught a 17kg kingfish around Kawau. Jordan is proving to be a great junior fisherman.
There have been reports of puka on the sand at Pakiri in 30 metres of water.
The entries to the Gulf Harbour Contest have just turned up at the shop . There are a huge number of prizes like trips to Fiji , five day trip on Island Escape in the Hauraki Gulf, this is a five star ship I would love to win that prize. Chris and I were lucky enough to have a guided tour around her when she was tied up at the wharf at Port Vila, Vanuatu recently, waiting for her next lot of passengers and she really is a beautiful boat.
The people going out on the water in boats and kayaks have been catching fish so when there is a break in the weather get out there, it is worth it.
See you out there.