Why we call it 'fishing', not 'catching'...

redsetta · February 20, 2012, 08:09:54 AM

G'day lads,
Just thought I'd share a recent land-based mission to the top of the Coromadel Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.
I purpose-built that 9500SS (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=3074.0) for jigging and live-baiting for big kingfish, and this was it's first proper outing.
Me and a mate, Matt, headed out pre-dawn and walked several miles around steep, rocky coastline to a spot I'd found the previous year.
I was carrying about 25kg (50-odd pounds) of bait and burley, plus two rods/reels and assorted kit.

Here's the view from the final promatory.
It drops off steeply on the seaward side (behind me as I took the photos), so I had to tie everything off with a rope and lower it all down about 60 feet, then climb down very carefully - it's one of those 'slip-and-die' spots.
Cracker views though...

This reef is called the 'checkerboard' and can hold some nice fish, especially from a kayak.
It gets a hammering from spear fishos in summer though.

The cliff face we come down is just out of shot to the right, but you get an idea of the pitch - not for the faint-hearted...

Here's the rocky point with a great wash and drop-off - looks fishy eh?!

The wash flows out to 20-odd feet of water, before dropping off to around 140 feet just offshore.

Here, I've got a nice 6lb kahawai livie out on a bridle and balloon.
Waiting... waiting... waiting...

The day was perfect, the tide ideal... Even the moon phase was good, producing the strong currents preferred by kingies.

Matt's new to fishing, so I set him to work on a casting rig and he picked up a range of table fish (snapper, kahawai etc) over the day.
(We came back with two 6lb and one 4lb fish, so plenty for a couple of nights' eating.)

Schools of kahawai (our local light-tackle sport fish and livie fodder) were sweeping into this little cove and hammering the bait fish in our burley trail.
Unfortunately, no kingies though.

It really was a 'day of days' and had all the ingredients for a cracker 20kg+ kingie, for which this part of the Coromandel is known.
As it happened, the fates had other ideas...
Such is life - fishing not catching, as the saying goes.

At least we had a line in the water, which is enough sometimes...

Righto - all the best, Justin

alantani · February 20, 2012, 08:25:47 AM

spectacular views!

Alto Mare · February 20, 2012, 12:03:05 PM

Quote from: alantani on February 20, 2012, 08:25:47 AM
spectacular views!

X2!
I wouldn't mind sitting there for a couple of hours, every now and then.
By the way, is that the same handle on that 9500?

Irish Jigger · February 20, 2012, 01:11:59 PM

What a beautiful country. Love the panoramic picture,thanks for sharing.

Bryan Young · February 20, 2012, 04:29:08 PM

Wow, that's beautiful. Looks like my kind of fishing and not catching.

Nessie Hunter · February 20, 2012, 06:05:18 PM

Catching ~ is just a bonus in most cases. This location for sure!!!!

Awesome....

redsetta · February 20, 2012, 08:44:13 PM

Thanks lads - it's a beautiful part of the country all right.
I'll be back next year and hoping for some 'third-time lucky' magic.

Sal - no, I put the upgraded black handle on my brother's reel and used an old Slammer one on mine.
Figured he'd like the 'all original' styling...
Cheers, Justin

Dominick · February 20, 2012, 08:49:25 PM

Quote from: Nessie Hunter on February 20, 2012, 06:05:18 PM
Catching ~ is just a bonus in most cases. This location for sure!!!!

Awesome....

X 2 The only thing missing is a couple of lounge chairs. I would have lowered a couple down with rope. Standing and waiting for a bite is tiresome. Dominick

wallacewt · February 21, 2012, 01:53:39 AM

hi justin
6lb livie,on that penn fishin for kings!no way man,kingies 100 justin 0.but we will never know,not yet anyway.may the force be with you,

redsetta · February 21, 2012, 02:17:30 AM

Bigger the better Wallace, I reckon.
I've got 80lb Jig Star stripy braid on the SS, so it's set up for the big ones...
I'm estimating the weight of the livie, but it was about 50cm long.
Ended up pulling it back in at the end of the day and eating it that night, so it was a multipurpose fish...

Cheers mate, Justin

wallacewt · February 21, 2012, 02:30:37 AM

now listen here friend,pal buddy,buddy. lets be fair dinkum here.you got the rod sittin in the rock crevasse,not good,drag on or off dont matter.ping or zip,wheeeee,now whos got who?haha

redsetta · February 21, 2012, 03:30:04 AM

Agreed, but I had to put it somewhere to take the photo...

wallacewt · February 21, 2012, 05:54:24 AM

touche!probably the safest place.

Dominick · February 21, 2012, 05:47:52 PM

I lost a rod and reel to a sturgeon once. I couldn't get to it fast enough. I thought I had the drag off, but I'll never know. $:-\$ Dominick

Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B · June 19, 2012, 10:16:12 PM

what a wonderful world we live in....