18 May 2009

Eventually there was a break in the weather. Friday looked like it would be a good day out but several telephone calls seemed to suggest that conditions were still poor. We should have gone to look in any case because their were some good fish at the North Island. I got reports of both Wahoo and Spanish being landed.

On Saturday we elected to do some fishing. Loaded the dive gear just in case we found good water. We trolled around The Wash and chatted to one of the local Fishos who told us the viz at the pinnacles was 25m. Lines up and we charged off to have a look. Conditions were very good. Clear water, perhaps not as warm as it has been, but still good. I jumped in with Duan who was freediving for the first time ever. A quick scan of the area and I saw what looked like a Spanish down deep. I sucked in a full lungful of air and headed down. At approx 15m a school of nice Yellowtail Kingfish approached and the fish I had been pursuing seemed to have disappeared. I selected a good specimen and put a spear through it. My gun was one of the wooden guns my brother put together and it shoots like a demon. The spear went exactly where I was aiming.

Back on the boat we were treated to a sight of absolute chaos and bedlam as large pelagics screamed into a school of Mack Tuna that had been feeding on the surface only moments before. We dropped some lures back hoping to pick up one of these monsters. After quickly picking up 3 Mack Tuna and seeing repeated attacks on the school, the decision was made to burley aggressively to attract these attackers. Michael and Duan jumped over to find Rainbow Runners, Mack Tuna and Yellowfin feeding on the burley. Unfortunately the Yellowfin just did not give anyone a shot. The secret here is not to track the fish in the water with your gun but aim at a piece of chum, shooting when the fish comes into view.

Michael and I ended with a drift along the E side of NW Rocks. A big Amberjack played hide-and-seek with me amongst a school of Kingfish and I eventually gave up, not wanting to clobber another King. Michael unloaded his gun and was just about to climb into the boat when several Spanish drifted into range. He quickly loaded but as he singled out a fish, it seemed to drift out of range. It was an extremely frustrated diver that clambered back into the boat.

Predictions are for more Southerly fronts. Looks like the break will be short-lived.