Toots Kingi Bash – HLD

I’ll just put a summary up, and the others can chip in when they get back online

The predawn was still and clear, but not too nippy, as I met up with Mental and New2Yaking at Pacific Bay in Tutukaka Harbour. Didn’t take long before we were on the beach for final preflights, and away into the sunrise…

Mental heading towards the entrance

Unfortunately, the forecast swell was a tad bigger than expected, and although not rough, the reflection off the cliffs made it too dicey to have a serious attempt at the intended quarry with the occasional big roller cruising through – not the sort of thing you want to find barrelling down on you as you negotiate the wash

The washing machine was a little too much for N2Y, and he opted to stay in the harbour area, whilst Mental and I headed off towards our possie, a nice pin that regularly holds kings.

…They were probably there today as well, just that we couldn’t get within about 30m of it without turning into flotsam. So we turned our sights to good old trusty Snaps (although I spent a fair bit of time dragging various plastic articles along the edge of the aerated water in the hope that something was that far away from the reef – they weren’t) and apart from a couple of throwback snaps averaging about 6lb, I came home empty handed. I couldn’t have kept them anyway as I was banking on picking up some salt ice at one of the service stations in Whangarei on my way through – NOTE: NONE of the eight service stations that were open at 0500 in Whangarei stock salt ice. I won’t make that mistake again!

With fishing being fairly slow (possibly due to the small pod of young female Orcinus orca that appeared between Mental and myself – and just as quickly disappeared – leaving me doubting if I had actually seen them ) I took a bit of time out to tease a small hammerhead with a pink shine, he wasn’t playing though (spoilsport ) and carried on cruising south.

So in the end, we drifted back down towards Toots, and met up with N2Y again for a quick bash around the entrance reef, but not too much was happening there and we pulled the pin about 1300Hrs

Oh, there were a couple of breakfasts spilt, and other fish caught, but I’ll let the others tell that tale

A great morning, just a shame we couldn’t get serious with the torpedos….Next time maybe