I love driving around the last corner that brings you to the water's edge in Waikawa Bay. You never quite know how the conditions will look.
Monday had a good forecast, and the boats were sitting quietly on the calm water as I rounded the corner.
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| Waikawa Bay. |
The plan was to go out and try to catch a barracouta by trolling a lure, then use it as bait before landing and freezing whatever was left for crayfish pot bait.
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| Allports Island. |
I motored over to Allports Island and anchored up in a little bay on the West side of the main island. I caught quite a few young barracouta here using a jigging lure a while ago. There was no interest in the lure after a few casts, so I attached my bigger lure to the other rod, ready for some trolling.
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| Allports Island. |
I towed the lure up the north side of the island, then headed north for Kumutoto Point. I've caught nice-sized barracouta both times I've trolled around the point in the past.
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| Seals and birds on the rocks at Kumutoto Point. |
I was busy watching some seals as I passed the point, when the reel started clicking with line running out as the lure reached the point. The fish on the end of the line made a run while I took the engine out of gear and got myself organised to reel it in.
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| Barracouta. |
After a few lively runs, I landed the barracouta that was about a metre long.
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| The rods out in Whatamonga Bay. |
I headed south to Whatamonga Bay for some fishing with my freshly-caught bait. There were quite a few bites, but I was unable to land anything except a small spotty when I got close to Karaka Point.
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| Karaka Point. |
