No fish today, 08Nov11

by sunshiner, with contribution from pedro at end

Wind: calm initially
Swell: low NE
Current:
at Jew Shoal, 1.5 kph toward east;
at A-Bay Reef, 1kph toward south
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: pedro, jimbo, jaro, sunshiner

An amazingly bad result today (donut) as the reefs seemed to have shut down despite use of several different bait techniques and the usual soft plastic offerings.

Pedro launched earlier than the rest of us, who punched through the small waves at MG (or dodged them completely if lucky or skilled enough) at 0430. Jaro and I headed off together for A-Bay Reef with Jimbo coming along a few minutes later.

Jimbo then opted to head for Jew Shoal so that left pedro, jaro and me to work over our familiar marks off A-Bay. We tried really hard but all we had to show for our efforts by the time jaro and I left, at around 0815 (after drift fishing for nearly three hours) was a 40cm Maori cod, undersize, which seized my trailing outfit jig about two hours into the session. Jaro at one stage had a large tuna clear the water very close to him, arcing one metre into the air and splashing down never to be seen again. Jimbo reported similar conditions at JS, not boating any fish at all.

So jaro, jimbo and I arrived back at MG together around 0930, fishless. We all had a bit of fun in the surf but all hit the beach the right way up. I picked a wrong ’un again and part way through the surf zone detected in my peripheral vision a wave higher than my head bearing down on me. Having judged that the wave was too steep to run straight down I instinctively broached the yak to port and luckily managed to hold it the right way up all the way in, going sideways. Jaro picked the sets really well and cruised in as usual, while jimbo was doing really well until a little kid on a boogie board got into his path as he also was coming in sideways. The kid disappeared under the front of the yak and popped up behind it after jimbo’s yak passed over him. No harm was done but summer is coming and we can expect a lot more of these encounters so look out guys.

We left pedro out there, fishless at the time of our departure and have heard no more since. As I said out there, it’s a bad day when pedro can’t catch a fish so perhaps he managed to improve the result.

Things can only get better from here. C’mon pelagics, where are you?

Added later, by pedro:

Sorry Guys but nothing to add except that the lifesaver and the surf hire man bet if I'd stay upright.
It's a bit debatable as I jumped off early and grabbed the tail as a big one broke behind me,so I came in wet to the waist but upright.
Jeff the wind picked up around 12 after I got home
Pedro