It is an exciting time of year for us Jetskifisho’s in NZ, with the weather warming up with all the local Jetskifisho’s starting to use their skis more. For the keener and seasoned Jetskifisho’s we are taking advantage of any opportunity to get out on the water and often head away on social trips. This particular adventure was the Coromandel overnight social experience which I organise, away for three nights in luxury. I often hear from the crew that join us that they learn just as much off the water as they do on it. As a bonus, they get to fish with other guests with a similar skill set, improving each other’s knowledge of the sport. This adventure had over twenty Jetskifisho’s meeting at various locations in the North Island making their way to our destination the Kiwi Retreat.
Our drive from Auckland to our base takes just over three hours.
With some amazing scenery along the way, it sure makes for a great experience and feels like a real holiday doing what we enjoy.
The whole package for each guest includes all meals, shared lodges and facilities to really relax on our stay.
We had four days of weather-challenged fishing and it ranged from sheltered in close missions, to some more adventurous rides to Great Barrier Island and Cuvier Island. Check out some of the great fish with a few of the crew landing personal bests.
The bonus of the Coromandel fishing is the variety of different species which we catch.
The next big event of 2013 is this Sunday, the Sea-Doo King of Jetskifishing in association with JFK’s. If you own a jet-ski, it is time to get it ready for this fun day which also involves the family. There is $7,000 in prizes and an entry gift pack for all those that register. We have a kid’s bouncy castle at the prize giving/weigh-in with a BBQ and CanAm Spyder bike demo rides after 3:00pm.
A big attraction for us seasoned Jetskifisho’s is knowing we have the luxury of heading out with the smallest of weather window, when we are prepared correctly with safety. As much as I enjoy the longer rides which add to each unique experience, it’s a rewarding challenge catching fish so close to home. This trip, I left after a leisurely 7am start from my favoured launch point of Bucklands Beach in Auckland.
I headed with the intention of fishing the Noises area, as the fish are now moving in from the deep as we fast approach summer. Even with a plan set in place I still constantly scan the area on route to my destination for any opportunity of fishing activity. This session had me sighting Dolphins and Gannets working off the inside of Rakino Island. A quick course deviation and I confirmed nature was making an early start with the bait fish being targeted in a feeding frenzy! Within a couple minutes the activity had soon made a move towards Rakino Channel and gradually moving round to Billy Goat Point. It was at Billy Goat Point where the work-up was more concentrated and spread to a massive 2 km area where I could target the fish beneath.
Regardless of the predicted bite time, the fishing was hot for a solid 2 hours! Slow jigs started off the flavour with hook-ups on every drop, but with so many fish on the bite the biggest challenge was striking the better sized fish.
The 350mm to 420mm fish I was catching are great eating size fillets, but the excitement of string pulling Snapper is more what I was after! A tactic I use when the fish are hot on the bite is to upsize the baits, so I can encourage a bigger sized fish. I switched to a past proven bait in the Gulp range – Nuclear Chicken Nemesis. I first scouted some close by structure with the fish finder/GPS and set up for a drift through the fish I had marked. The target species Snapper, were aggressively hitting the bait on the drop! This is the fishing I enjoy, with the rod being bent buckled beneath the foot-wells of the ski, makes for some exciting soft baiting!
For those new to Jetskifishing, a key tip to enjoying the sport to its full potential is you must have the ski practically kitted. I personally, further developed various options to hold your soft baits and accessories after these working so well for me. It’s all about convenience and we have luxuries such as a stainless bait tray for inside the various chilly bin models and handle bar pouches for any extra tackle.
Having my gear handy makes for quick tackle selections with changes between baits and jig weights. You don’t want to miss the fish when they are biting, so always be prepared to make the most of the bite time.
After a few hours fishing and enough fish on ice for a couple of nights dinners, still having time for an afternoons work. Anyone who has experienced Jetskifishing would already appreciate the lifestyle us Jetskifisho’s enjoy, with fishing more often on these quick and easy platforms.
As promised, a Kingfish report, which is typically my most exciting species to target from the ski and it did not fail to disappoint once again. For these adventures, we have a serious advantage with how easily a jet-ski can be prepared for a spontaneous road trip.
Safety is paramount and for these extreme trips I often elect the company of an experienced wing man. Long-time friend and client of the Jetskifishing Store, Brent Martin took full advantage of my casual invite.
There was plenty of pressure on me for the trip, he only expected a personal best Snapper or Kingfish while joining me.
Fishing this piece of paradise is always exciting with less fishing pressure and your opportunities of better average sized fish being increased on these out of town trips. It didn’t take us long to get side tracked on our Kingfish mission after seeing thousands of mutton birds squawking in the waters. We stopped to have a fish using our Jitterbug lures and within a few minutes there were yahoos from Brent who was already hooked up on a solid Snapper. To his surprise, his first target personal best was quickly ticked off the list with a 15 pound Snapper!
With Brent on a high it was time to get down to business and target the street fighters of the sea - Kingfish.
It wasn’t long and I had bagged a decent Kingy while jigging. Check out some bent rod action.
Brent also caught a few Kingfish on our first session, with a new personal best on the Kingfish front as well. Talk about living the dream, after our 5 hour drive ex Auckland, which was well worth it.
We needed an over-night recharge for a second short session the following day with an early start planned. We launched on the other side of Cape KariKari and headed out to some deep water pins for more Kingfish action.
It’s great fishing when equipped with quality electronics such as our Jetskifishing Store customised Raymarines. After I located the spot using GPS, it wasn’t long and we were excited by the fish sign.
The second video, makes for great entertainment, with a Shark encounter that scared the life out of me. This Mako was much bigger than my ski and an experience that got me moving pretty fast.
With the fish showing on the sounder it made for easy pickings, with Brent knowing exactly what depth he should concentrate on while jigging. Brent was fortunate to hook another solid fish at mid water, this time cracking the 15 kilo mark.
What an epic road trip for a one night stay, heaps of nice fish caught and released with a few bought home to feed family and friends. For those Jetskifisho’s yet to experience the power of a Kingfish, feel free to come see me at the Jetskifishing Store so you can receive experienced advice to get you started with jigging.
Our “Goes Wild” Coromandel trip in October still has a couple of spots left, another region for Kingfish action and a must for those “Hooked on Jetskifishing”
We are still on top of the world after the success and support of the first ever Jetskifishing CannonBall Run. I have been enjoying the sport and inspiring others to get involved with this fun and exciting lifestyle for over 7 years. Now I’m proud to achieve the milestone of our latest 100th Jetskifishing report. For something different, some of the more passionate Jetskifishos, enthusiastically got behind the Heart Foundation cause.
Personally I spend many hours on the water, educating others to get out to enjoy what Jetskifisho’s call, “living the dream”. You can’t beat the tranquillity and freedom we experience with Jetskifishing, and in one of those moments out on the water, thinking of the many years of pleasure that I have enjoyed, I wondered how I could somehow give back from the sport to a charity.
Back in October 2012, I unexpectedly suffered a Heart Attack, which was close to being fatal. After being misdiagnosed repeatedly, I eventually admitted myself to hospital a day later. Fortunately, everything worked out for the best after an urgent coronary admission and a team of staff who gave me the best care possible. With so much uncertainty over my future, I was still more worried about everyone else than myself. During this time, I decided that if I returned to full health, I would try and do all I could to raise awareness of the risks associated with heart health. At one stage, I was unsure if I would even be able to ever Jetskifish again! My ill-health was largely due to hereditary genetics and fortunately after two stents and ongoing care, I am on track for a strong recovery. After a very positive outcome, it was easy to find a worthy cause that we Jetskifisho’s could support.
The format of the charity ride was kept simple, so that the charity would receive 100% of the proceeds because the fundraising would not involve any unnecessary expense, just our participants’ commitment and involvement. As a group we raised money with each individual rider’s campaigns in three different class’s, raising awareness with their own personal take of why they were involved.
Being an endurance ride on a 25 mile course, including a sprint running start and finish, the riders left in 30 second intervals with a goal to complete their own personal best time as individuals.
The fundraisers in each class who raised the highest amount of money for our charity, chose which starting order they preferred.
Our charity ride was all about having fun and involving any on looking public. This included an entertaining running sprint on the soft sand, to finish the individual times with a cool cup of Spring water.
Our long time Jetskifisho, Brent Martin chose to start first, after raising the most ($935) in the Master’s Class (50+ age bracket). The start was greeted with applause from the many sponsors who came down to Eastern Beach to support the riders.
A few of our riders starting...
Normally I don’t participate in the events I organise, but after the challenges of my recovery, my comrades got into the spirit of the cause giving it their all to raise the money with lots of fun and competitive spirit against each other.
Fortunately we had a great day’s riding in brilliant conditions, with only a slight chop in parts of our predetermined course and the occasional ferry and boat wakes to negotiate. The event was council/maritime endorsed and we also included support boats with marshals at the main beach.
What a fun ride at full throttle, with each rider trying to get the edge over their fellow Jetskifisho’s. The skis themselves did not have a big variance in speed on the overall course, with the real difference being the dismount at the beach and the finishing run section. I knew I had the New Zealand Jetskifishing Club VP, Dave Johnson, hot on my tail the whole time, but I was determined not to let my sponsors down by putting in a committed effort. All our riders had the same desire to put in a full effort to make the event successful and to raise money for the Heart Foundation. Therefore, it was a win-win for everyone on the day.
The video of some of the more memorable dismounts is well worth a look! And I am sure everyone would agree, that this is one of the best days we’ve enjoyed as a group on the water!
Here are the full results of the team showing them giving back to a wonderful cause for the community. I know many of these guys are mates who dug in deep for me personally. It means a lot to me having seen what the riders and all our individual sponsors did for the cause. This is a credit to all, with every cent making a difference, from the riders who signed up at the last minute, to the massive campaigns like Mark’s raising $3,381!
MASTERS CLASS
Brent Martin $935 FX HO 0:29:32 1
Bruce Clarke $680 SHO DNF 6
Stu McMillan $390 FX HO 0:29:45 2
Kobie Nortje $320 VX 0:51:17 5
John Simich $250 Sea-Doo Gti 0:37:59 4
Richard Scown $235 Sea-Doo Wake 0:33:52 3
NATURALLY ASPIRATED CLASS
Andrew Hill $1,335 FX HO Cruiser 0:28:50 1
David Johnson $1,050 FX HO 0:29:12 2
Peter Jacobsen $645 FX HO 0:31:16 5
Matthew Wales $466 FX HO 0:29:37 3
Eddie Braun $430 Sea-Doo Wake 0:33:34 9
Anthony Nel $375 Sea-Doo GTX 0:33:19 8
James McNeill $270 FX HO Cruiser 0:30:45 4
Peter BG $210 Sea-Doo GTX 0:32:06 7
Bryan Simpson $100 FX HO Cruiser 0:31:54 6
Shanon Hope $50 FX HO Cruiser DNS 10
OPEN CLASS
Mark Greenfield $3,381 SHO 0:27:42 1
Andrew Howard $1,145 Sea-Doo RXT 0:35:13 2
TOTAL GROUP FUNDS RAISED $12,267
Some great prizes were presented courtesy of the team at Logitech which were the new BOOM’s. They are a fantastic new product and now available at Jetskifishing Store.
After a physical day on the water, it was great to finish it off with a BBQ and relaxing in the spa!
It was a memorable day for all. It was great being part of a fun event that gave so much to a very worthy cause with the support of my fellow Jetskifisho’s. I appreciate the support from our Jetskisfishing network with loyalty to my specialty products and services, so that we can continue to support community based projects.
The lifestyle of Jetskifishing sure has its bonuses, this trip showing the freedom of an impromptu fishing session. All a result of a break in the weather, I decided to prep the Sea-Doo GTX in time to collect my youngest son Cooper from school.
Anyone who has a ski setup for fishing will have experienced how quick and easy preparation is for a spur of the moment trip.
3:00PM pick up after school and for a surprise with the ski in tow, Cooper asks “are we going fishing?”
“We sure are!” With all his gear ready we were straight off to the local ramp and this image shows our route direction out towards the Ahahaa’s.
It was smooth waters enjoying full speed for the Sea-Doo, with a completely dry ride to our destination. We were briefly distracted by the excitement of dive bombing Gannets and a feeding frenzy with the Dolphins before Maria Island. We were targeting Snapper, but to no avail as we were only soft baiting amongst the schooling bait fish.
*Rather than fishing blind, it is best to be equipped with quality electronics so you can assess what is beneath, as to whether you persist at the one spot.
I have the luxury of the Raymarine technology on the Sea-Doo, fishing with confidence with seeing quality images through a “true” thru-hull tilted element transducer. There is no lag with the transducer not reading though dirty aerated water via the jet pump and for this option we specialize in these upgrades at the Jetskifishing Store. You may question cutting a hole in the hull, this is no different to the procedure with a boat to enhance your electronics performance.
At the Jetskifishing Store we have completed over seventy of these upgrades with nothing but positive feedback.
Here is an example of the clear readings displayed by the Raymarine A67 with the 600 watt transducer. This image showing the Yellowtail beneath the ski once drifting past the Snapper I was targeting.
Once we were settled in for our drifts the fish slowly increased interest in the soft baits. There wasn’t much tidal flow and there was little wind to help our drift. In hind sight we could have done with dropping down a few grams in jig head weight. Dropping weight would encourage a better soft bait action throughout the water column. Instead I was having to cast the bait further and work the bait harder as it dropped through the water while presenting it to the area the fish were holding. In these situations with the fish not being overly aggressive, we experienced the larger fish would only hit the bait as it was dropping at the lowest six or so metres. The fish weren’t interested once it was at rest at maximum depth, so it was a case of retrieve and recast to have the opportunity to strike the fish. I was hooking and catching a few for dinner, yet Cooper was struggling with the technique which develops as you grow your soft bait experience.
The best way to teach a new soft baiter is by increasing their strike rate with the fish. A proven technique, is to down-sizing the bait to a smaller size, visually enticing the common sized fish feeding. My advice to Cooper was the Gulp – 4” Pumpkinseed, straight away changing his luck. This was a similar colour to what had been working for me and made a big difference to his hit rate with our limited time frame.
The Igloo chilly bin was filling fast with fresh fish for dinner, a great feeling to start the weekend! With the sun dropping fast, we made a quick move to one of my pick ‘go to’ spots on my sounder, just beside the Ahahaa’s.
I was after one better sized fish for the smoker as we had guests coming over for dinner on the weekend.
The fish were visible on the sounder and the spot has proven to be very productive at a depth of 18 metres. Even better, it was Cooper on to the screamer. The fish hit his bait as he was slowly retrieving, the first time the fish dropped the bait and I advised him to quickly let out some more braid so it may hit it again. Sure did, the fish was hooked and peeling line with my 10 year old son in for his biggest Snapper battle yet! Cooper’s skills with soft baiting have definitely advanced over the last six months, now being more patient and happy to let the fish make some runs. With experience he is now lifting the rod to the correct height (not to high) then on the drop doing some quick winds to keep on top of the fish.
Once I could see some colour of the fish we were both so excited knowing it was certainly his new personal best.
Moments like these are memories forever. Get out there fishing with your kids at an age they start showing interest.
Our ski has proven to be a great fishing platform for our adventures, now having all three members of the house with personal bests within the last six months. If you to want to be setup to the next level in Jetskifishing with whatever brand is your preference, come see me at the Jetskifishing Store for proven and experienced advice.
With the winter weather here, it pays to be prepared for the cold temperatures so you are able to enjoy some rewarding shallow water Jetskifishing. Fortunately with all of our seasoned Jetskifisho’s research and development towards suitable winter apparel, you no longer need to be wet and cold as we have all the apparel you need in-store. At the Jetskifishing Store we stock the fully proven Sharkskin thermal range and also new on our shelves, are our newest range of additional wet weather layers. Our packages, start from an affordable $260 for a set, including separate top and coastal trousers. Give me a call so I can discuss what is best available to suit your needs.
Something you soon experience once Jetskifishing, is that every trip can easily be turned into a different adventure. Of late, I have enjoyed exploring some different areas amongst my local fishing grounds. My last two local sessions have seen me heading down the inside of Waiheke Island, to fish what is known as the bottom end.
This particular day had me leaving the less than pleasant central Auckland weather, to these magic conditions only fifteen minutes ride away.
If you haven’t fished this area before, I recommend you go exploring, as there are great fish holding there over the next month. Be sure to study your marine charts so you are familiar with the no fishing zone of the local marine reserve and any submerged rocks. You know you are in the right area for the Snapper when you are being accompanied by the local commercial boats working a 3km zone.
As with the majority of my Snapper fishing, it was once again successful with the Gulp soft baits for the shallow waters of 15 metres.
Just like my previous session, the fish were aggressive and hitting any of the coloured baits I threw at them. Curiosity soon got the better of me and I headed over to Gannet Rock where I had released my best Snapper of last week. I’m always eager to have the battles with the big moochas, can’t get enough of that lighter gear action.
I am very selective with what fish I take home for dinner, so many get released, as the biggest attraction for me is the sporting side of Jetskifishing.
When you have your ski setup with the electronics and gadgets such as the systems I have supplied and fitted for my clients, it’s rewarding being able to hunt the fish in the areas you know they are holding. Heading to my GPS spot I had marked on my Raymarine E7 sounder from the previous week, I was able to locate the fish sign. For those unfamiliar with setting for a drift, I then rode about 50 metres past the sign, so I had time to prepare the bait for casting so the bait would float down in to the fish zone.
Great when it works to plan, more fish with the desired eating size getting better.
More fishing and more catching, always exciting when the fish are on the bite. The next fish had some real ‘get up and go’, plenty of string being pulled and I had my hopes set for a solid fish. It was a different species to my all familiar Snapper, this being a nice Trevally, which put up a superior fight.
Eventually the wind started to increase, so I headed back around to Kauri Point to find some shelter.
This is where my better fish of the day came from, just fishing the drop off.
I soon had enough fish to feed our family for a couple of nights meals. So I packed up the gear for a fast ride back to Bucklands Beach beating the approaching bad weather.
Thanks again for all the friends making donations to help make a difference for the Heart Foundation.
http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/fundraise/page/the-jetskifishing-guy
We now have fifteen riders stepping up to the challenge, and have already raised over five thousand dollars!
This is the time of year where we see less boaties on the water and if you strike the bonus of variable winds, you are in for a high speed treat. This spontaneous session had Brent and I on a full throttle, 65 miles per hour ride to our first fishing area of the day, the Noise’s. Within two minutes of cutting our engines we were enjoying the practicality of no smelly baits and deploying our lures to the depths. Brent was on his game, soon hooking a Snapper with the Jitterbug lure.
Not long and a nice sized Snapper was being added to his Igloo chilly bin.
After each of us binning a few Snapper we took advantage of the flat conditions with an impulsive twenty mile ride out to Anchorite Rock. Along the way we spotted the thousands of birds working the bait fish a few mile before Anchorite in the middle ground. I’ve fished the area lately and being plagued by Kahawai, it didn’t tempt us to stop there on this occasion. We arrived at Anchorite to be greeted with a few Dolphins and Gannets, the area always has such a fishy feeling about it! Brent had his mojo going, with more hook ups, this time a smaller Kingfish giving him some entertainment on the light gear.
Out at this area is typically a popular area to find the work-up activity, I’m always conscious of the opportunity and scanning the horizon. We spotted the odd Gannet flying through from the direction of Great Barrier Island towards Tiri… The activity became more frequent, admiring them flying through in what could be described as regular bomber squadrons. Temptation got too much and I soon encouraged Brent it was time to follow! The birds were travelling quickly, around 35 mile an hour, so any delay could risk us losing them. One of the big attractions with Jetskifishing, is how quick we can prepare to move spots with a ski rigged correctly to attach your gear for high speed missions. Once all the gear was clipped down, the ski was fired in to life and in search of Gannets we were!
With a slight head start on us, we could no longer see the Gannets, so we had no choice but to go with our instincts. We scanned their last general direction and rode a further fifteen odd miles before coming into some low rain clouds. When chasing Gannets on blue sky days it is far easier than the visibility we experienced on this overcast day. As we passed the area of Flat Rock I spotted a single boat in the distance, normally when in the middle of nowhere it can mean work-ups!
This was the case, once arriving within five hundred metres of the boat, the adrenalin kicks in once spotting hundreds of dive bombing Gannets.
Excitement was on, lures dropped and string pulling action! There was acres of larger Kahawai, a good opportunity to measure up a few for the New Zealand Jetskifishing Club leaderboard.
We tried various lures and all lures were being hit, with the fish on a feeding frenzy. If we managed to get to the bottom, there was the opportunity of some nice sized Snapper.
Another big bonus with Jetskifishing is you have freedom on and off the water and on this occasion with commitments back at work, I could conveniently head home without shortening Brent’s day on the water. I headed back on a solo ride at 65 miles per hour enjoying the horsepower fix we experience with our sport. The ride back to the ramp was twenty five minutes, about the same length of time (weather permitting) of our next charity ride, the Jetskifishing CannonBall Run, which all experienced riders can participate in. After recovering from my recent heart attack, we are proud to be raising all proceeds from the July 28th ride to my charity of choice. I personally and our committed Jetskifisho’s would really appreciate your support, firstly with sharing our cause to increase heart disease awareness with people you care about. Secondly, please post a message on my link, with a donation to help make a difference for the Heart Foundation. http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/fundraise/page/the-jetskifishing-guy If you have your own ski set up for fishing, you too could be one of the 35 who step up to the challenge, we have already raised two thousand dollars!
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