Tauranga Harbour, on New Zealand 's Central North Island East Coast has a large well used charter boat fleet: Winter fishing trips targeting Hapuka are one of the well advertised options for recreational fishermen and women. Mayor Island, directly offshore from this thriving port with its extensive deep water reef system is a popular area for this type of fishing. The trip out to Mayor takes several hours each way so the trips are commonly 24 hours long to ensure plenty of "real" fishing time.
Over winter a few years back I'd booked on four such trips only to have each one cancelled due to unfavorable weather. This is one of the perils of booking too far in advance in winter. Some of my self employed friends and I lost several working days for each cancelled trip!
The morning of Thursday September the 18th was wet and windy but forecast to fine up. The 19th would be a good day for anyone fortunate enough to have booked their party on a Hapuka trip for that day. I had not! Fortunately in this world their are a few clued up charter boat operators who realize there must be at any one time hundreds of people with their hapuka fishing gear packed up ready to go from a cancelled trip. Hugh and Raewyn Ensor of Blue Ocean Charters Ltd, included!
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Arnold and Jasen bottom bouncing their sinkers and trying not to get snagged. |
I'd not booked on any of their three boats yet they managed to find me via a fishing mate on the only work optional day for the month. Not just me but 6 others too; enough people to form an economically viable 24 hour Hapuka fishing party. I did a full days work in half a day and arrived at the Mt Maungangi Wharf, south side of Tauranga Harbour one hour early, for a charter departing 6 pm. The boat Ohorere was to be skippered by Hugh Ensor in person. To get a hold of me, 200 km away, he had to be either very smart or very very lucky. Adds up to the same thing, we were sure to get heaps of fish!
The schedule was motor out to Mayor Island and anchor up, catch some bait, squid, mackerel, plus a snapper if we were lucky. Have a sleep, and then up at dawn for a 10 minute run directly on to a deep water foul ground reef system behind Mayor Island. Catch some "large" hapuka and be back in port in time for the boat to pick up the next fishing party.
One of the blessings of departing from this location is the massive Mt Maungangi Police station over looks the wharf car park. Its a good bet your vehicle will still be there after the trip! Having learned something from previous 24 hour charters from other locations all my gear was ready and organized. I had a cut lunch for the 'morrow.
These boats typically provide breakfast. Hot drinks when you want them. Bought and ate a feed while waiting for the boat. Had a 30 minute social chat to get to know the rest of the fishing party then hit the sack for the trip out. It was a "bring your own sleeping bag" thing. There are heaps of bunks on the Ohorere. There is always time to chat and sink a beer while you catch your bait in the shelter of whatever Island you spend the night by on any typical Bay of Plenty charter operation. A sleep on the trip out means you're that much more on the ball for the fishing action.
When we got to Mayor Island the wind was a shade strong and blowing from the wrong direction. The skipper was unable to park us on his normal bait fish spot. In fact one of our party got somewhat sea sick and we ended up anchoring for safety and shelter first, with fishing second.
Still there were a few slimy mackerel about. Hugh turned two spotlights at the back of the boat on the water to attract bait and five of us got stuck into it. There were only 8 people on the boat counting the skipper. The standard way to catch your bait is a small string of bait flies tied to a sinker or a lure. We had all bought two rods and reels each - a light snapper rod for this bait catching and heavy gear for tomorrow.
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