A bit of Muriwai magic - a fun couple hrs solo flicking a few baits into the wild west coast surf

Описание: It had been awhile since I had got a line wet and getting that fresh salt west coast air filling my lungs. With a small swell and a pretty good tide for a flick off the Muriwai low tide banks, I set off for the top end of Muriwai straight after work. The low was around 4.30, so arriving there just after 3.30 I had about 2-3hrs up my sleeve before I would be pushed off by the rising tide. Nearing the end I was keeping an eye out for a nice little bank to stand on to be able to cast into forming channels that the top end of Muriwai likes to make for us surfcasters.

I came across a nice little bank that was easily reached with minimal wading, this was the spot and it looked pretty fishy - well that's what I was hoping for. I was going to run a mutsu suicide hook on the MC and just let it fish itself while I concentrated fishing the Kotare in hand more with a J hook. I cottoned on my first baits (half pillies) and flicked them out into the surf. With the MC running the mutsu I always run a light-ish drag so the fish can slightly pull a bit of line but load up the rod and set that hook. The great thing about fishing these low tides off Muriwai, you're within mtrs to the channel so you don't have to cast to the horizon to hit deepish water. Both baits in and both rods in the holders I was ready for my first bites to happen. It was the MC that had the first nibbles and with no action as yet on the Kotare I grabbed the MC and stood at the ready. It felt like small snapper nibbling at my bait at first but as the line went slack a couple times I knew something had picked the bait up and was biting towards me.
Lifting the rod slowly, it started to bend. As the line went tight I gave it a slight hit at the top of the lift to set the hook and I was on. It wasn't big and at first I thought it was a kahawai. As it hit the sand I could see little leg like things and it was bright orange and white - yip it was a sweet fat carrot. I'm always stoked when I catch these off the sand. I prefer them over snapper any day.

Walking back to put the rod in the holder I noticed the Kotare was nodding away, I was hooked up again. Running over I grabbed it out of the holder and gave a light hit to make sure the hook was set. Could it be another fat carrot? I was hoping it was, but no this one was defiantly a kahawai this time. I don't mind a couple of these guys, I usually use one side for bait and the other to chew on while fishing or taken home and fried up. After putting the carrot and half a fillet of kahawai in the chilly I baited up my second baits. This time I put a chunk of kahawai on the MC to let that mutsu hook do its thing and this would allow me to fish the Kotare in hand. Both baits out once again I had the MC in the holder and stood at the ready with the kotare, but once again it was the MC with the first little touches. Sometimes I find it hard to just leave it and let it just fish itself. I put the Kotare in the holder and grabbed the MC, but no sooner had I had it in hand the bites stopped and the Kotare. Getting to it it started to nod once again, lifting it I lightly struck and I was hooked up again.

Man it was pretty fishy with every bait being bitten within seconds. it looked like I was going to maybe have to put one rod away. It gets difficult running two rods up here when it's like this, running between two rods you start to miss fish. This time it was a little west coast snap. It was takeable at around 32-33cm but normally anything under 35cm goes back. While I was playing with the snap, the MC was bending over occasionally with the line being pulled. I knew it would probably be a ray so didn't get too excited once I was able to grab it. They are a lot of fun in the surf but also sometimes you think they are a ray and they can be a kingfish or big snapper but I knew it would be a ray. The great thing was it came off just at the shoreline so saved me the hassle of trying to get the hook out and letting it go. The first hour had been fun anyway with bites and fish hitting the sand. With both rods baited up again I flicked out the MC first.
Walking back with the Kotare I was just putting into my holder when something grabbed it. It felt snapper-ish and better than the last one. Still nothing big but I knew if I could land it, it would be accompanying the carrot in the chilly. It's always a fun fight in the surf even if the fish aren't that big. This one hit the sand at last and was roughly 40-45cm and was definitely coming home for tea. The tide was rising and once it does it kicks you off your spot pretty quick. I hung in there for a couple more baits with only kahawai in return. I did come back the next day after having so much fun but I only got into a Trev and kahawai for my troubles. But overall I had a couple fun fishes out on the west coast, and the best part was catching a nice little mixed bag in the end.....

Tight lines