The plan for this trip was finish building the house week 1 an week 2 would be strictly fishing but the weather gods had a different idea an rained the first 4 days which pushed the build back which also cut into my fishing time...so with the 4 days fishing fitted into a tight build i was sure to make the most of it, and a big goal was to land a big gt on popper an finally try jigging the drop offs as i have never had the chance my last few trips
day 1 was a late start around 3.30 and not the best conditions so we chose to leave from the main passage an push S/E to the far point so the wind was on my back, only a few smaller gts caught an i lost a bigger fish and another popper (still yet to land a big boy) with the swell an tide change conditions started getting a little doggy so my uncle finally took me to a spot he had caught dog tooth on bait before, first drop and about 4 winds up i get hit an after a few little runs i land my first ever doggy, not a big fish at all only going 9kgs but a great high ticking another one off the list. we worked that spot into dusk catching a couple more that size, was tuff work with an average sounder an no gps one minute your in 60m of water next your off the drop off in 300m plus, so looks like an investment in a gps an so so sounder is on the cards for next trip
day 2 was probably the best condition wise, so we left just after lunch as had a few things on the house in the morning, pushed out the east side passage and cast the side reef, only 3 fish caught 2 10-15kgs an one abit bigger which is probably my biggest in aitutaki, an all caught on poppers, while working south down the east side of the island we could see a group of birds working on the horizon so we shot out, on the way i changed to a aswb sinking stick bait, thanks to mark harris on the choice an tips, 100m off u could see the birds working an my uncle called it for a small school of YFT we pull up 20m off an wind on our side, i cast just over the patch an let my lure sink a little an give it a couple little tweaks an get totally smashed lol im still asking my uncle as my reels screams if he thinks its a baby YFT, after a few good runs we both call it for a wahoo an land my biggest to date at 27kg an my first ever fish landed on stick bait... what a cracking start. we then push back to the south tip an jig for doggys, an also a few little YFT but the noahs moved in so we bailed home with a awesome feed for the BBQ
day 3 after hearing about jigging my cousin wanted to take me out so i could show him, so we left the popping gear an headed to check a few drop off just after hi tide, just out the main passage we had a hook up first drop an landed a 8-9kg wahoo and a few big eye trevs, but once again really tuff work with out electronics, with only my coloured braid to go off for depth it was really hit an miss if we where fishing the right drop or wholes, spent most the day just sushing out an finding good spot an working out where we thought the fish would hold, what i did find is that most hit where in the 100-40m mark an 80% in the 50-70m mark, with the big eye trevs holding bottom in the 40 zone then a little deeper in the 80s u would get the wahoo an dogtooth, but im really pumped to start marking an sounding around those drop off next trip...
day 4 was canned due to a few to many tinnies at the fishing club after day 3 lol
all in all a great trip, i got to land a few new fish a few new ways, an also got to finish a lot on the house, now just need to win the lotto so i can retire early an get back there to fish everyday lol
Tackle
rods... smith amj54
ripple fisher long cost 86
reels... stells 20k,18k 10k with jm spool
line... 100lb jerry brown,pe8 varavis gt an 100lbs daiwa boat braid to jig
lures.. cubera 120g, aswb blue/silver 120g slow sinking stick bait
jigs...jm failings 320, fcl 230g flutter an a mix of tuna jigs
p.s sorry for poor photos an lack off i only use an i phone an only ever fish me an my uncle or dad so i never get many pics or any good one at that, now the house is semi done me an my fishing mates from sydney are planning a trip so should get some good footage as one of my mates has a few cracking cameras
