Got to love Snapper fishing in the shallows... July 17th 2015

• adrenalin fueled fun
• no crew required
• affordable investment
• low maintenance costs
• easily tow-able to areas away from bad weather
• productive fishing platform
• fast, to and from spots
• less preparation and cleaning time at the end of fishing

We took advantage of the shelter within the Hauraki Gulf Islands, so we could still enjoy the fishing, if the weekends stormy weather approached faster than forecasted.

A short drive in the car from our home in East Auckland to the Kawakawa Bay, paid ramp facilities. This ramp always has plenty of parking and also has pontoons to dock your ski while you park the car.

Once on the water we headed out around the back of the islands, then out wide to see if there was any work-up activity. With the water being so flat, we decided to cruise over to the Coromandel. Fishing was slow, as we were fishing close to slack water, so decided to make the ride back closer to Waiheke.

On the way back, the work-up activity was building, with Dolphins hunting in packs and 1000's of Gannets working a large area. We couldn't resist dropping our lines, but after only catching small Snapper, we soon ran out of patience and headed in to an area better suited for 12 year old, Cooper's fishing skills.

You have to love winter fishing, as expected better sized fish were closer to home in shallower water. Using the Raymarine E7, we could see where the fish were holding. This was the type of fishing when you could see the fish on the display and could also predict you were going to catch.

The smaller baits worked best, yet still catching fish up to 50cm. This was an amazing session, another hectic father and son session when fishing became catching. For those struggling with soft baiting, don't give up! Softbait fishing is rewarding and sporting, I'm happy to assess your gear so you are assured you are rigged correctly and can enjoy the fun like we do.

Check out a couple of fish on our video

 Cooper enjoyed the fishing so much, that he got to a stage with the Igloo chilly bin filling nicely, he only wanted to catch and release. Great to see, fishing for the future awareness has rubbed off in him, he wants to come back to his spot another day and catch fish for the dinner table. The classic was when he told me "no more sharing our go to spots with other people Dad"

We headed back to the ramp with smooth sea, it was another dream session on the water appreciating how lucky we are in New Zealand.

 Don't miss out on our next social trip, only a handful of spots left and your best way to learn more with like-minded anglers who enjoy a holiday experience, while catching big fish.

Cheers, Andrew Hill