What money can't buy!

Spring is on its way and the fishing has been brilliant over the last few weeks. I particularly enjoy this time of year with the winter conditions making for some amazing flat water days, while also enjoying less traffic on the water. Many clients get into the sport with no expense spared, I can prepare them to the same level of gear which I fish with, but no money can guarantee the angler can catch that '20 pound Snapper'. I hear many come into the sport having dreams of catching the dream fish...a Monster Snapper.  The reality is, there are very few that actually do achieve this true achievement. With the exception of the occasionally super lucky catch, most fall a bit shy year after year and this is what keeps anglers eager in search of their next personal best with the thrill of the experience.

In my experience if fishing enough, most have had at least one crack at a Monster Snapper, with it no doubt having a go at your bait! If you aren't prepared and on your "A" game, kitted with quality gear and some experience under your belt, the fish will likely out smart the angler by dropping the bait or busting your gear. The factor of luck is a small element in my opinion, as it is no easy task to find the big Snapper let alone land one. So much so, the fight is only half the battle, getting the fish in to your chilly bin on a watercraft is a challenge in itself and you need to be mentally prepared for all scenarios.

My most recent fishing session had me fishing with my long time client Brent Martin who has become a great friend, who shares his passion for Jetskifishing on my many adventures. He often mentions how much it would mean to him to officially land a 20 pound Snapper, one of his lifetime dreams and bucket list 'to dos'.

The odds are, you have more chance of catching your dream fish with a line in the water, than stuck behind the computer, which is definitely not the way to catch one and only leads to fishing envy. Not every trip leads to reward, but it all gains experience and any day fishing is better than a day at work. With another opportunity to come fishing with me, all he could say is "beers on me if you can get me a 20 pound Snapper"

Brent's long-time dream of his trophy Snapper has not been from a lack of trying with 40 years of fishing and 6 years of those, enjoyed from his ski. His angler skills are up there with the best of us and he has always invested in the best gear for his fishing.

The below image is the skull from one of my recent 26 pound Snappers.  It shows you the serious chompers on these bigger fish. They have rows of teeth sharp enough to damage gear and jaw strength strong enough to bend hooks, demonstrates why so many fish get away!

Brent was pretty excited about fishing the area of Doubtless Bay, also our best destination for our upcoming social trip in September. Fishing individually on our skis, we fished an area of 35 to 40 metres that has delivered some big fish in the past. When fishing this area your expectations can be high, even though we were fishing on a full moon :-(  The fishing was slow, but with so much variety in species of fish, catching Kingfish, Snapper, Blue Cod, Kahawai and John Dory, what an amazing fishery in the Far North. As I mentioned, we often get strikes by the Monster Snapper, it is just a matter of when and if our hook catches! I had only just caught a 55cm Snapper that hardly pulled my set drag and next cast, as my soft bait was dropping my bait was smashed by the Monster, screaming braid with some serious weight... a few seconds of adrenalin to only be left wondering what I lost after the fish not being hooked properly.

Checking in with Brent he too was in to the action, quietly excited that he had just landed a new personal best. His enthusiasm of an epic battle starting off as a heavy weight much like the snagged sea floor sounded very promising after experiencing screaming line and a exhausting 5 minute fight. Very hopeful to confirm a new personal best catch, we decided to head back to our stay and weigh-in his catch.

The fish is being mounted to be on display in his home, I look forward to seeing his prized catch on display. Our next adventure to this same area is 8th-11th September, keep watching our Facebook Page to see how all my guests go and contact me if you are interested in attending one of our future trips.