Awesome Kingfish Action in the Whitianga Shallows

Photos from Capt Tobes on Sanity from the last week's fishing

Once the swell died down and the water cleared up some big balls of bait started appearing back in the Mercury Bay, among them were some big fat hoodlums!!

Here's a few piccies from a run of day fishing charters last week where everyone picked up some nice kings in the shallows and the back of Great Merc produced some good bites on the jigs as well.

Shane with the first one of the morning, a nice king on 4kg

Heinz with another just off Whiti

A king grabbed a macca off one of Bill McBraynes hand made sabikis and with alot of skill we ended up with a 10kg model - super strong hooks - not bad at all!

The Mad Aussie was last in line and soon enough everyone had a keeper in the icey tek, time to do some tag and releas

Out to one of the northern pins on the way to Cuvier, Mad Aussie had a new Daiwa Z20 to christen and it didn't take long for him to start feeling it, fish taken on a livie and released to see another fight.

Karl Dixon was on the other lucky Stella and soon had a fish boatside for a piccie and release

This was the start of a 2 hour run on great fighting fish with all anglers having a blast.

On the way home Karl had one more shot at a king on the silly string and a fantastic fish screemed of untold line - a Epic 15min battle ensued, finally the fish earnt its freedom boatside popping the hook - a solid 18-20kg easy!

A new day dawned, fog blanketed the bay but the fish were stil on the bite. Blair had come up for the weekend from Danniverk with his partner Natasha and got the ball rolling with a rat that fought like a demon on the 4kg

Tarsh was next up catching her biggest king ever!

Hector just couldn't get enough and just loved seeing that Stradic howl!

Ariel Perez had a shot on the hellbent and soon had a solid 17kg specimen onboard destined for the chilli.

Just one more hector asked - who am I to ruin a mans run - 18mins later this 15kg fish, that was foul hooked in the head, mad it for a piccie and a quick release.

Out to the pins off Red Merc again and Tarsh sets about beating her old personal best...a solid kingi!

Ariel persisted with the jigs all day and was rewarded time after time

Hector once again in on the action with this long reef fighter

Tarsh just wanted more and now knows all about skull draggin

Hector again...he just loved catching kings!

And so did tarsh - this time she hooked a fighter and got sent to the rail - hold on girl!

The reward, a sore back and the pleasure of releasing for another day

Ariel with his 8th of the session on jigs - putting the time in paid off

Not to be outdone by the missus - Blair hooked the lucky last and topped off a solid 3 hour bite

Nick White was back for another assault on the Coromandel kingfish - this time the weather was going to pack up about lunchtime so it was a half day in the shallows with his mate Obie from Invercargill - a kingfish virgin...his first bait was monstered by beast which emptied the Stella 4000 in seconds - a bit of swift driving couldnt help the unlucky braid parting at the side of the boat - i weas gutted, it was a horse!

nics turn and he was soon hooked up on a beast in the shallows - 16kgs of prime king - the face says a thousand words

This started a procession, obie, nic, obie, nic, obie, nic...i even got a shot in!!!

Obie with his first ever kingfish - 15kgs

Nic was a little camera shy and just wanted the rest released in the water - good man!  Last fish of the morning and Obie has a play with the Powerflex Light and nails a great fish for the chilli..

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