The catch of a lifetime

Aaron Mickelson with his first kingfish, one he will never forget. Picture / Supplied

Taipā man Aaron Mickelson is a veteran kayak fisherman, but he's never had an experience like he did on Tuesday.

With Covid-19 alert level 3 in place, he set off from Cooper's Beach, planning to stick close to shore, in compliance with the lockdown rules, hoping to catch a meal for himself and maybe a few friends. He ended up with a chilly bin full of kahawai, and his first kingfish.

The 20kg catch did not give up without a fight, towing him back and forth for some 30 minutes before conceding defeat.

It was a memorable outing all round, Aaron said.

"There were so many kahawai schooling, and kingfish chasing them," he said.

The water was so clear that he was able to watch what was happening beneath him. And, with a very good haul of kahawai in the bin, he decided to use one as live bait in hope of catching one of the kingfish.

There was one more special ingredient to the story. There had been a push amongst the kayak fishing fraternity to return the first catch of level 3 to Tangaroa, and he had done that, releasing a kahawai and a couple of snapper.

"And Tangaroa gave back to me," he said.