Headed down for a shorey session at Hot Water beach on Monday with Bounty Hunter. Prevailing westerlies and low swell over the previous days contributed to mill pond conditions upon arrival. Hiking a k up the beach we headed into the sun along the coast - not ideal for snooping. Plenty of crays and baitfish around which was really pleasing to see. We opted for multiple burleys and left them to cook, returning later sun behind the back. I trundled around to the northern end of Orua Bay. Vis - pretty good to 10m then hazy. Watched a school shark shoot past before I could get a shot off, heading M's way. Yeah, plenty of crays around in the shallows and goodies at the 8-10m mark, took one for the pot, but many in berry. After a "pit stop" on the rocks I noticed a seal lazing in the sun around the headland point - well there goes any big snapper along that coast Headed back and caught up with M. He'd managed a couple of nice johnnies on burley. Reckon when this happens there is a weedline close... I checked my spot out and sure enough, panny snapper and a nice JD hovered above it. Split second decision (a) shoot a panny snapper (heaps of snapper in the freezer) and hope the JD sticks around or (b) shoot the JD and hope the snapper come back. Shot the Johnnie. The snapper came back, panny size, spend half an hour trying to outwit them - then stuffed one up on approach. Added a fat batter - many around might I add, to the string for the daughter. M reckoned not to bother with the deeper weedline, which I ignored and headed 100m out from the coast. Sure enough, after sitting at 14m for bout' a minute a group of very nice kings hauled through at pace. I surfaced but they all circled out of range. A few of them just "swaggered", you know what I mean - serious kingies. Tried to keep in contact, strum the gun rubbers, anything to draw them in, but no joy. Really keen to bowl a big king on reel gun - haven't had the pleasure yet, but awesome seeing such nice winter kings in close This would be one of the more scenic dives and really enjoyed the k trudge along the beach yakking to my mate who was lugging our plat in the surface. Still tourists here in the middle of June, can't complain really. - Snoop