Trout Season Changes

The much looked forward to trout season opening for those fishing from boats on three key Rotorua lakes - Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera – are set to change to co-incide with the weekend.

The big news for Rotorua trout fishers is a change to the traditional opening dates for lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera.

While the new fishing season will commence on October 1 as always, lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera won’t be open to boat fishing until the Saturday following, which this year will be Saturday October 2, one day later.

The Eastern Fish & Game Council has introduced the change so that anglers who normally work weekdays will be able to enjoy the opening more often, and by having it  on the weekend hope that it will  create more of a carnival atmosphere for all.

The rest of the Rotorua lakes will open on October 1(Friday) as normal, as will many of the rivers and streams throughout the country. Anglers are reminded to check their new season regulation guides provided with their licence or available on-line from the Fish & Game web page.

Fish & Game’s Matt Osborne says the lakes opening is always hugely anticipated and popular with family groups.

“Many of the anglers we see come back every year to experience and celebrate the day. It’s an opportunity for fishers to catch-up with long time friends and get in some great family time – while catching a few nice trout in the process!”

As is often the case, Lake Tarawera is expected to produce a good catch-rate for the opening though the fish may be slightly smaller than those from Rotoiti which while  more challenging to fish at times often produces asome heavier fish. Lake Okataina can produce some surprises with the occasional trophy trout to delight fishers.

An early start fishing the shallow area of the lakes targeting smelting fish is always a good idea says Fish & Game’s Mark Sherburn.

“By mid-morning with the sun on the water many of the fish have moved into deeper water, so it’s worth trying some deep trolling methods, a downrigger or even jigging. Everyone has their favourite lures, but it’s hard to go past a Kilwell black and gold toby and a smelt fly combination,” Mark says.

Whatever method you choose, remember, if you are heading for one of Rotorua’s iconic lakes - Rotoiti, Okataina or Tarawera – to fish from your boat, your season won’t begin until Saturday October 2 this year!