My Rotorua quest
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Freshwater Fishing
Forum Name: Freshwater Fishing reports
Forum Description: Post your report here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129736
Printed Date: 29 Jan 2026 at 11:55pm
Topic: My Rotorua quest
Posted By: old timer
Subject: My Rotorua quest
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 1:21pm
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After moving to Rotorua in the winter this year and picking up a little sea nymph I set myself a bit of a challenge to catch fish in as many lakes and rivers as possible. I plan to keep a bit of a running report here of my trips out and about. Most will be lakes but I'll probably throw in a few rivers as well. While I fished a bit over winter on various lakes I thought would start again. First up I went to the blue lake for something different. A beautiful little lake that doesn't seem to get a lot of fishing pressure.  Conditions were pretty good and fish seemed to be hanging over any little reef but bites were very subtle.   I picked up a couple of fish that fought really well   All in all a great first outing to this little lake accompanied by my ever vigilant fishing buddy  Next up better hit some of the big three lakes. Hope to see you out there |
Replies:
Posted By: Uncle
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 1:30pm
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Nice one old timer.
I tend to stick with Rotoiti, occasionally Tarawera. Your idea has merit
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Posted By: Fishb8
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 3:21pm
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Looking forward to the continuation of your odessey. ------------- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken |
Posted By: Redfinger
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 8:12pm
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interesting - looking like you jigging in the blue lake. Heard of fish up to 2.5 3 kg from there but I have never fished it. So much variety and every lake different and fishes all its own way - have fun and look forward to more reports. |
Posted By: Coochdog
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2018 at 9:30pm
| What Redfinger said .Variety spice of life,most of the "lesser"lakes hold quite a few surprises at differant times of the year.Okarekas another neat place or head the other way to Okaro and Rerewakaitu.Look forward to your updates. |
Posted By: Mossy
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2018 at 8:49pm
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Cool report, looking forward to the next addition! Each lake has its own personality - they're all great and all different. Might see you out there one of these days.
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Posted By: old timer
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2019 at 1:05pm
Well I thought I should update my fishing quest. I had a break from Rotorua and headed to taupo over the xmas break. Fishing was a little slower than previous years but I felt fish condition was up.  Managed a ten up a river too. Not many fish but it sure was a beautiful river to explore.     I have done a couple of trips on rotoiti that I will try post shortly but I'll jump ahead to last night. Was in the area so decided I would head to the famous Awahou mouth. What a fantastic spot. Had never fished there before but what an ideal place to take a learner. Easy wading and plenty of fish. Landed 3 fish and learnt a lot 1. Take a net. 2. Take something tie the fish to. 3. Doesn't really matter where you fish. 4. Take a camera Kept one to take home and the rest went back.  As much as I would like to say it was 6. It was 5lb 15oz. I have found Rotorua interesting so far. So much info out there from fish and game and other websites. Next step get out there and have a crack and learn. See you out there guys |
Posted By: old timer
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:12am
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So I have done a couple of trips on rotoiti recently. Seems to be a lot of fishermen sitting on the usual haunts. Plenty of fish in the sounder and huge schools of smelt. I have found the bite time has been pretty short but persistence pays off. Am wondering if the huge schools of bait make it harder for my fly to stand out and if the fish are just full? Picked up a few fish with my wife getting a nice fish which we forgot to take a picture of.   I have also had reasonable success just drifting across bays with a bit out a drop off in around 30m. These areas have less smelt schools and fish scattered through them not schooled up like the usual jigging spots. Sure is a nice lake to fish on.   
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Posted By: old timer
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 12:24pm
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Okataina was the next Lake on the list to have a crack at. With still a little bit of evening light left the wife a mate and I hit the Lake. Figured the first place to try would be near some of the release sites. Fish seemed to be hanging close to the shores in 20m. We were getting the occasional hit but nothing stuck for a while. Seemed quite different to rotoiti where fish were more spaced out. Quite often as soon as we shifted we would get an instant hit. Mate picked up a fabulously conditioned fish out about 4lb. Then right on dark my wife pulled in her pb fish right in front of the lodge. At around 6lb it was a beautiful fish. I'll try and find some photos shortly |
Posted By: Tonyg26
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2019 at 6:02pm
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Nice work! ------------- http://www.waikatosportfishing.co.nz |
Posted By: Red fly
Date Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 11:07am
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totally agree with your theory, I also think that the abundance of smelt kept the trout off my flies while jigging. It certainly was hard work out there (3 trips for 3 fish). What I have found though, as I had hoped, that the winter shoreline fishing has been exceptional. Plenty jumping on and in fantastic condition. I would swap summer jigging for this kind of winter fishing again, easily ! Nice job of the prep ready for the smoker too, well worth the extra effort in my book also.
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Posted By: Redfinger
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2019 at 9:33am
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Yes -its easy to find the fish at times in rotoiti especially when they concentrate nov to may but getting them to bite is the trick for sure - we had the odd very good day but it was a long wait for the bite times on many an occasion. Out if interest its great to see the shoreline fishing going well for you - a lot of fly fishers blame jiggers for killing alot of the fish before the autumn/winter shoreline fishing starts. I don't believe that - the fisheries managers seem to know what they are doing on a managed fishery like Rotoiti. For your fly fishing are you fishing mainly at night still ? glo flies boobys glo bugs for you? I would use whatever works but don't get down there much now. |
Posted By: old timer
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 10:41pm
Well I haven't managed to get out much over the autumn and winter due the the arrival of a nice little 7lber. Couldn't be happier. Did a couple of trips to the ngongi. Mixed success but always plenty of fish to look at. Hopefully head out over the weekend if the weather allows in the boat for one of the little lakes and if the weather is cap have a look at some shoreline Fishing👍 |
Posted By: old timer
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2019 at 6:12pm
Well I thought I had struck it lucky the other night. There had been plenty of rain so off I went to check out the rotoiti shoreline spots. There were a handful of guys at ruato so I carried on around and found this..... An empty pipe. Having never fished here before I thought this was to good an opportunity to pass up. However it was not to be and no fish for me. Everyone else must have known something I didn't. Nice evening though |