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Popper fishing Rarotonga

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Destinations
Forum Name: Rarotonga/Aitutaki
Forum Description: Rarotonga/Aitutaki destination and travel info, advice and trip reports here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67007
Printed Date: 28 Jan 2026 at 6:35am


Topic: Popper fishing Rarotonga
Posted By: steve_wint16
Subject: Popper fishing Rarotonga
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2011 at 10:04am
Hi Guys, Im just wondering how many of you guys have popper fished Rarotonga from the shore. I have recently moved to raro and since I do not have a boat I am looking for some advice on land based spots that are good for catching trevally on poppers. Iv never tried popper fishing for trevally before so any advice anyone can give me would be useful and very appreciated.
Thanks guys,
Cheers, Steve


Replies:
Posted By: Elpescador
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2011 at 10:23am
Go to the gamefishing club and ask a few locals! 

Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2011 at 6:13pm
hi steven,

go to the passages like tupapa, avaavaroa, avana, rutaki, papua, arorangi. walk out on the reef at low tide, small swell, check tides and cast into the deeper parts for bluefin and or gts.

new moon and change of light is best.

don't go in the next week as there is a 5m sw swell currently.

otherwise taakoka has some big bluefin trevs in the lagoon.

make your lure pop by jerking then pause, keep repeating.

see you alan

Posted By: steve_wint16
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2011 at 6:47pm
Cheers Alan, Ill be sure to give those places a go. Hows your fishing going, been out lately?

Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2011 at 6:27pm
fishing was terrible for last 2 months but it has been red hot this last week. 

Posted By: marlinstar-NZ
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2011 at 12:35pm
i stayed at the avana apartments last year & cast a little spinning reel of the end of the jetty directly in front & caught some nice trevs about 3kg. got dusted up by some bigger models so next time i might take some bigger gear. i think they were bluefin

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Tomahawk Lures-tradition for the future

Posted By: campbellc
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2011 at 3:53pm
Can you eat the fish from the reefs around raro or do they have ciguatera ? Going in 7 weeks for a surf trip for 18 days and am trying to decide weather to take the softbait rod and some small poppers for the flat days

Posted By: marlinstar-NZ
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2011 at 4:08pm
i was told not to eat the fish, but i'm sure alan would be able to help you out more on this topic

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Tomahawk Lures-tradition for the future

Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 4:42pm
sorry for the long delay, i only saw the posts on here just now. all the reef fish inside and also outside the reef on rarotonga have a high risk of carrying ciguatera, this includes GTs and dogtooth tuna. pelagic fish are fine such as yellowfin, mahi mahi, wahoo etc. nasty poison and not worth the risk in my opinion, catch and release with some photos. some locals eat the reef fish but plenty get poisoned also.

those marlinstar tomahawk lures look awesome!

Posted By: marlinstar-NZ
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2011 at 8:47am
thanks alan, i gather you saw the lures my buddy took up there for the contest you had a little while back. if you ever get to fish them & catch anything i would really appreciate any photos you can get. how has the fishing been up there lately?

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Tomahawk Lures-tradition for the future

Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 8:26pm
hi marlinstar-nz, i have only seen the tomahawks in fishing mags and on you tube, i am basing my views on that and from what i have read, i am sure they would go well on mahi mahi as well as the marlin. so cant comment on first hand experience. but they look good to me!

been a few mahi mahi around and now looks like the y fin tuna are showing up after a long absence. also a few marlin been hooked the last few days, none landed. one sailfish 3 days ago.

very calm seas and hot, sunny weather.

cheers, see you.


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