Reel Life September 2021

Plenty of fish in the Waikato

Winter fishing on the Waikato is in full swing and there have been good reports of browns being caught from Mercer to Karapiro Dam.

Most successful Waikato River anglers use soft baits like Savage Gear Trout Pro pack or the Z-Man Slim SwimZ Soft Bait tied directly to a 6lb test line with small jig heads (5 g).

Soft bait fishing at the parks around Hamilton is a great way to spend an evening along the river.

If you are new to soft bait fishing, there are some good resources on the Fish & Game website.

Fishing is not a crime!

Technically fishing during Alert Levels 3 & 4 is no longer a crime due to a revision to the official COVID-19 alert level update page.

The guidance states you can fish your local stream or lake, so “travelling” to fish is prohibited unless you are at Alert Level 2 or lower.

Once travel is permitted, anglers are only allowed to enter regions that are at Alert Level 2 or lower.

Fishing from a motorised boat is not permitted during Alert Levels 3 & 4 but it is legal to fish from a kayak if you are within 200 metres of shore.

Kayak use has caused some confusion as it was previously not permitted, so some members of the public have questioned anglers about the legality of kayak fishing.

If you are confronted, please be polite and refer the person to the covid alert level update page.

Alert level rules will continue to change so please check the COVID-19 alert level update page to be sure you are up to date.

Tight lines

Dr Adam Daniel, Auckland Waikato Fish & Game.