I was just wondering if anyone has caught a salmon this season, I was thinking of starting to go out on the waitaki but just interested to know if anyone has had success on any river really as the numbers have decreased over the years.
Printable View
I was just wondering if anyone has caught a salmon this season, I was thinking of starting to go out on the waitaki but just interested to know if anyone has had success on any river really as the numbers have decreased over the years.
I know of half a dozen caught here on the coast. 3 different rivers. Mainly people targeting trout. Very early for us.
I normally start having a go mid Feb but might have to try a bit earlier.
I was recently staying with a mate that has caught a few on the east coast. One was over 20lbs. Hasn't fished for a while due to the rivers not being fish able.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Cheers that's awesome, good to know there are still some about. One guy told me he heard of a couple being caught up the Waitaki early as well so I hope things are looking up. It will be my first go at the salmon for about 15 years and I'm getting keen. Good luck @R93
Heard there were a few getting caught in the surf at the Wairau mouth by those fishing for Kahawai.
My folks got 2 each last week up Rakaia gorge area only little though about 8-9lb each
8-9 lbs has been the average here right up and down the coast for the last few seasons.
Last big one around 16lbs I know of, was caught by a forum member 3 yrs ago right out front of my house.
At least in Canterbury you still have a chance at a 20lb fish.
Was told of one over 30lbs caught before Xmas in the Rangi above the gorge.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
I did hear that they released some salmon young up the Waitaki and they were due to come in this year, the person said if you don't catch any this year then you will never catch any.
Be a bit early yet for the waitaki. Historically when things were going well there was a small run of big fish just around xmas that were known to barrel through to Kurow pretty quick e.g https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-...merv-and-mates followed by the main run which kicked in late Feb March April, In a good year a few salmon would show up in the surf around waitangi weekend. Some years the big run was pretty much entirely within April. When the season was shortened to the end of March locals tried unsuccessfully to campaign FnG to extend the season. Last year the fish were small < 10lb in most cases. While there have been dips and hollows east coast Salmon numbers have been trending down overall for a long time (bring back the 90's!). Something has changed out at sea, as returns to places like Otago harbour, which is not reliant on spawning are also down. The numbers of hours needed to catch a few fish on the waitaki now are big, locals with jet boats, skills, and time will still pick up a few sadly the canals despite their artificial nature are a better bet............
Funny. I believe the numbers of wild stock are declining as well yet I have had better luck the last 3 seasons than I have since the 90s.
Maybe just just putting the effort in when the salmon are in peak numbers I don't know.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Apart from @mikee comment about the Rakaia, I heard of one fisherman doing 20hrs in his jet boat for 3 salmon....so far.
Forget about the expense get wet feet, smell the gorse & broom, trip on the river stones, believe me you wont need to have your weekly visit to your trick cyclist.
Yeah 2 each total for the year is pretty poor for them, they virtually live on the river, (Whitebait at the mouth from Aug thru end november, then gorge for salmon December thru till end of season).
I remember when the limit was 4 per day and the fish were big, I can remember in early 90's when we were fishing at Waitaki, 6 of us in dads jet boat all caught our limits before 8am. So many fish in the boat we could not get up on plane. And before anyone goes "poos" nothing was wasted not even the frames.
[QUOTE=outdoorlad;786986]Expensive salmon[/QUOTE
My nephew has a weekend job ..just a few hours...gets paid has saved up for a sweet we rod and reel package, has to shop at the wharehouse for tackle as his passion is limited by his income!
As some one very clever teach a kid to fish he will never have money for drugs!
I guess with all hobbies they cost money but when you factor in the relaxation and therapy of being in the outdoors and enjoying your surroundings it works out cheap. It's about the sport and fun of doing it and all the yarns told about the one that got away :thumbsup:
Would hate to think how many we got canned. We used to stay at the south motor camp and also the one by the bridge when I was a kid most weekends from Start of March thru till the end of the season
We (my family, wives family, my cousins grand parents and uncles) caught a lot and I mean a lot of fish, looking back I kinda wonder now if we caught too many.
My best Salmon was 35lb and dads was 40lb 10oz
I’m cursed with Salmon about the same as @R93 is with Snapper. Got a trip coming up in March to make it 4 trips and no fish. One of those being Alaska so my first Salmon is going to be bloody expensive.
I live on the Rangitata and theres bugger all going on here at the moment
There's a "Run" on, isle 7, at Count-Down....feilding...dont look very big tho
We've got a family fishing crib at the North side fishing camp. I read the Salmon 'book' while we were there. It's a ledger of Salmon caught in the camp from season to season.
Last few seasons seem to have been noticeable bad in terms of both quantity and quality of fish in the Waitaki. Mind you there are many other variables that may dismiss that claim. But going by the book, from memory, there were only about 40 odd fish weighed in at the camp last season with nothing much over 10 pound.
Then if you flick back 4-5 years and there were well over a hundred fish, many in the 20 pound range and 1 or 2 30+ pounders.
This all means squat really. But I definitely noticed a declining trend in both numbers and size of fish in recent years.
I'm yet to catch one of the buggers, would hate to add up the hours spent trying. I was told by an old timer to expect to spend 72 hours on the river before catching one.
I must be close to that! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
Caught a number of trout over Christmas and even they seemed quite small. Majority of the fish were in the 3-4 pound arena. Mostly rainbows and the odd brown a bit bigger.
Plenty of Kahawai at the mouth to keep entertained though!
Sent from my RNE-L22 using Tapatalk
I plan to go out next weekend so I'll keep everyone posted on how I get on, cheers for all the comments :thumbsup:
Had a phone call from a mate two days ago who reckons he's seen a few lately in the Wairau.
He's a trout fishing guide so should know what he's looking at [emoji23]
Got me thinking I might have to dust off the salmon rod a go have a crack.
No better buzz than hooking a salmon in a strong flowing river.
I can still remember my first one...
10 years old, clutha river....."hay dad ive got a snag" ... "it might not be a snag son"
Next min all hell broke loose, 22pd [emoji106]
Love it !!
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
You know when I hooked my first salmon I thought it was a snag too. There were a couple of snags across the other side of a hole and I cast close to one of them, the guy beside me looked like he was on the same snag as every time he pulled on his rod my rod went forward and when I pulled on my rod his rod went forward but after a while I noticed he was free of the snag and my rod kept bending and pulling and it was then I realised I had a salmon on it was a 17 pounder and I was rapt. My biggest salmon was 28 pound.
I went out for my first salmon fish of the season today but no salmon seen or caught. My mate hooked 2 trout and landed one. It was a nice day to be on the river and will try again in a week or so. Has any of you guys had any success lately?
My secret fav spot is buggered at the moment. Hole is still perfect but there is a slip up river somewhere keeping it too dirty to fish.
My old man brought one around for me to smoke for him yesterday. Wasn't a big one but at least they're there.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
@R93 Bloody good stuff, everything looked good on the river today just no salmon. I will give it a crack in another week as I have a bit on, I will give it a good solid day next time. Keep the posts coming if anyone catches anything, it's always great to hear.
Haven't heard of much action on the Waitaki yet. Had the old man over from Australia last week and hooking into Kahawai at the mouth and managed a nice trout up river too. Tried for Salmon for a day with no luck.. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...64a7efb28d.jpg
Sent from my RNE-L22 using Tapatalk
I went out with a mate yesterday, we found a lovely piece of water up the river so fished it for 2-3 hours. I caught a nice sized rainbow trout on a big Z spinner but no salmon. When we came back in to the ramp there were 3 other people with boats at the ramp so I asked them if they had caught anything and one of the guys held up a nice sized salmon.
Just goes to show they are out there, we are going again in the morning.
I had a cast yesterday in my honey hole but nothing doing.
If I caught one I would have got the 3?
Caught a good elephant fish surf casting yesterday morning and got some venison within the 24hrs.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Elephant fish are bloody nice, I love them :thumbsup: