Patience is key as Hawke's Bay whitebaiting season gets off to slow start

Patience is key for local whitebaiters as the season gets underway in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

Patience is the name of the game for local whitebaiters as the season kicks off in Hawke's Bay.

Hastings' Jo Worsley says while the season got off to a slow start, the experience as a whole is worth the wait for the "elusive" whitebait.

Worsley, who spent over five hours at Karamu creek on the opening day of the season on Saturday, said one catch was enough to keep the fun alive.

"The season has started a bit slow," she said. "I got one really good catch yesterday, but that was all I saw.

"I heard of a guy just round the corner who got a pound, but that's the best I've heard of so far."

Worsley added: "I wish I could tell you I had half a bucketful. But, while it has been slow, the name of the game is patience with whitebaiting at the end of the day."

HBRC and DoC worked to boost the whitebait population prior to the season. Photo / Paul Taylor

Prior to the season, Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation (DoC) had been working to boost the whitebait population by building fencing, planting rivers and protecting egg sites.

A 15ha wetland in the Waitangi regional park has also been constructed, which is an ideal habitat for inanga - one of the main whitebait species.

Worsley, who has been whitebaiting her entire life, said a catch is just part of the overall experience.

"As we just have it to ourselves and the family, a significant catch for us is half a bucket. That's heaven for us," she said.

"For others, it's about making some money from selling on, but we do it for the sheer hell of it. It's gorgeous sitting along the river – its just a bonus if you catch whitebait."

HBRC Freshwater Ecologist Dan Fake said an overall increase in catch rates may be a good indication that the adult populations are recovering.

Former DoC ranger Hans Rook added: "Talking with whitebaiters that have been fishing since the 80s, catches in the Bay have dramatically improved in recent years. It may well be that all the good work that has been done is paying off."