What is the best time to go Whitebaiting?
Spring tides While the season can be slow in August and September, October and November are my favourite months for whitebaiting. The combination of increasing water temperatures and spring tide, perhaps after a little rain, create the ideal conditions for ‘baiting.
What month is whitebait season?
A nationally consistent shortened whitebait fishing season from 1 September to 30 October.
Does whitebait have a season?
In season in July, August, and September. This delicate little fish requires great care to dress it well.
What is the life cycle of a whitebait?
Inanga have an unusual lifecycle. They begin life as eggs laid in vegetation beside streams in late summer and autumn. When the eggs hatch, they are carried downstream as larvae and spend the next six months at sea. In the spring they migrate upstream as whitebait and grow into adult fish.
How much whitebait are you allowed to catch?
Changes for 2021 whitebait season: The maximum incursion of fishing gear (excluding stands) into a waterway, will be one-quarter of its width, nationwide. The minimum fixed distance between fixed fishing gear (not stands) will be 20 metres. Fishing can only occur in estuaries and near river mouths nationwide.
Can you catch whitebait at night?
“Contrary to popular opinion, we’ve discovered that under clear sky conditions, fish are actively migrating at night. It was always thought that whitebait only travelled upstream during daylight hours. Whitebait can travel up to 18 km over 36 hours, and their maximum migration speed is about 1.5 km per hour.”
Do you have to gut whitebait?
Whitebait are eaten whole with the head, tail guts and the lot still intact – most often fried, the tiny, delicate nature of the fish make them a highly sought-after dish. The traditional season for whitebait was June, July and August when the little fish would come up the Thames on flood tides.
What fish do whitebait grow into?
inanga
Through spring and summer, the little whitebait grow into adult fish known as inanga. Inanga are slender fish, with a small head and transparent fins. They are a pale creamy colour, mottled or spotted greenish-olive on their back and sides.
Are whitebait good for you?
Some oily fish contain bones that you can eat. These include whitebait, canned sardines, pilchards and tinned salmon (but not fresh salmon). These fish can help keep our bones strong because they are sources of calcium and phosphorus.
How far do whitebait swim up river?
It was always thought that whitebait only travelled upstream during daylight hours. Whitebait can travel up to 18 km over 36 hours, and their maximum migration speed is about 1.5 km per hour.”
What do whitebait grow into?
Through spring and summer, the little whitebait grow into adult fish known as inanga. Inanga are slender fish, with a small head and transparent fins. They are a pale creamy colour, mottled or spotted greenish-olive on their back and sides.
Is whitebait a seafood?
Whitebait are the juveniles of five species of galaxiidae, a family of fish confined to the Southern Hemisphere. These species are: inanga (galaxias maculatus) koaro (galaxias brevipinnis)
When does whitebait season start on the west coast?
The 2021 whitebait fishing season opens on 15 August, except for the West Coast where it opens on 1 September. Changes to the regulations will be progressively rolled out over the next two years starting from the 2021 season.
When is the best time to use whitebaiting?
Spring tides are favoured for the best catches of ‘bait. While the season can be slow in August and September, October and November are my favourite months for whitebaiting. The combination of increasing water temperatures and spring tide, perhaps after a little rain, create the ideal conditions for ‘baiting.
Where was Whitebait caught in the medieval times?
From at least medieval times, whitebait caught in the lower River Thames (great schools of them used to enter river estuaries on summer high tides) was a popular local dish. The fishery rested on a cunning wheeze to get around ancient laws against taking immature fish. The whitebait, argued local fishmongers, was not an immature sprat…
How can you tell if a whitebait is running?
Sea-run trout swirling on the surface is another good indication that the whitebait are running. One of the fun aspects of whitebaiting is that it gives you time to tune into natural rhythms and observe other wildlife (in addition to other whitebaiters!).