Last year, on her first time whitebaiting since she was kid, Shaye Walker scooped about three kilograms of the prized wee fish, and she was hooked.
Hence, on the season’s opening morning this year, she got her five children off at school in Tapawera and headed to the closest spot, which was over the hill at Rough Island.
“Last year I turned up and it had been a storm. I put all my five kids on the bank under an umbrella and put the scoop in and got about seven pounds that day – and that was when it was flooded and I was blind scooping.”
By the end of last season, she had scooped a little more whitebait, but nothing equalled that first day’s catch. For her, it’s more about spending time by the water and putting the scoop out than actually eating them.
“I don’t really eat it much; only have a pattie or so. I just like catching them. It’s usually a really good scene out here too. A lot of people are really friendly.”
On opening morning, whitebaiters were well set up along the water’s edge, on the chance the whitebait would be running, or at least enough for a pattie or two. Shaye says there was talk whitebait had been seen last week, so she wanted to be there with her scoop.
“I thought it would be the best day,” Shaye says.
“If they were running a week ago, then I think the earlier you are here, the better.
“Unfortunately, only one of my kids likes to come whitebaiting. Their job is to clean the whitebait.”
The whitebait season runs until 30 October and regulations apply to where and how people fish for them. Details are on the Department of Conservation's website.
