It opens next Wednesday and Fish & Game is encouraging anglers to become familiar with new regulations.
Some of the new regulations include:
■Scented soft bait lures that imitate active bait fish may now be used in all waters where spin fishing is permitted, adding a new lure option at 46 waterways.
■The season bag limit for sea-run salmon has been reduced to one salmon in response to severely low spawning populations.
■All waterways of the Ahuriri River catchment now open on the same day — the first Saturday in November.
Fish & Game reviewed its regulations every three years, senior officer Rhys Adam said.
"That’s an opportunity for licence holders, staff, councillors, members of the public, anyone who wants to formally submit a change can do so with justification."
He was excited for the changes around soft bait lures to go into effect.
"Traditionally, in fly and spin-only waters, you can’t use any sort of bait.
"The modern scented soft bait are fished like spinners but they are scented so they’re technically bait.
"It opens up a whole bunch of opportunities for people to use their favourite lure."
Lowering the salmon bag limit to just one fish is a response to "some of the lowest, if not the lowest" spawning numbers in history, he said.
"We’re really concerned about the salmon at the moment.
"We want 80% or more of the population to actually get to spawn and anglers can catch about 20%."
With opening day falling in the school holidays, Mr Adam hoped to see families and young people getting among it.
"We encourage the people that have got so much enjoyment and so much food out of the pastime of fresh-water fishing to pass that on and keep the tradition alive.
"Being in the school holidays, it would be great to see experienced anglers taking out children fishing. There are some great options there if you’re willing to jump in the car and head off."
Bortons Pond on the Waitaki River was "a great, safe location for teaching the young ones to fish".
Lakes Waitaki and Benmore have a year long season while others, such as the Kakanui and Waitaki River, close at the end of April.
Mr Adam encouraged all anglers to read the regulations, new and old, before heading out.
"It up to the anglers to know the regulations so if they don’t read them, they may face prosecution.
"If there’s anything they need clarified, or if there’s anything they don’t understand or they just want to query, we encourage them to contact Fish & Game directly."
