Thread: River mouth fishing, licence needed?

What's the go with targeting Kahawai at a river mouth? Should I have a fishing licence as "technically" I am fishing fresh water?

You need a licence. IIRC you must be 200m from the river mouth, either offshore or down the beach not to need a licence.

I think you do, especially if using lures that could also be targeting trout or salmon.

Pretty sure no licence required. You must return any sport fish caught though if you have no licence and I'd expect not to been seen to be actively targeting trout/salmon etc.

From fish and game website Kahawai Fishing - Do I need a sports fishing licence when fishing at the river mouth? | North Canterbury

"Fish & Game are aware that there is some confusion out there amongst anglers in regard to whether or not they require a sports fishing licence to target kahawai at river mouths. The legal position is:

If you are fishing in fresh water and using gear that could reasonably be expected to catch sports fish (Trout, Salmon and Perch) you need a valid sports fish licence. Freshwater is defined in the Conservation Act 1987 as any river, stream, lake, pond, lagoon, wetland or any other body whether naturally occurring or man-made. Freshwater also includes the mouths of rivers and 500m along the seashore from where the river meets the sea at low tide).

So if you are apprehended at a river mouth fishing with gear that could likely capture sports fish (bearing in mind salmon will take large silver kahawai lures), there is a legal requirement for you (not Fish & Game as it is a strict liability offence) to demonstrate to a judge that the gear you were using was not likely to capture a sports fish such as a salmon."

What Kiwijames and stug said.

Don't need a licence to fish for Non Fish and Game controlled species.

Even a small Kawhai on a fly line is a blast that's for sure.

Cheers
Pete

no licence required, but if you hook a sport fish it must be returned unharmed. F/G ranger of 20yrs

Sport fish being a trout or salmon or is there others?

trench, rudd are sport fish as well and a licence is required, cat fish and Koi you don't need a licence these are pert fish

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

trench, rudd are sport fish as well and a licence is required, cat fish and Koi you don't need a licence these are pert fish

I dont think I have ever seen any of those so I should be right

pert fish wtf pest fish

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

pert fish wtf pest fish

WTF are Trench

Tench, frigging big fingers and whisky lol. Rudd, Tench, Carp, red fin all brought over by your rellies for course fishing and the odd fishpond escapee's as well as few intentinal releases as well

Originally Posted by Pengy

WTF are Trench

Fish Pengy. A fish offishyenado like yourself should know that!

trench is usually a long narrow hole in the ground where I come from.
Tench (Tinca Tinca) are a lovely looking dark green course fish that I spent many a summers day trying to catch from tranquil, deep pools in the English countryside.
When we caught one, we would sometimes take a photo, before putting it back and trying to catch it again weeks later.