Rarotonga's Best Fishing
Welcome to 'The Fishing Place'
As the owners of Avana Waterfront Apartments, we have lived on Avana Harbour of Rarotonga, Cook Islands for the last 35 years. We've enjoyed easy access to deep sea fishing from our jetty as well as the challenges of GT fishing around the entrance and surrounding reef. We love to introduce our guests to the same experience, and that’s why Avana Waterfront Apartments is known as “the fishing place”. We can recommend the fishing trips we book for our accommodation guests. We have our own jetty, and a special fish cleaning and filleting area on site.
Rarotonga's Best Fishing is only 2km away...
Our jetty juts out into the Avana harbour, giving quick and easy boat access to two FADs (fish aggregation devices), each located 2 km from the harbour entrance. These FADs are anchored in approx 1500 metres , and are approx 2 km from shore. The FADs are made from a line of bouys supporting bits of rope, old nets, and bamboo and attaract small bait fish, which in turn attract pelagic fish. Best fishing time is first and last light. In the morning, bite time lasts for about 45 minutes and the first boat to the FAD normally gets the best fish, so there can be quite a lot of activity at first light. In the evening, the best fishing begins as the sun sinks behind the mountain ridges and lasts for around 30 minutes. Moon phases are important to deciding the best times.
FAMILY FISHING PACKAGES
The apartments are served by 2 charter boats based in Avana Harbour. They pick up our guests from the end of our jetty and in normal weather conditions take 10 minutes to get to the FADs and begin fishing. Action can begin immediately.Avana Waterfront Apartments has negotiated special rates for both early am and late pm fishing trips. Each trip lasts 3 - 4 hours and packs the best fishing into the shortest time. You can wake up at 6am, be picked up off the jetty at 6:10am, hook up a fish at 6:20am and be back at your apartment for breakfast at 10am! Fish belong to the boat but the skipper will normally share if the catch is good.
DEEP SEA FISHING PACKAGES
The apartments are served by 2 charter boats based in Avana Harbour. They pick up our guests from the end of our jetty and in normal weather conditions take 10 minutes to get to the FADs and begin fishing. Action can begin immediately.Avana Waterfront Apartments has negotiated special rates for both early am and late pm fishing trips. Each trip lasts 3 - 4 hours and packs the best fishing into the shortest time. You can wake up at 6am, be picked up off the jetty at 6:10am, hook up a fish at 6:20am and be back at your apartment for breakfast at 10am! Fish belong to the boat but the skipper will normally share if the catch is good. We recommend different boats for deep sea fishing charters. Each has a different charter rate, and a different minimum and max number of guests. So if you are a group of 2 and do not want to share the boat, you have the choice of booking with a smaller boat at a cheaper rate.
“GT” (Giant Trevally) FISHING PACKAGES
Rarotonga has a large resource of GT’s on its reef. Sport fishing for GT in Rarotonga is also unique because the island is only 10 km diameter, and we can find off wind fishing locations during nearly all weather conditions. Because this species carries ciguatera poisoning and is not caught and eaten by local fishermen. So it is catch and release fishing. Most fish are around the 5-8 kg mark, but there are many fish in the 15 kg and upwards range. Surfcasting off the reef works for fish up to about the 15 kg mark. Above that, size definitely counts against the fisherman. Smaller charter boats can also target GT's from outside the reef. GT’s can be caught on the low tide during daylight hours, but best fishing is first light/early morning and last light /evening, coinciding with low tides.
Aitutaki Extension
In Aitutaki, you can catch GT’s in the lagoon using lighter gear, as well as off the reef. If you want to visit Aitutaki as part of your fishing holiday, we can assist you arranging accommodation and fishing guides in Aitutaki.