Cook Islands

THE FISHING

The Aitutaki Lagoon is completely encircled by a healthy and productive reef system. Fishing in the Aitutaki lagoon is a very unique experience and is distinctly different from most other bonefishing destinations found throughout the world. The closest comparisons that can be made are to the permit fisheries of Florida and Belize. The majority of bonefish encounters will come in the form of large singles or pairs of bonefish, cruising in shallow water. Unlike a lot of other bonefish locations, large schools of bones are just not that common at Aitutaki and are considered a rare occurrence.

Depth of water inside the lagoon ranges between ankle-deep to just above the thighs when wading. Fishing is done in a very slow, methodical manner, making sure not to miss a chance at a fish. Fish are spotted and a cast is made as much as 50 feet from the fish, when, ideally, the fish will track down the fly and suck it in off the bottom like a permit. If the fish starts to lose interest and begin to fade off the fly, a slow strip or pop-strip is utilized to get their attention.

The average bonefish caught on flies are about 7 or 8 lb., with 10+lb. fish making up 40 to 50 percent of captures. A bonefish biologist who studied the fish at Aitutaki says the fish get so big because they are feeding on sand worms that grow up to 12 inches long or longer and get about as big around as a pencil. This is not a location where guests will catch a lot of bones during a normal day of fishing. Rather, the Aitutaki Lagoon is where anglers can expect to target and achieve personal bests in terms of the size of bonefish caught. 14-15 pounders are a possibility at Aitutaki and there are not many places on the planet that can legitimately offer this.

Aside from the bonefish found in the lagoon’s shallow waters, there are good numbers of trevally species available, including Giant Trevally up to 90 pounds. These fish will cruise the same flats as the bonefish do, so it pays to be prepared with a 12 weight and a popper. Humphead Wrasse up to 60 pounds, barracuda, and a diverse variety of reef species can also be fished for inside the lagoon and in the reef cuts.

Just outside the reef the water drops off into the cobalt blue depths of the Pacific Ocean. Virtually untouched, the blue water fishery that surrounds the Aitutaki Lagoon is well worth a couple of days of fishing with a fly rod and you will have a chance at deep blue water fishing on every hosted trip. Because the drop off is so close to the reef, there are no long rough runs required to access this fishery. Species such as Tuna, Dog Toothed Tuna, Wahoo and sailfish are all found within 10 miles of the reef and there have been reports of marlin as well.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

The skiffs are a mix of Whaler like boats that have each been modified by their owners for fishing. The skiffs are powered by 60 horse power Yamaha 2 stroke engines.

GETTING THERE

Air New Zealand flies from Los Angeles (LAX) to Rarotonga Cooke Islands on Sundays and returns the following Saturday night. So guests have the option of doing a 5 night stay or a 12 night stay at Aitutaki. For most guests it’s an awfully long way to go for 5 night trip and we highly recommend looking at some of our more convenient locations closer to home instead. The other option is to fly from LAX to Auckland New Zealand or Sydney Australia and then fly back to Rarotonga. This option will add substantial time and cost to the Aitutaki trip but can be done in conjunction with one of our trips beforehand to New Zealand or Australia.

From the Cook Islands International Airport, guests will clear customs and then head to the Domestic section of the airport for the 45 minute flight up to Aitutaki. The direct flight from LA arrives in Rarotonga at 7 am on Monday morning and there are regularly scheduled morning flights up to Aitutaki on Air Rarontonga. On the return trip back to LA, guests will take the 7 pm flight back to Rarotonga where they will then catch the midnight Air New Zealand flight back to Los Angeles.

Slipstream is a full service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2024

$5,750 USD DBL Shared room and skiff

Please contact our office for non angling rates

RATES FOR 2025 TBD