wow new zealand, i have heard and seen pictures, it is a beautiful place, from what i have seen and heard, but i also heard there is a very dangerous river there, cannot remember the name of it right off, something about the current and the wind[&:], anyway back to your post. if i had to guess, i'd say that you experienced a good spring-time bite, and those places have dried up, the two things i can tell you about pickwick and wilson are, on pickwick you really need moving water, and wilson is deep and clear, most of the better strings of fish on wilson this time of year are caught at night or in deep water (20-25+) early try six mile creek and four mile creek, then star fishing the deeper water, on points, then on pickwick, when the water is moving fish the cuts around seven mile island, and at the mouth of coffe slough. if you get the chance to fish down river, try around koger island, and the shell mounds on the old river channel around nacthes trace bridge. but you'll really need moving water for the fish to act right (especially the smallies)..

BTW, be very, very careful around koger island, there are rocks 1 foot underwater as big as a truck on both end of the island