Bail has been granted to the second of two men convicted for large scale poaching in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

David Leef appeared briefly in Rotorua District Court this week where he was remanded on bail for sentencing on April 28.

Eastern Fish & Game staff and police caught Thomas Tawha and David Leef with 29 trout in July, including 15 mature spawning females. Photo: Fish & Game.

Leef, 36, from Te Teko, was found guilty, along with Thomas Tawha, 42, from Kawerau, in November of poaching as many as 60 spawning trout from a highly-valued spawning stream near Lake Rotoiti.

Both Leef and Tawha had warrants for their arrest issued in January when they failed to appear in court.

Tawah was arrested last month and also remanded on bail for sentencing on April 28.

Eastern Fish & Game Manager Andy Garrick says he can only reiterate that this was some of the worst poaching that officers have dealt with in more than a decade.

In July the pair were caught by Eastern Fish & Game staff and police 'pillaging” trout from a stream leading into Lake Rotoiti - an important trout spawning ground which is closed year round.

Penalties for poaching fish during winter spawning season range from a maximum of two years in jail or fines of up to $100,000.

More than half of the freshly-killed trout were mature spawning females, with wild fish making up the majority of the haul.