Looks like this week is going to provide more of the unsettled conditions so often common at this time of year.
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Nothing a raincoat can’t solve and standard fare in the lead up to the best fishing season of the calendar.
In the estuary, bream numbers have remained above average with both break walls and Limeburners giving up some solid fish to around a kilo.
Up river the odd fish is still taking surface lures, however the shift to deeper presentations and baits is now evident. Flathead numbers also remain solid with most of the flats around Pelican Island worth a look, however there are plenty of undersized models mixed in with the better quality fish.
Those throwing lures in the deeper sections of the Hastings is also scoring some reasonable school mulloway, with the odd fish approaching a metre. On the whiting front, Lake Cathie remains worth prospecting with either surface lures, live yabbies, or beach worms.
Also on offer in the estuary have been some terrific mullet and garfish, with light line, floats, small hooks and a bit of bread all that is required. Pretty well anywhere from Settlement Point down to the Lady Nelson wharf is worth a look.
On the crabbing front, some nice blue swimmers have been around the Hibbard area, while mud crab numbers remain terrific around Rawdon Island, Limeburners and up the Maria.
Off the beaches, tailor numbers are now as good as they have been since last winter. Locally Lighthouse and Rainbow beach have both been holding fish, as too have all beaches further south. North Beach and North Haven have both been worth a look for school mulloway, with live worms as usual the bait of choice.
For daytime anglers, there are still a few whiting hanging about the southern end of Lighthouse, while the odd well conditioned bream is being taken from most stretches of sand.
Off the rocks, some nice tailor have been on offer including a cracking 7.1 kilo greenback recently taken by Troy Boese at Bonny Hills. Apart from this top specimen, bag limit catches of fish to around a kilo have been common. Also on offer have been a few early season drummer, together with reasonable numbers of blackfish.
On the land-based game front, long tail tuna are about in reasonable numbers if you are prepared to put in the time chasing them.
On the offshore scene, reasonable snapper remain worth chasing from the closer reefs, with fish to around 4 kilos taking lightly weighted pilchards, live baits and of course soft plastic lures.
Barries Bay has been a little hit and miss with the odd reasonable Spanish mackerel one day and little the next. Cobia however have been reasonably consistent with some nice fish to around 23 kilos taken in the bay and off Delicate Nobby. The FAD also remains worth visiting for mahi mahi, with some very nice models in excess of 10 kilos on offer.