In a special four-part series, I was lucky enough to head out on the water with professional fisherman and fishing guide Mark Saxon.

Mark’s many years of competition and recreational fishing has made him a master with a rod and reel. He was more than happy to share his tips and provide some insight for kids and beginners.

You also get a feel for just how passionate Mark is about his job – and of course beautiful Port Macquarie.

Mark started off like any kid who lives near water – on the wharves, chasing little fish like bream and leather jackets, but at a young age he began commercial fishing. 

“I was about 14 at the time. I was a professional fisher for 20 years out off port at Ulladulla,” he said. 

“In the mid-90s that all had started to be regulated fairly heavily. I decided that we might have a look around and we headed north to here, beautiful Port Macquarie.”

During that time Mark has managed a tackle store but more importantly ventured into fish tours, guiding not just visitors but locals on trips around our waters.

He has fished the Hastings River for the last six years and says there is no better office. He also loves the fact that kids still love to cast out a line.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of parents bring their kids out to learn how to fish, which I think is a really great thing,” he said. 

“In this day and age, with computers and technology, it makes me very happy to see how many kids still enjoy fishing. You don’t have to have a flash boat, you can catch plenty of fish on the bank.”

In one of the videos in our series, Mark gives some excellent advice to kids and parents to help improve their fishing techniques.

So what happens when you do bring in a nice haul? You have to clean them, gut them, fillet them or scale them. Mark has you covered there, with a great video on how to clean and fillet your fish.

A new video will appear on the Port News website on Saturday afternoons, starting tomorrow, until July 30.