What a mixture of sublime spring conditions, nor' easters and a brief but icy south westerly blast recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Not ideal conditions from an angling perspective, but look for conditions to begin to settle somewhat in the coming weeks.
On the beaches, there have been some excellent late season bream about, with North Beach and Lighthouse producing well-conditioned fish to around a kilogram. Late afternoons sessions using worms and pipis have been productive.
Tailor results have only been average but salmon remain in reasonable numbers.
Off the rocks, there are still a few drummer about with the better reports from Diamond Head and Point Perpendicular to the south, and Hat Head to the north.
Miners and Shelly rock shelves have given up the odd reasonable blackfish, while Lighthouse has held a some tailor at first light.
There are still plenty of groper from most headlands. Just pick your days and chase them from the more exposed ledges when the seas are reasonable.
In the estuary, flathead are now by far the pick of the targets, with the lower part of the system continuing to improve as the estuarine waters slowly begin to warm.
On the blackfish front, catches remain a little on the inconsistent side, with the odd few fish about one day, and little the next.
Good news however for whiting enthusiasts, with numbers beginning to pick up noticeably in the Hastings. Look for surface lures to really prove effective.
Lake Cathie has also produced some nice whiting despite the system now being closed to the ocean. Live prawns, very lightly weighted, after dark have been a winning combination.
Hopefully this coming dark will see more of the terrific results enjoyed a few weeks ago. No doubt there will be plenty in the hunt.
For freshwater enthusiasts, bass reports have been terrific with pretty well all local tributaries fishing well.
The floods earlier this year have created plenty of new holes and structure, particularly in the Wilson and Hastings.
To date, sub-surface lures have been seeing the better results, but look for surface presentations to come into their own from next month onwards.
Offshore, there are still good numbers of snapper in close as has been the case in recent months. The better results continue for those throwing soft plastics.
If bait fishing is your preference, the reefs off Plomer are worth visiting, with snapper, pearl perch and a few teraglin on offer.
Trag rock is also worth a look for kingfish, with some nice fish to around 10kg on offer.
