This past week has been a little challenging on the angling front, particularly for those seeking to fish our coastline or offshore areas. Not only have we had a consistently heavy groundswell, but we have also had additional pulses resulting from the underwater eruption off the coast of Tonga.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While many may not have noticed any real impact from the latter, it certainly created significant surges, sufficient to see damage to marine structures such as oyster leases, and wave heights above normal.
In the estuaries, whiting and flathead both remain excellent as is usually the case at this time of year. Flathead are being taken from pretty well all parts of the Hastings on both bait and lures, with best reports from around Hibbard and up Limeburners.
Best results for whiting have been by those fishing with worms or yabbies. Also in the estuaries, some nice bream to around a kilogram have been taken from the breakwalls on mullet strips.
For those keen on a feed of tasty crustaceans mud crab numbers have picked up throughout the Hastings. We are also just about to enter prime time for prawns at Lake Cathie. Results to date this season have been nothing short of sensational.
Off the beaches, conditions have been challenging so the more protected corners have been the only viable locations for a few nice bream and whiting.
When conditions finally settle, tailor are around in good numbers with a better class of fish than usually seen at this time of year.
Off the rocks, bream and blackfish have both been solid from around Plomer, along with a few school mulloway. Tailor have been active at the Lighthouse at first light, along with increasing numbers of bonito albeit not of great size. Still a few drummer around for those fishing the washes with either prawns, cunjevoi or cabbage, with Diamond Head worth a look.
Offshore, the Golden Lure has once again been successfully staged, and congratulations to all the winners and of course the organizing committee. While conditions were challenging, some great game fishing action was enjoyed, again highlighting the potential of this area on the game fishing front.
Marlin were around in reasonable numbers both close in and on the shelf, as to some terrific mahi mahi and other species. Also offshore, bonito numbers have been terrific close in, while those content to fish the bottom have been finding a few nice snapper and pearl perch when the current has laid down.
With the water in close again warming, look for our mackerel season to begin to fire right up over the coming weeks.
