Bream, Blue-eye and Black Marlin: A diverse week on the water

THE annual sea mullet migration is on the verge of beginning.

While large schools are still holding in the river systems and don’t quite seem ready to spawn, the atmosphere on the coast is one of high anticipation.

Local commercial fishing families, relying on decades of passed-down knowledge, are already prepping their nets and watching the shoreline for the first signs of movement, maintaining a seasonal tradition that defines the region’s coastal rhythm.

It has been a week of diverse opportunities in the Hastings.

Luderick have been the headline act, with plenty of fish taken on weed around the river-mouth breakwalls and local wharfs.

On the sand, tailor numbers are climbing steadily, providing excellent sport for beach anglers. Bream enthusiasts have also been rewarded, particularly at Lighthouse and North Shore beaches, where heavy hitters over a kilo have been weighed in.

Rock hoppers are finding plenty of drummer at Point Plomer and the Lighthouse, and with the season just warming up, the best is likely yet to come.

Those heading offshore have found mackerel out the front of the Lighthouse and around yabbies reefs, while deeper water around 40 metres is producing solid snapper.

The lucky few venturing further out have returned with pearl perch and kingfish.

The luderick population in the Camden Haven is surging.

If you’re heading out for a fish, bring a variety of green weed, cabbage, and flies to see what they are favouring.

Flathead remain a reliable target throughout the river on whitebait and lures. Along the coast between Dunbogan and Diamond Head, school mulloway are showing up; however, anglers are urged to handle these juveniles with care to ensure a healthy return.

Rock anglers are finding success in the washes with bream and drummer, though you’ll need to hunt for sand-free pools as the swell shifts conditions daily.

Meanwhile, Lake Cathie is the place to be for mud crabs, with both traps and night-time scooping yielding great results.

In the Macleay, it’s all about finesse. Bream are plentiful, but they are proving shy, so downsizing to light lines and minimal weight is essential. Use gut or strip baits or work soft vibes through the deeper holes.

The river is also producing great flathead, with some fish pushing the metre mark falling to suspending minnows.

For those on the walls, luderick numbers are building nicely.

If the weather allows a trip to the shelf, the deep-drop fishing has been outstanding, with blue-eye and bar cod waiting for those willing to put in the effort.

By Kate SHELTON