Mother Nature chose that weekend of all  weekends to put on a show, forcing the cancellation of the time-honoured event.

Normally run over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, organisers called it off at the Thursday night briefing, leaving disappointed anglers no option but to drown their sorrows in the time-honoured way.  

"It was a hard decision but the right one based on reports from what the seas were like," NSW Game Fishing Association president Gary Chenoworth said.

"Safety is paramount and we could have faced dire circumstances out there."

Ideas are being bounced around with clubs regarding a rescheduled, watered-down version of the event later this year, but at this stage no details have been confirmed.

"Other than that the hope is this southerly swell pushes the current inshore and slows it down  a bit," Gary said.

"As it turned out, Monday and Tuesday turned out glamorous days on the water and boats returning to Sydney reported conditions out wide were perfect but unfortunately there was no life in it.

"So game fishing will remain sporadic for the time being."

Newcastle Game Fishing Club will be hoping it's a case of getting all the bad weather out of the road so that it's all plain sailing for their East Coast Classic tournament, which runs next weekend out of Newcastle.

"We're expecting 50 to 70 boats but that number could jump significantly due to the cancellation of Interclub," NGFC secretary Scott Morris said.

"There's a lot of guys itching to fish so we might see a record tournament turnout. 

"Ultimately, it's all up to the current. If that slows down, bait can hold and the fish will turn up. 

"There will be a lot of guys  out this weekend covering  ground to get a feel for what's going on."

The East Coast Classic, primarily a catch and release event,  boasts over $70,000 in prize money.

The boats will make great viewing when they return to port  next Saturday afternoon between 5.30pm and 8pm, and  again on Sunday from 6am to 8am when they depart.  

"There will be  boats from 20ft right up to 76ft and it's really spectacular to see if you're around the harbour at those times," Scott said.

The weather looks good and the water looks special, according to Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fishermans Warehouse at Marks Point.

Jason is still reeling (but not in a fishing way) from the cancellation of Interclub last weekend, but had the opportunity to sail back to Swansea aboard game boat Fifi on Wednesday and reports exciting news for offshore anglers.

"It's unfortunate that Interclub was cancelled but the positive is the big blow has stirred things up things dramatically," he said on Thursday.

"The water in close off Nelson Bay was about 23, but as we made it down to Swansea the water was cleaner and greener and by time we got to the FAD the temp was 27 degrees, which is incredible, and there was no current at all.

"We took pictures of our sounder to show guys.

"That's the same water we had fishing out on the Shelf during The Shootout a fortnight ago.

"The water seems to have pooled in around Newcastle down to Central Coast, and although we didn't see any marlin, the  water off Swanse is the best I've seen forever and a day. Even at the back of Moon Island on Wednesday it was about 25 degrees."

Jason reports   bonito were busting up in the channel on Thursday morning.

"Anyone thinking of going offshore, I think you've got to get give it a go this weekend," he said.

"After this big rollover thinking there will be plenty of trag, and reds about, and I reckon the bottom fishing looks very promising.

"You could catch a wahu with water like that at the moment. There is no current and water temp  is high, so it's looking very good."

Estuary fishing remain positive with plenty of good bream in the lake and channel.

"Still whiting and flathead on the sandflats and   but that is going to slow down as we move into March and the flathead head out," Jason said.

"Good mulloway getting caught in the lake, as well as reports of kingies up to 8kg, and still good numbers of squid about too."

The 2019 Club Marine Trailer Boat Fishing Tournament will be held April 5-7 at Port Stephens and entries are open online at www.tbft.net.au.

To encourage early entries, organisers will be running a weekly lucky draw prize and offering competitors some great prizes just for entering.