Newcastle District Anglers Association took out the NSW Estuary Inter-Divisional Championships fished in Lake Macquarie last weekend.
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NDAA's 12-man team braved a rather hectic storm on Lake Macquarie to win the crown for the first time in a decade.
"It was one of the most spectacular storms I've ever sat out in," said NDAA spokesperson Craig Oaten who by his own account felt pretty exposed in his 3.5m tinnie.
"I was fishing near team members and there wasn't much being said.
"The lightning was going mainly horizontal, not down, which was good, but it was lighting up the whole lake and it was incredible.
"The tailor were biting during and just after the storm on the run-in tide, so I'm not sure if that helped but we took out the comp by a fair bit and a few of the rival teams went in during the storm."
NDAA also had the top angler of the comp, Jason Downey, who had a bag of 37 fish - tailor, bream, flathead and mullet - for 26.42kg.
"There was still some really good fish weighed in," Craig said.
"A samson fish just under 2kg, snapper, flathead, and a mile of really healthy bream - lots of good catches. Not too many whiting though."
NDAA nemesis Central Coast finished runner-up ahead of South Coast third.
The next NDAA event is the deep sea comp in early May.
Tailor time
The tailor keep coming in Lake Macquarie, according to Sean Griffith, from Fisherman's Warehouse at Marks Point.
Good sized schools and fish, with 50 to 60cm models abounding
"Deep diving lures, and chromes spun on the top are working well," Sean said.
"Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much action underneath.
"I'm just back from two week's holidays and before we left there was a lot of jew being caught, but it seems to have been very quiet recently on the mulloway front."
In close offshore there's lots of bonito being caught and some small mahi mahi lurking around the FAD.
"Whiting are showing up on the beach again after going a bit quiet," Sean said.
"The blackfish are going crazy down Catherince Hill Bay way.
"I was down there Wednesday and got a stack - really fit and healthy fish.
"The weather's looking a bit iffy on Saturday, but Sunday should be good."
Big turnout
A near record field turned out for the Twin Rivers Fishing Classic hosted by Junction Inn Hotel at Raymond Terrace last weekend.
"We had somewhere between 150-160 in attendance, including about 30 or 40 juniors which was very pleasing," organiser Peter Hughes said.
"It was very hot - we got the storm on the Saturday night which chased a few jew fishos off the water."
Fishing was a bit ordinary compared to previous years, with only one jew fish weighed in, caught be Bev Hewitt, which weighed 3.57kg.
"People still caught fish," Peter said. "A lot of people weighed their five bream, but not five flatties.
"The biggest bream went 1.2kg cleaned, caught by Barry Jones
"The biggest flathead was 4.3kg caught by Matthew Small (anglers could only weigh one flattie over 70cm.)
"Suprisingly, there was very few jew, even though people were targetting them.
"Perhaps because the river was so salty and so the fish were spread out. The soup was a bit thinner than other years when the fish are more concentrated down in the harbour."
Men's champion was Matthew Small ("Surname 'Small', fish big," according to Peter.) Lady's champ was Theresa Winbank. Junior winner was Nathan Lynch. Kane Small won Nippers.
Nick Hughes, son of Peter, won the $2000 lucky door prize, and has been cleared any suggestions about the draw was fixed because it wasn't, according to Peter.
"We've had so many family members compete in this tournament over the years, it was only a matter of time before one of them would be drawn out of the hat," Peter said.
The BCF-sponsored kayak was won by Glen Barrack
Competitors enjoyed a very recreational Sunday afternnon at the Junction Inn where prizes were presented at a free sausage sizzle washed down by a few cleansing ales.
"Tackle Power Newcastle West were very good to us, providing loads of tackle and prizes," Peter said.
"And everyone loved devouring the award-winning sausages from Terrace Meats."
Organisers aim is to donate $2000 to Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and $500 to bass fingerlings at Lostock Dam.
"With the dollar-for-dollar deal with DPI, that will make it $1000 worth of fingerling and that will happen later this year when stocks become available," Peter said.
Trailer entries
Entries for the 2019 Club Marine Trailer Boat Fishing Tournament being held April 5-7 at Port Stephens are open online at www.tbft.net.au.