Conditions are looking very good for a fish offshore this weekend, according to keen game fisho Craig "Wrighto" Wrightson.
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Benign weather and a literal purple patch of hot water will be luring anglers out wide in search of marlin.
And there have been a few stripies picked up this week.
"I'm hoping to head out this weekend as the weather is looking pretty tidy," Craig said.
"The sea surface charts suggests hot water pushing down out wide and that's where I hope we'll find fish."
Craig featured recently in Fish of the Week with a short-billed spearfish caught on the current line between the cooler green water and cobalt blue tropical stuff that he suspects he'll find off Swansea again this weekend.
Closer to shore local charter boat Sandy Bottom Charters has been picking up flathead, a few reds and some really nice trag off Newcastle.
Prize pools
Good weather spells great news for competitors in the annual Trailerboat Tournament being held at Port Stephens this weekend.
A popular attraction over many years, the Trailerboat Tournament draws over 500 competitors and 200 boats to the area, attracted by the family friendly nature of the event and the fantastic array of prizes on offer.
"We compete in 14 species divisions across juniors and seniors, with at least 90 prizes there, but its the huge range of giveaways and lucky door prizes on offer that helps make everyone feel involved," event organiser Tony Poole said.
"Fishing has been great in the estuary with tailor about, the mullet are running stirring up the jew - lots of big jew - and there's some really fat bream on the go, so the fishing will be good, but the social side will be just as much fun."
Fishing starts Friday at 6am and finishes midday Sunday with the presentation to start at around 1pm at the park next to the ferry terminal in Nelson Bay.
"You can't miss it - there will be Club Marine flags everywhere," Tony said.
Autumn joy
Lake Macquarie has been fishing red hot with summer species hanging about and winter species moving in.
"We're seeing some really nice tailor coming into the lake," Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fisherman's Warehouse, said. "Beautiful fish up to 1.5kg. Nice jew up to 80cm and some really nice bream. Autumn is the best time of year to fish."
Flathead have moved out offshore and along the beaches, which are also holding plenty of tailor and bream. Luderick are also schooling up along rock shelves and breakwalls, all in time for Easter.
Ramp anger
Anger is mounting among Lake Macquarie boat owners over the new Pelican boat ramp.
Concerns have been expressed about the safety of launching and retrieving boats due to the force of the current, and about deficiencies in the overall ramp design, which has been delivered from scratch and cost over $1.2 million.
"The current run-out tide roars through there and is merciless," Jason said.
"The run-in tide is a little less severe but still problematic. Virtually the only safe time to launch and retrieve is ebb tide.
"The current running out pushes that hard it smashes the boat against the pontoon, or if another boat is tied up there already it pushes up against the boat.
"How is a 70-year-old supposed to launch his tinnie on his own?
"It's dangerous to both man and machine and only a matter of time before someone is hurt. Already I'm hearing guys saying they're not going to use this ramp.
"I'm calling for a closure to investigate the safety aspects."
Jason suggests the only way to shield the ramp from current would be to build breakwalls but is not optimistic about that happening, and if it did, doubts if the breakwalls would survive the water flow.
"The other big problem with the ramp design is if you have a big boat with a bogey wheel trailer, you can't get the turning circle needed to launch your boat because the bollards are too close.
"A lot of money has been spent on this ramp and yet for all the cash, we've got a ramp you can't launch all size boats on. Who approved that?"
"They had a chance to make something great for tourism and the community but instead we got a shit ramp that's dangerous.
"It's not right and I wonder what happened to the consultation that was supposed to happen with the people who use the ramp, ie, boaties.
Jason links issues with Pelican boat ramp to Swansea Channel and the failure to dredge.
"The only way to take pressure off the Pelican side is to deepen the centre of the channel," he said.
"At the moment, water from the western and northern sides of the lake collide at where the old Milanos fell into the lake, and then it burrows along eroding the shoreline.
"There needs to be a management plan for Swansea Channel. We need to get sensible constructive talk going on. But at the moment is just feels hopeless."