It's shaping up as a classic Easter fishing break, with full moon and tides in total alignment with holiday rhythms.
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A few showers on Friday are tipped to dissipate over the weekend broadening into clear skies, benign seas and light wind through to Anzac Day and beyond.
Fishing enthusiasts with eyes on public holidays, RDOs and things like Metal Workers Day next week could conceivably wrangle themselves five to nine days worth of recreational opportunity in row if they show some roster creativity.
Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fisherman's Warehouse at Marks Point, reckons most will be hard-pressed NOT to catch a fish.
"The fishing has been on fire this week - inshore, offshore, estuary - no matter where you go they've been catching," Jason said.
"Looking ahead, we've got full moon on Friday, perfect incoming high tides in the morning and afternoon, very balmy water temps, light winds, and low swell - the only thing is a small chance of showers, but that's what God invented rain coats for.
"I think it's shaping up as an exceptional Easter. You couldn't write a better script."
Jason ventured out to the Shelf last weekend and reports water temps were up around the 24 to 25 degree mark.
"We got a striped marlin and lost one, Mick Zontas got a blue, Gary Hoff had a triple hook-up," Jason said.
"But it was a small patch of water and conditions change daily so it's always hard to say with certainty how it will be this weekend.
"They got some monsters off Sydney last weekend during the Peter Goadby Memorial, hosted by Sydney Game Fishing Club.
"A guy called 'Rabbit' pulled $50k out of the hat when he weighed a 288kg blue.
"There's been some big yellow fin off Sydney too, but who know what happens this weekend."
To our north, around South West Rocks and up to Coffs Harbour, anglers are getting spanish mackerel, wahu and cobia, so there is still a lot of pelagic action about.
"There's been quite a few longtails caught north of Port Stephens by land-based game guys," Jason said.
"Reports of cobia coming off the rocks up round Foster. There was a small cobia caught off Swansea last week. It's a sign of how good the water is. April is always a good opportunity to catch cobia off Swansea rocks, ballooning, floating baits.
"It's also a good time to target longtail down around Catherine Hill Bay too. With these flat conditions, it will be ideal to fish the rocks, but of course remember to wear your life jacket."
Reef rocking
In closer to shore we're seeing the typical migration of fish onto local reefs.
"Lots of flathead off the coast, tailor, trag, bream and small snapper as we move into autumn," Jason said.
"Very accessible for holiday fishos - just venture out to your reef, berly hard, fish light, float baits into the berly stream and you can't go wrong. Trag are responding well to the moon while there's been a mountain of tailor coming off Redhead, Dudley and Blacksmith."
FAD-tastic
Local FADs off Port Stephens, Swansea and Newcastle are firing very well for dolphin fish.
"There's great opportunities to get out of a morning, cube up and get an Easter feed," Jason said. "The water temp out around the 50 fathom line is very balmy 23 degrees."
Fish moves
Lake Macquarie is producing bream, tailor, and schools of mullet preparing to set off up the coast on the annual migration.
"There was a big school moved off mid week from Swansea," Jason said.
"These travelling fish present great opportunity for anglers because in calm conditions they will sit in at any breakwall or protected area and wait for a wind shift before moving on.
"As result if you can find where they are resting up, you will be able to get big mulloway and other predators lurking for a feed."
Great trip
Fish of the Week winner Sam Law was chasing mackerel off Scotts Head last week and couldn't believe his eyes when his prize-winner came to the surface.
Sam, Dad Bernhard "Boota" Law and a couple of the boys arrived at Scotts Head last Saturday and have fished every day, reporting the conditions and fishing have been excellent.
"Sam got a second cobia the next day" Boota said. "We've gone really well with the spotted mackerel too.
"The water is very clear, the swell has been minimal and the winds pretty slight, and they are looking to drop off this weekend too. So it's looking very good for fishing this weekend."
Jew news
Mulloway hunter Darren Gould reports anglers have been getting mulloway in Newcastle Harbour this week, up near the bridges, mainly on livies. And the lake is producing consistent jew in the 70cm to 90cm range. He also reports an encouraging supply of arrow and greeneye squid, great bait for jew.