It's shaping as a great weekend for fishing with the breeze forecast to back off through today leading into calm sunny weather until mid next week.
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That's great news for anglers fired up by talk of tuna off Sydney.
"It's probably the best chance in the last couple of weeks to get out there amongst it," Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fisherman's Warehouse at Marks Point, said.
"There's been so much said of all the tuna action down round Sydney and this weekend offers the first opportunity for Hunter boats to go wide and see what all the excitement's about.
"Who knows what lays out there after the big blow."
Water currents are encouraging with the same line of water that is producing off Sydney extending all the way up to Port Stephens.
"A lot of the fish like to lurk in that current-neutral area where there is an upwelling of water," Jason said.
"Theres this band of non-current exchange where it's quite calm.
"Bait doesn't get pushed around as much and it can be quite favourable for fishing.
"If you're cubing you don't want big current because you get washed off the spot.
"It looks encouraging but of course there's never any guarantee, but then again, you can't catch them sitting in the garage.
"If you are going to get one, this is the weekend to have a crack."
Interestingly, last weekend 12 months to the day a number of local boats got bluefin on the back of the southern canyons.
"It was July 15, 2018 and three or four boats got a dozen or so bluefin up to about 60kg," Jason recalled.
"I don't know if it will replicate this year, but it is something to ponder.
"Bluefin, yellowfin, maybe some albacore - you never know."
Texas holds em
What game fishos do know is that there has been some great kingfish action down round Texas reef off Norah Head.
"Been a lot of kings but not a lot of barracouta which is even better," Jason noted.
"Barracouta shred your gear off and are a genuine pest. Once again, this weekend is a great opportunity with conditions being as favourable as they are."
The medium term forecast is for reasonably small swell and light nor-east winds swinging to nor-west, right through to Tuesday next week, and lots of big sunny icons.
"Perfect conditions to be on the water," Jason said.
"There might be a bit of inshore action too, but the water will be very flat and very clear, and sometimes that can slow the fishing down during the day.
"My tip is to fish very early or very late because clear water can make it hard to get fish, particularly now after the full moon this week.
"This weather window needs to be exploited because through August you can expect a lot of wind and before you know it the nor-easters of spring will be upon us."
Get out early
Salmon are on the march in Swansea Channel, but anglers are urged to target the run-in tide.
"They're thick from the cleaning tables down to the RSL, with early morning proving by far the best time of day to have a go because they seem to go off the bite on the run-out tide," Jason said.
"There's a few bream, tailor and trevally mixed in with them.
"This being the last week of the school holidays, it's a good chance to get out while the wind is so mild and catch potentially the biggest fish of your life."
Wind him up
Jason knows about wind, and I'm not referring to his digestive system here.
The big man braved the bigger winds last Friday on the lake and got a couple of very impressive greenback tailor.
"The biggest one went nearly 60cm," Jason said.
"It's been a funny week with the howling westerly winds. Seeking cover in the western bays has been the key and I found the big fish responded to the deep divers. Then I went out on Belmont Bay when it calmed down through the week and got nothing.
"My intel is that the better tailor are shacked up down south in the lake."
Guys are still getting the odd flathead and squire in the lake and there's been some very impressive jew on the chew.
"But as this moon phase has come through they've quietened up a bit," Jason noted.
Gutter talk
Beaches have been hard going what with big westerlies and then big seas but you never know, there may be some good gutters formed up worth exploring this weekend.
"I expect there will be the odd salmon and tailor about," Jason said.
"A lot of guys are saying there is a lot of tailor up on the reefs in Stockton Bite.
"At some stage they will come off the reef.
"We might see the transition of fish to the beaches on the back part of this moon.
"That bit of period often triggers a few movements."
As always with fishing there are uncertainties, but the one thing in no doubt this weekend is the forecast is dynamite.