Saturday will produce a bit of sou-east but not a lot of wind and Sunday swings back to nor-east.

"Gonna be a licorice all-sorts affair, but it's looking OK," Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fisherman's Warehouse at Marks Point, said.

"Saturday may be a bit overcast but not too threatening.

"Local waters should be OK, and the swell we've seen this week should abate.

"Combine that with the half moon phase and it's looking like a good weekend to have a crack - at least we're not gonna get 30 knot winds, that's for sure."

Whiting and bream have started biting in the shallows throughout Lake Macquarie along with a lot of flathead.

"This is a typical feature of estuary fishing in spring," Jason said.

"The flathead have been about in numbers and size.

"Anglers have been releasing the bigger ones over 70cm which has been good.

"The flathead are moving into the shallower waters.

"This week we've had flathead in the Swansea flat which is a real migration point, and that's typical of spring fishing.

"It's wasn't a great prawn run last week, but there were a few around and anglers report fish are starting to react on the surface.

"That's another feature of spring fishing.

"We are coming out of the dark moon, and that indicates the next prawn run should be very interesting."

The key to fishing at the best of times is to have a plan, but particularly during this transition period from winter to summer.

If you're on the water these school holiday's it's important to target species.

Ask yourself what do you want to catch and then get the gear, bait, location, tide and time that will likely achieve that.

"If your going for whiting, get worms, get light gear, small hooks and head to the shallows on the run-in or run-out tide," Jason said..

"Same with flathead - think about the movement into the shallows - Belmont Bay, Marks Point Marina, the Dropover, Swan Bay, Nesca Park - these areas are very productive for flathead this time of year and the bonus is you will also find bream and whiting.

"You need to have a strategy rather than park yourself in the middle of Warners Bay, for instance, in the middle of the day and hope for the best.

"As we draw into summer now, the fish won't bite with too much light. Better to fish early or late. And keep an eye on the tides - the hours before and after run in and run out tide being the best."

Another thing to think about this long weekend is your boat.

Just because it worked last summer doesn't mean it will go again without a bit of maintenance.

Jason reckon's he's working overtime this week getting boats ship shape as anglers look to get on the water during the break.

"We're seeing water in carbs, the steering's seized, simple stuff," Jason said.

"Don't spend all summer on the bank, Get your motor serviced. There ain't no NRMA on the water."

School holiday anglers are working wonders with winter whiting up round Soldiers Point and Middle Island according to the team at Duffs Salamander Bait and Tackle.

Beach worms and small prawns are proving irresistible.

There's bream throughout local estuaries, with the Duff team reporting catches from Nelson Bay Breakwall, right round to the Boulders on the north side of the bay.

The warmer weather has started to stir the flathead out of the depths with good catches recorded from Lake Macquarie right up to the bay.

Fishing off the rocks has been encourageing following the big seas of last week.

Lots of food stirred up with anglers reporting a nice mix of drummer and small reds working in and around the washes.

Duff's have just cut the ribbon on a bit of a refurbish at their Salamander Bay Tackle Shop, freeing up the layout of the shop and expanding the size.

"We've brought the freezers forward and increased the retail space so we can get more product range out there so people can touch and feel the gear," Matt said

"We did it through August mainly because the weather was so poo, but things are warming up now so hopefully we get a bit more stable weather coming through."

Local beaches are also alive with bream, whiting, salmon and school jew, as this week's Fish of the Week winner Ryan Baker can vouch.

Ryan was fishing at Hawks Nest with his old man when he got onto what proved to be a 92cm soapy.

"Took around 20 minutes to get it in and he did it all by himself," Ryan's mum Kylie reports. "His dad Gavin was in the paper over a decade ago after he caught a really big one. It's the pinnacle for them pair to catch a big jew, and for Ryan to catch one at just 11, well, Gav was stoked."