Offshore, water temps have been conducive to an ongoing marlin bite and sensational snapper fishing along inshore reefs.

In the estuaries, a full moon on Thursday will bring big tides, benign winds and not too much on the mercury.

Seven to ten days from now should see the Christmas prawn run trigger, right before Christmas.

Not only will that be a reason to break out the scoop net, it's going to fire up the fishing in the days leading up.

All up, a lot to look forward to for Hunter anglers in the lead-up to Christmas.

Marlin continue to bite out wide with anglers enjoying success last weekend off both Newcastle and Port Stephens.

Jason "One For" Nunn, and son Patrick backed up efforts of the weekend before when they hooked two marlin from 15 strikes to finish with two from two last weekend.

And they'll be chasing the three-peat aboard Fifi again this Saturday.

"I got a stripe about 60kg and dad got a blue I reckon went about 110kg," Pat reported.

"I've never seen him smiling so much. So quick to the rod."

Unlike the weekend before, when bait was in abundance, Pat and Jason reported bait was pretty scarce last weekend, and that may have been why they hit two from two.

"They tend to bite differently when there's bait everywhere," Jason observed.

Conditions were really good last weekend, with light winds and a large lazy ground swell and it's looking pretty encouraging again this weekend.

"Fifi will be venturing out again this weekend in search of a trifecta," Jason said.

"It's always a matter of watch and see on the day.

"If that current comes roaring down like it did last year, this bite could be all over before we know it. But at the moment, it's game on."

Local inshore reefs up and down the Hunter coast have been producing some sensational kingfish and snapper .

Duncan Manderson fished The Farm last Friday, and bagged out on reds.

"Beautiful fish," Jason observed.

"Even though temps in close are not super high, hovering round that 20-21 degree mark, that's super snapper water, and there's plenty of fish about.

"Out on the shelf it's getting up to 22, and a bit warmer over the back."

With last night's full moon will come big tides which should fire up the whiting in the shallows.

"We're looking at 1.9m tides, with a lot of water moving on the the sand flats," Jason said. "That large exchange of water will get the whiting moving.

"Also some great blue swimmers out there at moment.

"Allan McBean got a stack this week, out in the deep water - all males."

Jason reports encouraging catches of jew and flathead in the lake, particularly on those smokey days like last Tuesday, just before the southerly change blew through.

"A lot of guys reported success on both lures and live baits around that change in the barometer, with fish pushing into that 85cm to 95cm range," Jason said.

"And some nice flathead in there too and some cracking bream.

"'Jumpin' Johnny Frith got fish up to 45cm Saturday night, really class bream and a lot roe-ed up.

"They do spawn twice a year - December and May.

"He threw a lot back and reported he pretty much had the water to himself as many people are busy doing party stuff this time of year.

"It's always a good time to fish before the holiday makers move in."

This time next week talk will be turning to the Christmas prawn run, which this year falls on or thereabout Christmas.

"Usually the prawns run about 7-10 days after the full moon, which this year will be two days before Christmas," Jason said.

"And I tell you what, cooked prawns this year will be very expensive, so here is a real opportunity to stock up.

"Drought has taken its toll on river prawns up and down the coast, hence the price spike. All systems have been struggling - the Hawkesbury, Hunter and Clarence. There's been no rain to flush them out.

"We're lucky in that the lake is a catchment and the fish and prawns aren't based off the river, they breed in the shallow areas around the lake.

"Lake prawns aren't river prawns, they are the eastern king prawn migrating out to sea, and this prawn run will probably beat the holiday traffic, so it will be a chance to cash in.

"It will certainly enhance the fishing over Christmas because fish will be feeding."