Sports fishing takes off along Hunter coast

His prize-winning 8kg, 102cm kingfish was spun up near Swansea Bridge and is confirmation you can mix business with pleasure when it comes to fishing gear.

Steve's a social fisho at heart but likes to keep his set-up "strong" for special fish just in case he ever catches one.

And he rarely fishes with lures.

"I'd just bought this really expensive line - Saltiga, cost something like a $170," he explained. "Normally I use cheaper line.

"I was on my way to Catho [Catherine Hill Bay], which is where I like to fish, but I was keen to see how this line casts.

"I'm not into buying expensive lures either - I don't reckon they work and I don't like losing them - but I bought this $4 job at K-Mart just to put some weight on.

"The plan was to see how far I could cast my new line.

"So I pulled into Swansea and started pinging away near the bridge.

"I've never done very well there, because the water flows so fast, but next thing it felt like I was stuck on the bridge.

"I couldn't believe it. Obviously, I wasn't.

"I'd hooked this thing. I didn't have the drag set and it pulled me nearly a metre forward."

After a desperate 15-minute battle moving side to side trying not to get busted off on the bridge pillars he managed to skull drag the fish up the rocks.

"Every one of those 15 minutes I was in doubt about getting it to land," he said.

"Tell you what though, the line really performed.

"To be honest, I was just going for distance when I started, and I was getting more than half the bridge which was pretty good.

"But then the strength, not busting off with a fish like that.

"Very impressive."

Despite the quality line, Steve reckons the key to his catch was the cheap lure.

"I'm now a big rap on the $4 lure," he said.

"A lot of people pop for kingfish on the surface, but I reckon kings are usually on the bottom.

"All the rat kings I catch at Catho I usually get on a bream rod using baits.

"This lure sunk and that's where I got this fish.

"I reckon my theory still holds."

The 15-minute fight left him sore but far from sorry.

"I'm still feeling it, and I tell you, it's a pretty good feeling," he said.

"There was me, a bloke fishing near me and a guy in a work truck having Maccas for lunch that witnessed the fight.

"I hope to continue witnessing fights like. Sadly they don't come along as often as I'd like."

April-May is a prime time for sports fishing in Hunter waters.

Bearing in mind we still need to remain vigilant with social distancing, there are some great fish on the go.

Brent "Hammer" Hancock, from Tackle World Port Stephens reports action has really started picking up.

"We've seen some lovely snapper hooked this week up to 6kg in and around the islands out the front of the bay," he said.

"Water is starting to cool off and we've had a bit of swell, and that usually triggers the snapper bite.

"There's plenty of bait around - slimeys, yakkas and gar.

"Guys have been getting nice long tail and mac tuna,

"We weighed a 20kg long tail (northern blue fin) this week and they've been getting them off the rocks as well.

"They're a coastal tuna that like to hug the inshore reefs and islands.

"We've seen some good dolphin fish coming off the FAD too.

'Basically the sport fishing is going well."

Inside the bay there's been some good jew caught.

"We had a guy in this week dropped off a frame for DPI and that fish went about 10kg," Brent said.

"The guy reckons he also released a 21kg fish during the same session."

Bream are turning up in numbers around rock walls and oyster racks, and there's still a few flatties around, much to Brent's surprise.

"My 13-year-old daughter went fishing after school this week and asked me what to go for and dad said try targeting bream because there won't be any flathead around," Brent recalled.

"She came back with two 50-60cm lizards - now she's telling dad how fishing works too, along with everything else."

Beaches have been knocked around by the swell this week, but Brent reckons it will be well worth a shot now with fresh worms in search of brea and tailor.

"We've got good tides after dark and early morning and I reckon you'll be a good chance Friday and Saturday.

"Mother's Day will probably curtail activities on Sunday, along with a southerly change which is expected to push through.

"There's a few salmon starting to kick about as well which is always a good sign that winter is approaching, and there's some great tailor if you're prepared to fish after dark.

"They're chasing mullet schools along the coast, so arm up with a full garfish and you'll catch good tailor."