But seriously, local waters will offer plenty of opportunities to wet a line over the weekend.

It's been a quick swing from the sloppy joe to thongs and t-shirt this week, but it looks like there may be a few showers over the next couple of days. Nothing too dramatic though.

Luderick continue to congregate throughout local Newcastle harbour haunts, according to Simon Rowe, from Tackle Power Sandgate.

"Basically any rockwall you're going to find them at the moment," Simon said.

"And bream. Your springtime flathead are starting to get on the move too and in fact I'm off down the western side of Lake Macquarie tomorrow in search of a few lizards.

"There's likely to be a few on that side in the warmer water in and around the power station outlet areas. Tailor too.

"I've also heard there's been some nice flatties up Fullerton Cove.

"The trick is to fish the drains on the run-out tide.

"The flathead take up position at the mouth of the drains to ambush bait fish as they flow by."

Simon reports there have been some big schools of salmon around Moon Island and Mawson breakwall down Swansea way.

"Also some excellent squire and snapper along the inshore reefs," he said.

"Trick as always is to fish the weather windows."

Tackle Power Sandgate participates in the Department of Primary Industries Fisheries mulloway frame program and got a generous donation this week.

"A guy came in with a frame of what he says was a jew 20kg cleaned caught off Stockton beach," Simon said.

"There's been a few reports like that coming off the beaches this week.

"A lot of guys also saying they got spooled by large things in grey suits.

"There's also some nice deep gutters formed along the southern stretches of Stocko that will be well worth a shot for bream."

Out wide Simon says conditions are ripe to jig for kings, bash the bottom for bar cod and troll for snapper.

"This time of year you're a good chance on all those fronts, weather permitting," he said. "It won't be long before the marlin are back in the picture."

The gatekeepers up at Lake St Clair report water temperatures are slowly rising but it remains bloody cold.

"The water is coming of the snow melt from the last couple of weeks in the Barrington," Simon explained.

"There was actually a small fish kill, Fisheries said. A pool of deoxygenated water found its way into the system.

"Nothing major though and expect to see freshwater fishing fire up."

Hunter anglers can now cast a line for Australian Bass and Estuary Perch in local rivers after the annual three-month closed season concluded on Tuesday (September 1).

The total bag limit in rivers is two Australian Bass or Estuary Perch per person, with a combined total possession limit of four fish per person.

Jason "One For" Nunn and the team aboard Luke Stansfield's Fifi boated four yellowfin last Saturday as the endless winter fin season continued.

Gary Hoff also got a few and spotted a striped marlin in what is surely an omen of things to come.

"It was always the plan to head out and see what was there after the recent blow, but in the end we couldn't pip Matty Webber who was officially crowned winner of the Lake Macquarie Game Fishing Club's Tuna Bash competition," Jason said.

"We worked the temp break hard around the 700 fathom mark off Swansea and were rewarded with four fish.

"We also found fin in closer around the 450 fathom mark.

"I'd expect they'll still be out there for the next couple of weeks."

Inshore, on the Farm and round Texas, there have been good numbers of snapper but no size - fish legal up to 1.5kg-2kg max.

"Anglers have been plagued by the notoriious Victorian barracouta, which obviously have been ignoring the border closures," Jason said.

"Leatherjackets have also been a problem.

"Guys have been getting salmon, kings and the odd trevally in close which is a sure sign water temps are still down."

"Salmon have batted on in big numbers again this week, along with bream and trevally.

"Flathead are starting to appear in the shallows which is another clear sign spring is here.

"Same with whiting. Been a real move on tube worms, the direct result of guys chasing whiting."

For your chance to win a prize to the value of $45 each week, courtesy of Tackle Power Sandgate, email your Fish of the Week pics to fishing@newcastleherald.com.au with contact details and a bit of info about the catch.