There's not much rain predicted but the mercury will dip low round that 15 to 16 degree mark during the day presenting a few strategic considerations beyond a beanie if wetting a line.

"It's going to blow strong outside, so my advice will be to tuck into a corner somewhere in the lake, up Port Stephens, along a river or estuary or get into Swansea channel," Sean Griffith, from Fishermans Warehouse at Marks Point, advised.

"It'll be horrible out wide this weekend, and pretty sketchy even in closer, but there's lots of good salmon and flathead in the channel, green-eye squid behind Moon Island, and tailor out the back of Pulbah Island.

"You've just got to get out of that wind."

Most tackle shops this week have been busy receiving much needed stock in preparation for the school holidays, and the Warehouse crew are no different.

"We got some Tail Dancers in this week, which is really special," Sean said.

"They are deadset tailor slayers, and we finally got them, but they are going quick. I don't know what it is about them, but they are just well made for tailor and big flathead go for them too - the big dogs.

"You want to make sure you tie a good knot on these lures because you don't like to lose them."

There's been some nice jew caught in the lake over the last week.

Quality fish in that 70cm-90cm range, hooked both during the day and night.

"Just need to find the bait balls," Sean said.

"Still plenty of winter bream being caught too and some nice big flathead.

"A week and a half ago we'd check our 'spot x' for big lizards and there'd be nothing there, but now they are starting to show up.

"It's that spring migration thing into the shallower water.

"Still plenty of luderick too roaming local rockwalls and snapper further north up off Broughton Island and beyond to Crowdy."

Another option to get out of the wind this weekend might be to hit the freshwater scene and chase bass.

The hills, valleys, trees and creek banks up the valley may offer some protection.

Jesse Dedman, formerly of "Newy Fishin'" and now running "JT's Newfish" on Facebook, YouTube and Insta with good mate Tim Kenzevic, has been giving it a go recently and is a fan.

Jesse has been lured inland by the pristine locations he gets to, and the promise of good fishing this time of year.

"I get on Google Earth and follow the Hunter River up checking out the skinny creeks and tributaries," he said. "They all hold bass, I've found, and so I get the kayak out and go up and give them a chase

"It's good fun. You come across a bridge, pull up on the side of a road, go check it out. I've been getting two or three bass a session with my trusty Black Z-Man 2.5 inch lures, casting and retrieving round snags and overhanging branches.

"That's where the fish hang out waiting for things to fall into the water.

"I'm letting Google be my guide but I tell you what it is a very pristine way to fish. Beautiful scenery, you hear the birds, I love it."

Not enough to tell anyone exactly where he goes, though.

"You've got to be stealthy about giving away spots," Jesse laughs. "I mean I'd tell someone in private maybe but not in the paper."

When it comes to gear, Jesse's approach is pretty low-fi at the moment.

"I'm using my dad's kayak at the moment," he said. "It's not high end, but really all you need is something to float down the river on.

"Kayaks are great that way - they give you access, they're easy to launch and pick up if you have to drag your gear up over rocks.

"The kayak is also good on snags. If you get hooked up, you can get over to it and free it up most times.

"There's definitely a good sense of adventure."

Geoff "Kanga" Ruse, from Freddy's Fishing World at Georgetown, is an experienced and passionate freshwater fisho, and had these tips for any aspiring "yakman".

"Be considerate and remember you may be venturing near people's land," Geoff advised.

"The floodline of a creek or river is not owned by a landholder, so they can't stop you fishing it.

"But you can't walk across property to get to that floodline without permission.

"Accessing at bridges is fine if it's safe, but just be careful about not damaging anything. Once you're on the water, you're on - there's no trespassing.

"Street view on Google is a good way to check out a location without going there when you're doing your research."

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