This week we're dealing with the ongoing reality that every second day is a rainy day courtesy of La Nina.

But fishing has been unreal despite the weather, according to Brent "Hammer" Hancock, with a lot of water pushing into local estuaries and firing up the jew and flathead.

"Craig Astley been getting some nice flatties on the Daiwa Bait Junkies - which are a nice new soft plastic," Hammer reported this week from up the Bay.

"Harley Price has been getting jew up to 80cm to 90cm mark on Samaki Vibes.

"There's also some good sand whiting on the bite in the shallows - just got to fish nice and light with live worms.

"There's also reports of blue swimmer crabs and muddies on the move too."

It's been a bit hit and miss offshore mainly due to the weather.

"Some reasonable kings on the inshore reefs with fish up to 90cm and a few snapper mixed in," Brent said. "Out wider, there's a bit of of current out on the shelf, but once it backs off expect the marlin to kick in.

"Tim Dean headed out on Calypso last week and got a short-billed spearfish which was an encouraging sign for things to come."

John Thoroughgood, president of Teralba Lakesiders Fishing Club, is thorough and good when it comes to fishing. And maybe a little menacing because he said he would have to kill me after revealing the secret spot where he got his Fish of the Week jew (see pic above).

"It was out the front of Marks Point," he laughed. "We got three jew actually, released two and kept one, which I'll be cubing up and frying in a light tempura batter and sharing with a group of friends over a few nice bottles of wine.

"We got a nice couple of whiting and bream as well.

"We fished the afternoon for live bait and got our first hit with the mulloway about 8pm - snapped off twice.

"It was about 8.45pm when we got the keeper, played it for about 15 minutes and eventually this big silver glow emerged from the depths."

"As president, I'm usually better at finding mermaids. but I was over the moon with this fish."

Teralba Lakesiders will hold their annual Junior Teams Competition this weekend, which is open and free to all competitors 16 years and under.

There are two divisions: one for locals who live and physically want to fish locally; the other for people outside the region who can fish anywhere in Australia.

The format is teams based (four members to a team plus an adult manager), catch and release, with entries submitted by photo.

A code will be released online on Saturday at 5am, with fishing starting at 6am and concluding at 6pm, before running again 6am to 10am on the Sunday, with prizes being handed out from 2pm.

"The whole point of the event is to get the youth involved with their families and have a go on our beautiful lake," John said.

"Entry is free so it's very accessible that way, and there's heaps of great prizes so that you're virtually going to head home with three or four by just entering.

"We've made it catch and release because as a club we not only want to bring on the next generations of fishing people, we want them to learn and practise sustainable fishing, because without conserving what we have, there's not doubt it won't last."

Entries are already nudging up past the 80 mark, plus 30 team managers, and John expects those numbers to rise in the coming 24 hours.

"The club has done a great team effort ensuring everything is Covid proof, and that we have the prizes lined up and ready for distribution," John said.

"It's going to be a great comp."

Let's Fish Lake Mac is on next week from Friday, November 13 through to Sunday, November 15.

Held right across Lake Macquarie, you can fish from the shore or from your boat, inside the lake and along the Lake's coastal beaches, targeting bream, flathead, tailor and whiting on a catch and release format.

There's over $20,000 in prize on offer, courtesy of Berkley and ABU Garcia, across various categories including biggest fish caught (and released) for both kids and grown-ups as well as a prize pack for the fish that goes closest to the mystery length.

You don't even have to catch a fish with all entries automatically into $3000 worth of prize draws.

The event is backed by Lake Macquarie City Council. For more info visit www.letsfishlakemac.com.au.

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