It's going to be a hot weekend with a solid nor-easter blowing.
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The big wind looks like it will impact on the Northern Zone Overnight game fishing competition.
Run twice a year, on the moon of November and May, the Northern Zone event sees affiliated Game Fishing Club from Lake Macquarie north competing for club glory and against each other.
"Lots of guys were no doubt looking to get out overnight and have a run," said Jason "One For" Nunn, from Fishermans Warehouse at Marks Point, and vice president of Lake Macquarie GFC. "But at the end of the day, this nor-easter is going to impact on plans."
It's a shame because water temps out on the Shelf are ranging from 21 to 22 degrees in patches, while close to land on The Farm, the water is 21 degrees, full of bait and a beautiful blue colour.
"No marlin, but if you are a bottom fisher The Farm might be worth a shot this weekend if you can endure the wind," Jason said.
Think shallows
Due to the wind offshore, estuary fishing may well be the better option this weekend.
"We might have to be confined to places like Swansea channel or the shallows around the lake and Port Stephens," Jason said.
"The good news is there's bream and whiting on the sand flats.
"Tube worms are proving very successful both in the channel and on the beach, which might be another place worth thinking about to escape the heat.
"Particularly on Sunday when temps are tipped to hit 40 degrees. Early morning and late afternoon will be the general tip to avoid the wind and heat."
Flathead are about in the shallows responding well to surface lures.
"Water will be hot in these areas and the flathead will be up in the shallow water ambushing small whiting and bait fish that gather under these conditions," Jason said.
There's been a nice run of squid through the lake in the wake of the recent prawn run attracting a bit of kingfish action under Swansea bridge.
"But it will nearly be impossible to fish the bridge this weekend due to the number of water craft likely to be about," Jason said.
Blue swimmer crabs are mating at the moment and as such the males are a bit light-on and watery.
Another thing to be careful of heading into summer is water safety.
"Be safety conscious," Jason said. "Water Police have been really hammering the waterways and they're only doing to make people safety conscious, so just be compliant - it's pretty simple."
Change it up
Local knowledge counts, just ask Fish of the Week winner Craig "Righto" Wrightson. It also pays to change things up if things aren't working.
Craig reports he endured a two-day lean streak using pilchards for bait while fishing up at Lennox Head.
"An old local suggested I use chicken, and I thought 'what?!' Craig recalled.
"Anyway, the result was this awesome golden trevally fishing the early morning high tide."
Harro beckons
Charleston Anglers Fishing club is gearing up for it's annual Harrington outing, on this year Friday, February 12 to Sunday February 14.
It's the second of three annual outings the active club holds through the year and is always popular with members.
"Always a lot of big fish caught on this trip and a lot of bigger tall stories told," event organiser Richard Hepplewhite said.
"We book a couple of houses that are handy to the boatramps and water, and also a handy walk to the club and pub."
If you're interested in inquiring about this trip, or joining Charlestown Anglers, send an email to Richard (hepplewhite1@bigpond.com) or Troy Terrill (troyterrill@gmail.com).
Good weigh-in
Wangi RSL Fishing Club enjoyed a good turnout for its November weigh-in.
"Most Anglers said fishing was hard going but we saw fish across the gammut weighed-in," club spokesperson Ian Guy said.
"These included bream, whiting, flathead, mulloway, snapper (lake, deep sea) flounder, leatherjacket, tarwhine, tailor, morwong, pearl peach, Samson fish, trevally and goat fish."
The Wangi Cub operates two fishing divisions: (Estuary and Deep Sea) and three separate sections (Men, Ladies and Juniors, commonly known as Fingerlings).
Overall winners were: Aaron Davis (Men's Estuary), Rusty (Men's Deep Sea), Donna Milne (Ladies Estuary), Leander Guy (Ladies Deep Sea), Jack Sunol (Fingerlings). Big Fish went to Warrick Armstrong.
Fish of the Week
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.