Not only did she out-fish her husband Dave, she immortalised the moment with a colour-coded snap.

"Pink sky, pink water, pink beanie, pink jacket and pink fish - I was so co-ordinated," Belinda beamed this week.

"Fifty shades of pink, I was so happy."

Finally catching a big red in front of hubby may have had something to do with it too.

"We're both keen fishos, but he catches snapper all the time," Belinda explained.

"He'll often get one on the line and tell me to reel it in, but I don't want a pity fish. I wanted to catch one by myself."

The pair hit the water at 5am over the long weekend, and Belinda says conditions were pristine.

"We were using squid in the early hours when suddenly my line started going like the clappers.

"Because it was cool I had like a beanie and two jumpers and ugg boots on.

"Reeling it in, I got so hot. My little arms were pumping and I'm pumping with adrenaline and I'm telling Dave to pull my beanie off and I'm trying to kick off my ugs. It got a bit frantic there but I got the job done after about 10 minutes."

It was the only fish they caught that day but it was enough.

"It's sitting in the freezer at the moment and I'm waiting to be able to have 20 people over to the house for a feast," Belinda said. "I think my husband is a tiny bit jealous because even though he's caught heaps of snapper, he's never got one this big.

"He's bumped me this weekend to go fishing with a mate, so I think he's out to beat me, but I guess I have to give him a little credit for getting the snapper jinx off my back, even though I out-fished him."

The fish have certainly come on over the last two weeks as Teralba Lakesider Fishing Club member Ian Weimer knows.

In three recent trips he's jumped to the top of the leaderboard in three species categories of the the Lakesiders' Toronto Hot Tackle Non-Comp.

"He's had a good week and a half," club secretary Randal Mason said.

"He got a 47cm whiting that put him on top in the whiting section, beating out another club gun, Brendan Stobbart.

"His 130cm jew this week beat Brendan's 111cm fish that was formerly in front.

"And he got a 75cm snapper after that jew on the same trip that knocked off Brendan's 55cm snapper.

"All caught in the lake."

Another member and local legend George Matthews has also been getting into it.

"He got an 80cm jew last week, and some snapper in the high 40s and three good bream from 900g to 1.2kg - all caught down south of the lake," Randal said. "He goes all right."

The Toronto Hot Tackle Non-Comp is an initiative Lakesiders put together last year to keep members engaged between normal club weigh-ins.

When Covid forced the shutdown of club group activities, the Non-Comp became a welcome distraction for members to focus on.

"It's all catch and release, run on social media with brag mats and so on," Randal explained. "We have 16 species and if you pip someone, you go to the top.

"We've still got five months to go and I'll tell you, our members will be out there taking it on."

Like many local fishing clubs, Lakesiders are looking forward to the club coming back on stream now that Covid restrictions are lifting.

"We had a committee meeting on Tuesday and we're looking to start up club weigh-ins on the weekend of November 12-14," Randal said.

"We haven't had a prezzo for two years and so we're booked in for Saturday, December 11 to celebrate the presentation for last year, and then we'll have this year's next April - Covid willing."

Members will also be keen to get out of their LGAs, particularly up to places like Port Stephens.

"As good as the lake is, it's always good to get to other grounds," Randal said.

It's looking like it could be a bit windy this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if the recent rains bring on the fish.

"The water will be a bit dirty but sometimes that can stir things up," Randal said.

"Particularly for bream around the creek mouths where the bait is being flushed out."

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is launching a two year trial allowing crab traps to be used in Lake Macquarie where recreational nets (hoop nets, witches hats) are permitted.

The trial stipulates a maximum trap entrance size of 32cm to reduce the risk of turtle entanglement.

DPI advises that the entrances of wide mouth crab traps, such as collapsible rectangular traps, can be easily reduced using a cable tie, cord or similar, enabling crabs to enter the trap but restrict entry of non-target species.

"I reckon it's great news because the crabs don't die in traps and you can sort out the males and release the females," Randal said.

"The tackle shops won't be able to keep it up with demand for traps I reckon."

For more details, visit https://fal.cn/3iVLd.