The Mid North Coast reeled in a fantastic week of fishing, despite a hint of coolness in the morning air. Here's a look at what's hot and where to cast your line for success, with some spots boasting catches worthy of bragging rights.
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This week takes the prize for rock fishing, with some of the year's best hauls reported. The sunny forecast for the coming weekend promises another fruitful outing.
So, dust off your rod and get ready to wrangle in some impressive catches. The cooler temperatures seem to have invigorated the drummer population, with their numbers surging off the rocks.
Locations between South West Rocks in the north and Seal Rocks in the south saw fantastic hauls. Don't forget your local ledges, like South West Rocks Gaol, Queens Head and Tacking Point Lighthouse, which offer good fishing spots in both calm and rough conditions.
Crowdy Head ledges also had success stories, with anglers reeling in bream and luderick in good numbers, and even the occasional tuna making a surprise appearance.
The local rivers are teeming with bream, readily accepting bait and lures in both the Camden Haven and Hastings River.
Flathead fishing remains excellent, with live bait and all types of lures proving equally effective. Last week's full moon even saw a few mulloway exceeding a metre caught in the Camden Haven, with some anglers achieving personal bests.
For luderick enthusiasts, after a slow start, catches from the breakwalls in all the local rivers have shown steady improvement over the past week, bringing smiles back to the faces of dedicated local anglers.
Beach fishing this week saw consistent catches of bream and tailor at Lighthouse and North Shore beaches in Port Macquarie. Beachgoers also reported larger mulloway at Lake Cathie and North Haven beaches, alongside the usual presence of school-sized fish.
With Lake Cathie recently opening to the ocean after a much-needed cleanse, the system is showing signs of good health. Young anglers have been having a blast catching bream, school mulloway, and flathead around the bridge and ocean side. Lures of all varieties have been the go-to method, but yabbies or prawns are a good bait option for those who prefer a more traditional approach.
For anglers looking to venture offshore for a fish, local offshore fishing is gaining momentum as the seas calm and westerly winds become more frequent. Snapper fishing has been particularly promising, especially off Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie.
While bait has been the most productive method recently, expect soft plastics to take over soon. Offshore enthusiasts can also keep an eye out for pearl perch and kingfish on the deeper reefs off of Crescent Head and Point Plomer.
