![This week's photo is of Shane Crabtree with a ripper tailor caught off Point Perpendicular on a Halco Twisty 55g lure. Picture supplied This week's photo is of Shane Crabtree with a ripper tailor caught off Point Perpendicular on a Halco Twisty 55g lure. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/173301740/ab93acfe-6ce0-4537-9dc8-3874048f7202.jpg/r0_294_1440_1398_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Finally, we are starting to see a break in the weather with more consistent light winds from the North.
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Looking at the long-term forecast there will be plenty of opportunities for fishos to get out for a fish especially in the afternoons for those sneaky after work sessions. With a few hot days predicted for February please make sure you're sun safe whilst out fishing.
In the rivers, flathead numbers remain consistent, with the Hastings River producing the best numbers in years with plenty of larger fish caught, tagged and released by local fishos. Best bait at present is live bait using yakkas or poddy mullet, there have been the odd yakkas caught in the river on bait jigs.
In the Camden Haven River, bream numbers are great, with the breakwalls and further upstream fishing the best.
In the Hastings and Macleay Rivers there are plenty of garfish, with either peeled prawns or bread working well. Mud crabbing has been a little hot and cold this year and I wonder whether we need a push of fresh water throughout the systems to get them firing.
In Lake Cathie, flathead and whiting have been in good numbers with the best bait being school prawns. There are a few school prawns in the lake, but I don't believe enough to pull the drag nets out. Throughout the week a few fishos were successful at catching school mulloway on the beach between the mouth of the lake and Middle Rock on lures.
Off the beaches, bream and whiting numbers remain consistent, with both North Shore Beach and around Horseshoe Bay worth a look. Some quality tailor have been active at both dawn and dusk particularly further South around Diamond Head.
Off the rocks, tailor are about, along with increasing numbers of bonito.
For the spear fishos the locals have had a great week targeting mahi mahi out wide as well as some large sized mulloway speared in close off the headland. As long as the water clarity remains clear it's a great time of year to jump in the water.
Offshore fishing is still firing with warm water pushing down our coastline; this has resulted in large mahi mahi being caught off all the local FADs, and plenty of black marlin scattered from Grassy Head to Crowdy Head.
For those wanting to head out for a bottom fish the current has been running strong to the south one day and running uphill to the north the next , making it challenging for those targeting inshore reef fish.
A few spanish and spotted mackerel have been caught further south with a few fish found between the lighthouse in Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie.
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