Last weekend was typical August weather, with blustery westerly winds and snow not far away. Not ideal angling conditions at all, but fortunately this week has seen far more civilised and angler-friendly conditions return to the local area.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the estuary, blackfish remain consistent with the south breakwall producing the better results. A few nice bream have also come from the lower reaches, with night-time sessions producing by far the better results. Yabbies, mullet strips and gut baits have all worked well.
Best results during daylight hours have been achieved by those using lures around the bottom of the tide when there is a bit of colour in the water. Soft vibes have been a standout success along with soft plastics.
Plenty of flatties further upstream on both lures and bait, with the stretch between the Dennis Bridge and Settlement Point again producing consistently.
For mulloway enthusiasts, the last couple of months have been terrific throughout the Hastings, and no doubt this current full moon phase will be attracting plenty of attention with both lures and live baits.
The breakwalls will no doubt be well patronised by those chasing the larger models, although up river around Wauchope and the highway bridges will also be worth a look for a few nice fish.
Off the beaches, after an extended quiet period, the odd mulloway has reappeared, with a few fish around 10kg on both Lighthouse and North beaches. Hopefully this moon phase will see more of the same.
Late afternoon and evening tailor sessions could also prove rewarding, with the full moon in August often seeing some big greenbacks about. Slab baits intended for mulloway often prove irresistible for these larger tailor. For daylight anglers, bream numbers remain reasonable with best reports of late from North Beach and Crescent Head in particular.
Off the rocks, drummer are certainly about but as has been the case all year, they are only in the washed out gutters. Hat Head and Diamond Head are certainly worth prospecting, as too Rockies in Port. Tailor numbers have improved a little, with reasonable reports filtering in from those fishing both Point Plomer and Crescent Head.
Still a few blackfish around for those floating a bit of cabbage around Shelly and Miners, while groper numbers have been excellent most notably down south at Diamond Head and Point Perpendicular, as long as the swells are minimal.
Offshore, the reefs have been fishing exceptionally well with terrific numbers of quality snapper in most depths. Best results have been from around 40 metres off Port and Lighthouse beach, with soft plastics proving the premier method. Plenty of fish have been in the 3-6kg bracket, as well as the odd larger model.
Along with the snapper, pearl perch have been in good numbers mainly off Plomer, while the flathead grounds east of the bar have been reliable for a good feed. Still plenty of leather jackets wider out, although not as thick as we have seen in past seasons.