Hello everyone
The October long weekend is upon us and it seems at this stage the weather gods will be kind , the good news is that the Whiting season has already kicked off both the lake / Swansea channel and beach have been firing , tube worms being the standout bait . Mixed in with the Whiting there are also a few solid Bream and it seems even the Flathead have started to move back into the shallows , things can only get better as we head into the first Prawn run of the year due on the 14th October unlike most river systems the lack of rain fail should not affect the run . Reports of Blue swimmer crabs have been on the improve however it seems the late warm weather throughout April and May meant the mating season had started early and a lot of the female crabs are already in berry ( carrying eggs ) which is very early in the season , my tip is to say in the deep water and try to avoid the females , just remember witches hats and drop dillies are the only crab trap legal in Lake Macquarie , any type of enclosed trap is highly illegal .
With the full moon due next Friday night this weekend will also give our Mulloway fisherman a great chance to start there season off already this week there have been several fish up to the 15kg mark hooked but once again there is a hitch the lack of lake squid at the moment so a backup plan could be needed , at the moment we have plenty of good quality Lund’s squid in stock ( Californian squid ) .
Something to also be aware of is the Pilchard shortage , at the moment both IQF and block Pilchards and out of stock in most areas we have been able to purchase a reserve supply which should get us through this shortage . Offshore is starting to pick up with a few nice squire and bream coming in off the close reefs , we have also seen the return of Bonito along the coast which in very early , at the moment Patrick and crew are jigging down off Texas so far he has landed 4 Kings up to 72cm but the coota are taking there toll on his/my gear . What about the late Blue Fin run off Sydney 2 months late it looks like a crazy season ahead , just last weekend there were a couple of Yellow Fin caught around the 40 kg mark which has excited a few of the local boats , Corry Reid and Gary Hoff have headed out today to try and beat the weekend rush , who know they may even find a Marlin or two .
As I mentioned there are good numbers of Whiting and Bream along Belmont / Blacksmith beach , however there are still a few Tailor and Salmon around early mornings and late proving you with the best chance . The tides this weekend don’t have a lot of variation in them , in fact there is only ½ m difference between low and high tide this is the change in season when the Winter evening high tides change over to the big summer morning highs by next weekend the tides will be totally different with a 1.7m high due in the morning .
If anyone is heading up to the dams I had the opportunity to fish Glenbawn late last week ,fishing was a little tough however I had my good mate Steve Norris to give me a guided tour around the dam we managed around 20 fish for the day half and half mixture of Bass and Yellowbelly all found in the deeper edges from 30-60 foot on both plastics and soft vibes .
Have a great long weekend everyone and arrive safely if you are travelling on the roads .
Regards
Jason
