Bring on Summer, I say! Things just keep on getting better at this time of year and it’s shaping up to be a great season.

Last year we witnessed some of the hottest marlin action off our coast for many years and there are a few crews sweating on a repeat this year.

With baitfish already stacking up offshore, hopes are certainly high for another great game fishing season. Water temps are on the up and so are fish numbers.

Lake Macquarie has been fishing very well lately and, as predicted, those tasty whiting have already shown up around the sand islands and some great fish have been bagged off the flats there.

Very lightly weighted tubeworm baits on light line are working well and surface lures are producing some early season fish.

There have been some great catches of flathead and these will improve further as things warm up.

The flatties have moved into the shallows and there have been fish to 70cm landed. It’s been good to see most of these bigger fish released back into the lake.

Mullet strips are working well but most fish are being landed on 4”-5” soft plastics.

The bream fishing has been really good over the past month and the flats are producing a lot more action. Working shallow-diving hardbodies over the flats will produce some good fish this month and surface walkers are also making inroads.

I have been scoring good numbers of solid bream in the lake. I’ve been trying many new lures lately and the standouts have been the Samaki blade and some Damiki soft plastics.

I think the Samaki blades work well because they are only 3.5g and the slower sink rate is more natural looking to the bream. Gold blades have been working well.

When the wind is up I have been having a ball working 3” Damiki shad patterns around the points and rocky shores. I can only assume the soft feel of the lure and the prawn scent are doing the job.

The kingfish action should pick up this month with the drop-over and the Swansea bridge the main spots to work over. Live squid fished down deep and large soft plastics will do the damage.

Jewfish numbers are on the rise with a steady run of school fish. The usual haunts around Belmont continue to produce with live and slab baits.

Some big flathead have been welcome by-catch for some locals putting in all-nighters out on the lake.

Shore-bound anglers can find themselves in the thick of things for the next few months. The pick of the spots would have to be Swansea bridge, where kingfish are now worthwhile targets. Cast big poppers or float out live bait.

Offshore there has been some warmer water and we can expect to see water over 20° bringing the first signs of marlin for the season.

The Carpark and Norah Canyons will be the choice locations with skirted game lures and live slimy mackerel effective.

This is a great month for a shot at an early season big bull mahi mahi.

The local game crews that target sharks have now sorted their berley and bait supplies and are set to have a good go at finding some big tiger sharks. I have never fished for sharks but I have a huge amount of respect for these anglers.

Some close friends are right into this form of fishing and I can see the effort, dedication, time and money they pour into the pursuit of these massive creatures.