The crazy weather that we expect at this time of the year certainly stirs things up. Waves of fresh water flush the system through all the tributaries and feeder streams, washing bream, luderick, flathead and mullet into the port.

Bass will also enter the salty water as part of their breeding cycle so don’t be surprised to hook one, particularly if you are using prawns for bait towards the back of the harbour. When conditions do settle the fishing, particularly for bream and luderick, is sensational.

The hottest spot to focus your attention on is the Nelson Bay breakwall which, over the years, has proven to be a favourite meeting place for both species.

Big, fat, lazy bream cruise up and down the breakwall before escaping the running tide inside the marina. The rugged weather makes them hungry and they are ready to bite on just about anything.

Regulars on the breakwall use small crabs set on an unweighted 1/0 hook, cubed pilchards, peeled prawns or fresh mullet.

Swimming with the bream are cracker luderick around a kilo. The biggest problem with catching them is to locate a steady supply of green weed or cabbage.

The big winter seas remove the cabbage off the rocks at Birubi but it does come back quickly. There may be a growth of wire weed and cabbage near or on the Shoal Bay boat ramp.

If you have a boat, check the mooring in Shoal Bay because cabbage and weed grow on the buoys and ropes.

When the Winter sea continues to roll in over 3m and the water in the port remains murky, the chances of hooking onto a thumping snapper off the breakwall are real good.

Other popular hot spots for bream and luderick are the Anchorage breakwall, Tomaree Head, Winda Woppa and along the training wall in the Corrie Island Short Cut.

Breaming off the beaches is only for the tough at this time of the year. It might be a little chilly but the rewards are there.

Stockton, One Mile and Fingal are all worth a try on the rising tide into the dark. Toss fresh mullet strips, worms or pipis just behind the shore break and hang on. Expect to be joined by tailor on dusk.

Did you hear about the great white shark that leapt out of the water in front of a luderick fisherman at One Mile headland? I’m told he went whiter than the shark!