It’s time to get serious because the coming months are the times we’ve been waiting for.

But first I must draw your attention to last month’s report, where I mentioned the legal length of a prawn scoop handle being no longer than one metre. The correct legal measurement is 1.2 metres so I apologise for any inconvenience I’ve caused anyone being just out of reach of those elusive prawns.

On with the report. The artificial reefs are in, the FAD is deployed and the warm currents and the weather are all in our favour, so it is time!

The past year in the lake have been outstanding, to say the least. An abundance of jewfish from 2kg to 28kg, reasonable numbers of flathead and flounder, whiting growing in numbers and size, tailor by the tonne and a lake is brimming with bream.

There have been plenty of odd catches as well, including a 6kg-plus milkfish, diamond trevally, mangrove jack and some big hoodlum kingies gathering collections of ill-prepared tackle. Some of these kings have been up to 20kg. And, of course, we had a mammoth sunfish that stopped in to say hello.

Lake Macquarie has been a recreational fishing haven for some years now and the results show how good it can get. So any amount of fishing effort should be rewarded this season.

The problem at hand will be accessing your favourite fishing location without having too many other interested parties around you, in the form of boats and other fishos.

Maybe you could fish more in the week days and maybe don’t be afraid to fish in some of the more adverse weather, as long as it’s safe.

January can be extremely busy on the water ways so have patience with other boaters and fishos and remember the boating regulation and your safety equipment – the Maritime Authority will be out in force. And of course you’ll have a fishing licence.

Not sure where the artificial reefs are? Call us on 4945 2152 for the directions. Best prawn runs should be from the 26th to the 30th.

After fluctuating currents and water temperatures, from January onwards can provide the best offshore fishing you could wish for.

Moon Island is harbouring good numbers of bream and snapper around the washes and the bommies just south of the island. You’ll need to fish in close to the white water with floating baits as the fish feed in the cover of the bubbles.

The patch known as Swansea Gravel is directly east of the Heads in 30 to 40 metres of water. It’s easily located and a haven for all breeds of flathead as well as small snapper. Drifting over one to two kilometres here is an ideal, relaxing session and flathead up to 3kg can be expected as well as an abundance of spiky flathead.

Other popular reefs in close, such as The Fruitshed, The Doctors, Caves Beach Reef, Dudley Close, Redhead Clubhouse should hold snapper to 3kg, bream, tarwhine and kingfish to 3kg. Berley and fish as light as the current will let you.

Game fishing should be as good or better than last season as our northern counterparts are already experiencing plenty of small black marlin and yellowfin tuna.

Fishing for marlin is definitely not restricted to larger boats – anyone with a 4.75m aluminium open runabout can be in the running to catch one.

During January and February, small black marlin and some striped marlin to 80kg venture in as close as 70 to 100 metres so all you need is a decent 15kg to 24kg outfit, a few trolling lures and a bit of advice from your local tackle store.