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From strength to strength
  |  First Published: October 2008



The fishing this month should go from strength to strength.

The offshore action has been red-hot, the beaches firing and the river has bounced back after a cold Winter.

If you’re looking for some fun this month and have access to an offshore-capable boat, make sure you’ve got all the supplies for a long day’s fishing. This month should see some kingfish sneaking about and some early mahi mahi will be on the cards.

Bottom-bouncing will also prove successful and if the past few months are any indication, the snapper should still be about.

Snapper fishing has always been good off Port Macquarie and Laurieton and in recent months good bags have been caught consistently.

Soft plastics are accounting for some major fish. A good mate has just got into it and recently landed a 12kg fish using a Starlo bream stick rigged with 8lb braid. Unfortunately it was too much for the rod, which exploded on the next hook-up, but I think he got his money’s worth for a once-in-a-lifetime fish.

Catching snapper on plastics is not rocket science, but a little scanning of the reef areas looking for active fish on your sounder is a vital element. If you find fish sitting mid-water stacked up on top of each other then you’re more than likely in for some good fishing.

Beach and rock fishing has been consistent with reports of good bream off the stones around Point Perpendicular and Light House. Unweighted pilchards and slabbed mullet strips have been accounting for the better fish.

Drummer have also been about in good numbers with fish taken in the usual haunts on cunjevoi and peeled prawns.

A good berley trail will keep them active and an effective method for this is to fill the cunjevoi casings with berley and throw them out to get the burly to the bottom.

ESTUARY AWAKES

The estuaries have been hit and miss with colder than normal water and fish have been missing in action or very tight-lipped. With warmer water already creeping in, action is hotting up and this month should be good.

Bream will be moving back up the waterways getting to their Summer haunts and feeding up after a long run to sea.

Bait fishing will yield best results after dark and in the twilight hours.

Flathead will be on the move and hunting on the flats and will fall prey to live baits and soft plastics.

October should also herald the much-awaited run of whiting and it could be shoulder-to-shoulder on the sand flats as the popper craze kicks into gear again.

If you’re not a mad lure-tosser, some worms rigged on long-shank hooks and some small red beads should have you tangling with some elbow-slapper whiting.

KIDS’ ZONE

Recently I was asked where was a good spot to take some kids to catch some fish.

There are so many options that yield different results under different conditions.

I suggested they try the entrance walls of the new canals, which have easy access and are close to the main river and the calmer waters of the canals.

On this occasion the family in question scored some good fish to keep everyone happy.

The Hastings and Camden Haven Rivers have many good land-based fishing spots so if you’re visiting Port then your first stopping point should be the Tourist Information Centre for a free map or a Waterways map.

It’s not hard to pick some good spots look for bends and easy access points by road.

BREAM CLASSIC

Don’t forget this month Port Macquarie hosts one of the premier fishing tournaments of region, the Port Macquarie BREAM Classic.

The Town Green will be a buzz of excitement on the October 25 and 26 with the fleet heading out at 6.30am each day and weigh-ins at 1.30pm. Come along and check out the action and chat to some of the best Bream anglers in the country.

But, more importantly, make sure you get out and enjoy the fishing on offer on our lovely Mid-North Coast.

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