24/10/2026
Spring Fishing Continues Despite Wet and Windy Weather
The past few weekends have made fishing difficult for many anglers, consistent rainfall, combined with winds swinging between north-easterlies and southerlies, has made it challenging to plan a fishing trip. Unfortunately, the long-range forecast doesn’t appear to be getting any drier until November, so anglers may need to make the most of any short weather windows that come their way. I’m certainly looking forward to a decent break in the weather to enjoy some spring fishing.
Down south, local beach anglers have reported that whiting numbers continue to improve. The best approach is to target the shallower sandbars on the rising tide using worms or pipis, while avoiding the deeper gutters. A few reasonable bream are also still on offer, with Grants Beach continuing to fish well. For night-time anglers, school mulloway remain a viable target, with the beaches south of Lake Cathie again producing the better results. Offshore, those who have managed to take advantage of the limited weather windows have generally been rewarded with some good fishing. Snapper numbers remain solid, with both bait and plastics working well. The reefs off Bonny Hills have produced the better results recently. If conditions improve over the coming weekend, kingfish would be worth targeting on the wider reefs using live bait and knife jigs.
In the Hastings River, bream numbers have improved, with the breakwalls and Settlement Point producing the better catches. Mullet strips and brined prawns have been working well. Flathead numbers remain solid, with a variety of lure profiles producing results, while whitebait continues to be a reliable option for bait anglers.
Whiting should start to show up in better numbers, lures should produce some excellent fishing and become a go-to option over the coming months once the water clears up. For luderick enthusiasts, the breakwalls are holding the odd fish, with both sea cabbage and w**d flies producing results over the past week. School mulloway remain in good numbers in the Hastings River between the highway bridges and Wauchope. Along the rocks, a few tailor have appeared around Point Plomer, although most have been in the chopper-sized class. The odd luderick is also being caught locally, with Shelly Beach and Miners Beach the pick of the locations. Offshore conditions have again been challenging, with only limited opportunities to get out over the past week. Unfortunately, this is not unusual for this time of year. Those who have made it offshore report good numbers of snapper and pearl perch holding on most reefs.
Further north in the Macleay River region, bream numbers remain excellent, with the better reports coming from anglers fishing with bait during the day. The river is also producing good catches of mud crabs further upstream. With the warmer months approaching, hopefully we are in for a productive mud crab season and plenty of anglers will get to enjoy a fresh feed over summer.
With persistent rain and strong winds continuing to dictate fishing opportunities, flexibility will be key over the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the forecast, make the most of any suitable conditions and, hopefully, November will bring some much-needed drier weather and more consistent opportunities to get out on the water.
Photo –
Henry Ferguson has been landing some greatsized flathead in the Hastings River recently, with all fish
released to fight another day.
