There were plenty of fish on offer these last few days and with the favourable weather window, many boats took the offshore opportunity to head wide for a look at what’s happening on the shelf.

Unfortunately lots of nautical miles were traversed for very little fish but it shouldn’t be long now before the annual run of Mr Stickface (marlin) to start making their way down our part of the coastline.

Locally deployed DPI/ Fisheries FADS have been in place for a while now and were showing signs on early marine growths already, so the dollies should turn up any day.

The snapper were still in good numbers and size out on the deeper reefs with fish to 3 to 4 kilos eagerly awaiting baits or plastics.

The magic depth number seems to be over the 60-metre mark at places such as Bandit, Trap and Wollongong reefs and recently jigged plastics were easily outdoing baits.

It’s just matching the right jig head to the plastic to get through the current.

The flathead fishos were still rejoicing as the fish just seem to get thicker and bigger in size.

Throw in some good-sized gummy sharks and flounder and you have the making of a great feed.

The deeper drifts are holding the better fish but there were pockets up north and fairly close to shore that held some excellent sized fish.

The trick is you just have to find the patches of bigger fish.

Rocks have been fishing exceptionally well for just about everything.

Kingies, salmon and tailor are in big numbers with some of the kingfish just annihilating anything thrown at them.

Hill 60 has had a good run of fish of late, same with the rocks up and around the Sea Cliff Bridge.

This should continue if the sea and swell permits.

Casting big metal slugs or ballooning a live bait have been the preferred method  for getting into these hard fighting fish.