Hooked on the Camden Haven Camden Haven Camden Haven News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 8, 2024 Ruben Waters had a day to remember, reeling in this monster snapper off Lake Cathie on a soft plastic lure. THE recent Father’s Day weekend provided a perfect opportunity for anglers to take advantage of the warmer weather and enjoy a day out on the water. Fishing enthusiasts across the region reported excellent catches of various species, both freshwater and saltwater. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Local waterways were crowded with anglers targeting Australian bass, which have been reported as abundant since the reopening of their season last weekend. These versatile fish are known for their aggressive feeding habits and can be successfully caught using a wide range of surface lures, including poppers, divers, frogs, and cicadas. The best times to target bass are dawn and dusk, when they are most active and can be found around structures such as submerged logs, rocks, and overhanging branches. For those seeking saltwater adventures, the Camden Haven region offered a mix of results. While rock fishing for luderick and drummer was relatively quiet, anglers targeting bream around Bonny Hills reported reasonable catches. Offshore, the situation was more promising, with good numbers of snapper, pearl perch, nannygai, and kingfish being caught on various reefs. Game fishing enthusiasts had the opportunity to chase striped marlin, a popular target during this time of year. The Hastings River continued to deliver consistent fishing, with flathead and whiting being the most sought-after species. Both species have been improving in numbers and quality, with lures proving to be the most effective method for catching flathead in shallow water. Bream have also been consistent in the upper reaches, while the odd mud crab catches have picked up significantly in recent weeks. Offshore, anglers continued to report encounters with striped marlin between South West Rocks and Point Plomer. For those who fish deeper waters between seventy to one hundred metres of water reported kingfish and bar cod on live bait. As we approach the warmer months, there is still potential for successful deep dropping in those deeper waters. While the current can sometimes be challenging, there are occasional days when conditions are more favourable for targeting deeper species. Anglers who are willing to put in the effort may be rewarded with encounters with blue-eye trevalla, hapuku and bass groper. BY Kate SHELTON
