I MENTIONED in an earlier article that we are being visited on a more regular basis by a most welcome fish from the north.

The spangled emperor is a beautiful fish, tenacious on the end of a line and multicolored.

The blue stripes on the head and blue spots on the body are distinctive.

More common in warmer northern waters the fish, also known as northwest snapper, ranges from WA (Rottnest Island), through NT, QLD to NSW, south to Sydney.

Growing to a maximum length of 86 centimetres, the Emperor is arriving in increasing numbers as it adjusts to cooler water conditions, or are our local waters warming?

Whatever the reason the welcome mat has been laid out.

Nearly forgot to mention, the emperor performs magnificently in the kitchen, equally as good as snapper, some say better.

Bright eyed, pearly white, broad-shouldered bream have been reported bouncing up Stockton Beach through the week. Worms, pipis or strips of fresh mullet will do the trick.

The shallow reefs and close bomboras are alive with salmon.

They drive me crazy as my floating bait, designed for snapper, gets gobbled up before it can sink into snapper territory, which is closer to the bottom.

I did bag a few cracker snapper through the week.

Outer Light, cubed yellowtail for bait tossed into a rich bread berley.

Hang on!