This week on Hi Tide, proudly brought to you by Blake’s Marine, Grant and the crew kick off with a look at the weekend weather and boating conditions, chatting about stormy afternoons, wind shifts and how that all lines up with the six–week countdown to Christmas. It’s classic Hi Tide banter with a serious edge: getting your boat, trailer and gear sorted now so you’re ready for the holiday rush on the water.
We’re joined by Kieran with a big NSW and interstate fishing report. He runs through offshore action on marlin, yellowfin and other pelagics, beach and rock sessions producing salmon, tailor, bream and whiting, and estuary systems holding flathead, bream, whiting and mullet. Kieran also checks in on the dams and rivers, with updates from places like Coffs Harbour, Ebor and the New England impoundments, where yellowbelly and trout are responding to rising water and recent storms. There’s also a chat about barramundi and threadfin salmon in the Logan and Albert Rivers, and the ongoing debate around gill netting and pressure on sportfishing stocks.
Then Alan Blake from Blake’s Marine drops a must-hear tech tip on boat steering and maintenance. He explains why October is “steering month” in the workshop, how saltwater gets into steering cables and tilt tubes, what to do if your helm starts to feel heavy, and when it’s worth upgrading to hydraulic steering. If you tow, launch and retrieve your own boat, this segment is packed with practical advice that can save you money and prevent breakdowns during peak season.
We head inland to Tenterfield and the New England region with Stephen Bowler, who talks about big rain, hail, rising rivers and how that all helps the Murray cod and yellowbelly fishing. Stephen walks through his approach to native fish on surface lures – from where to cast around snags and under willows, to how slowly to work the lure and why you need to count “one-two” before striking when a cod boofs your lure off the top.
Keeping an eye on politics and access, the Hi Tide team also speak with Mark Banasiak from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. Mark has just come off a marathon 16-hour debate in Parliament, and he explains what the proposed changes could mean for workers, outdoor users and regional communities. He also previews a family-friendly carp fishing competition aimed at cleaning up local waterways and promoting citizen science.
To round out the show, we head down the coast with Captain Roscoe from Kiama, who delivers a detailed NSW South Coast fishing report. Roscoe talks about rock, beach and estuary options around the Kiama region, with early-morning sessions producing bream, snapper and other bread-and-butter species, plus tips on timing the tides, fishing the gutters and staying safe when the swell stands up on the ledges.
If you’re chasing a fresh NSW fishing report – from offshore pelagics and Central Coast beaches to New England cod, Logan and Albert River barra debates and Kiama South Coast action – this episode of Hi Tide is loaded with guests, local knowledge and practical tips to help you plan your next session.
