This week on Hi Tide, proudly brought to you by Blake’s Marine, the Fishing Fellas kick off the show with a warm welcome, a hot-weather warning and a stack of coastal and offshore fishing chat as we roll towards summer. With a proper blast of heat on the way, the crew talk about planning your day around the forecast, staying sun-safe and making smart decisions before you launch the boat or hit the beach.
We cross to Kieran for the latest marine weather outlook and safety reminder, including extreme heat, staying covered up, carrying plenty of water and that simple mantra: if in doubt, don’t go out. From there it’s straight into an up-to-date NSW fishing report, starting with Narrowbean Bait & Tackle on Pittwater and the northern beaches, with tailor, salmon, bream, flathead, whiting, kingfish and jewfish on offer, plus beach gutters and rock spots that are producing fish. We then head north to Fishing Tackle Australia in Coffs Harbour for news of marlin, dolphinfish, yellowfin, snapper, pearl perch and kingfish out around the islands, headlands and wider marks.
Politics and access are front and centre as the team catch up with Mark Banasiak from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party to wrap up the year in fishing politics. Mark explains what’s happening with proposed fishing bans and restrictions in parts of Western Australia, how one spearfisher’s actions have triggered calls to lock up big pieces of coastline, and why it’s so important to have someone “batting for rec fishers” when decisions are being made. They talk about enforcement, media coverage, the risk of punishing everyone for the actions of a few and what anglers can do to stay informed.
The show also looks ahead to storytelling and offshore adventure with Lawrie McEnally and Peter Sayre. Lawrie is back with more tales from the coast, while Peter checks in from Gladstone, sitting on the bridge of a serious live-aboard boat loaded with high-end electronics. He talks about life aboard, the incredible sonar and sounder setup with big transducers and side-scan, and the run of striped marlin and yellowfin tuna that have been hanging around since late autumn. There’s chat about sounder horsepower, reading the bottom, upgrading your own electronics and how much difference good gear and a switched-on skipper like Scotty East can make.
To round things out, the Fishing Fellas dive into some good old-fashioned boat-ramp and on-water etiquette. They cover drinking and decision-making on boats, why you don’t want to be alcohol-affected if something goes wrong, and how simple manners at the ramp – patience, preparation and thinking ahead – can stop a perfect day from turning into chaos when the wind change sends everyone back to the trailer at once.
If you’re chasing a NSW fishing report from Pittwater, the northern beaches and Coffs Harbour, plus straight-talking coverage of Western Australian fishing bans, Gladstone marlin and yellowfin, marine electronics and ramp etiquette, this episode of Hi Tide is packed with guests, politics, stories and practical tips to help you plan your next trip.
