This week on Hi Tide, proudly brought to you by Blake’s Marine, the Fishing Fellas look ahead to a busy run into Christmas with a mix of boating safety, reef adventures, politics and a full NSW South Coast fishing report.
We cross first to Kieran up in Queensland, who runs through the latest marine weather outlook and reminds boaties that if you’re thinking about heading offshore, an EPIRB is just as important as sunscreen and a hat. It’s a simple message – if in doubt, don’t go out – but with storms, wind changes and crowded waterways on the way, it’s one that can literally save lives.
Back in the studio, Alan Blake from Blake’s Marine delivers this week’s tech and safety tip for skippers. Fresh from the Wooden Boat Festival at Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay, Alan talks about the importance of giving your family and mates a proper pre-departure safety briefing – where the lifejackets are, how to move around the boat, what to do if someone falls overboard and how to call for help. Whether you’ve just bought your first tinny or run a larger cruiser, it’s a timely reminder before the holiday crowds hit the ramps.
We then head offshore with Peter Sayre, who has just returned from a big trip through the Whitsundays, Swains Reef and the Capricorn/Bunker Group. Peter reports on coral health, currents and tides, explains how strong four-knot flows made some parts of the Swains too dangerous to dive, and shares what he saw on reef flats, green zones and trout country. From spectacular stag and elk horn coral to the odd patch of dead reef, it’s a detailed, first-hand look at how this part of the Great Barrier Reef is really faring.
Keeping an eye on policy and access, the team catch up with Mark Banasiak from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in the NSW Upper House. Mark talks about white spot disease in prawns, how it arrived via imported product, what bans and biosecurity measures have been put in place, and why rec fishers are being told prawn meat is fine to eat but not to use for bait. It’s an important chat for anyone who buys green prawns and cares about protecting local waterways.
From there we swing down the coast to Greg Reid on the NSW South Coast, who files a detailed St Georges Basin and estuary report. Greg explains how cold water and swell have made the beaches and inshore scene tougher, while the estuaries are holding bream and flathead that are responding well to prawn baits and crankbaits in the shallows. He also talks about the Basin being a classic wind-driven fishery, what conditions suit lures best, and how the bream push back into the system when ocean temps drop.
To close out the show we head to Kiama with Captain Roscoe, who rounds up the South Coast rock, beach and offshore bite. Roscoe chats about dolphinfish (mahi-mahi) and other pelagics around the FADs, as well as big flathead on the drop-offs and the current size and bag limits that apply. He also touches on local gutters, early-morning sessions and why it’s worth burning a bit of diesel to find clean water and bait.
If you’re chasing a fresh NSW and South Coast fishing report, real-world insight from the Great Barrier Reef and Swains, plus straight-talking boating safety and fisheries policy, this episode of Hi Tide is packed with guests, local knowledge and practical tips to help you plan your next trip.
