I’m on!” with so much excitement I probably woke up the people who lived nearby.My old Seascape reel had never seen a fish with such strength. During bigger seas there are also waves in the Swansea Channel. The angler is standing on a piece of grating set in the rocks – the author is sure it would have a fisho’s name on it. Just wondering if there were any secret spots for some good fishing? I use a big eggbeater reel around the 8000 size, although the old school Alvey is still a very popular reel as well as they make it easy to cast big heavy baits and hold plenty of line. They sure do tick a few boxes. Q: Catching bait from the breakwall can be hit and miss a lot of the time. Home to handmade crafts, luxury boutiques and arguably the worlds' best ice cream. It hasn’t attracted nearly as much attention as the erosion at Stockton Beach north of Newcastle — perhaps because unlike at Stockton, there aren’t any buildings currently threatened. A: Well, the most important part at this stage of the fight is to keep an eye on the waves.

I recently sat down with local jewie gun Chris Deland, a guy I know has had many encounters with these magical fish, and asked him a few questions on how to target jewies from landbased locations like breakwalls.Q: So, Chris, what’s the fascination with jewfish?A: It seems once a fisherman has landed their first jewfish (off somewhere like the Forster breakwall) they become hooked; most seem to be back up the wall on a regular basis after they get that first fish. I always fish the run-out tide.

Photo: Uploaded by CW User Sprucey . For a while the surf was back and they were stoked. But the effect on the surf is the same. Sign-up to receive the twice-weekly email newsletter. Lucy’s Wall, on the southern side of Swansea Channel and a few hundred meters from the heads, is a popular location for bream and luderick. A: Good size pike or large yellowtail are personal favourites, along with slimy mackerel if they can be kept alive.

We regularly change the water and always check that the baits aren’t dying. How do you like to rig it?

It’s always tough competition between us; both of us want to be the one who gets the fish. If they head out into the clear water away from the snags it pays not to go to hard on them and to wear them out in the safe water. Because of the sewer outlet it is unsuitable for swimming or fishing,The eastern side of Swansea Heads largely consists of sedimentary rocks of the Newcastle Coal Measures, which are cliffed with well-developed rock platforms, extending 2 km south of the heads. The old saying that 10% of anglers catch 90% of the fish is true in our area as well as anywhere else. A: The best time I think to fish is the eight days around the full moon.