THE new year has arrived and the fishing has been a bit like the weather, just getting hotter and hotter.
The fishing buzz has been about the Stockton breakwall.
Some very fortunate sessions have played out along the wall as schools of mulloway with fish as big as 25 kilograms caught.
Anglers fishing from both the wall and boats have been having a great time with the large amount of the fish falling to a live bait.
Whiting have been the mainstay for many local and holidaying anglers.
Worm baits and the change of tide have been the two keys to success.
This has had some anglers on the beach fishing the low tide at some very early hours of the morning but it has been well worth it.
Newcastle Harbour and the Hunter River are both fishing well for bream and flathead.
These fish have been caught well upstream following the schools of whitebait that are in the river.
Offshore fishing has powered along as the east Australia current runs down the coast bringing with it warm food-filled water.
A rise of a few degrees in water temperature will bring with it dolphin fish.
Marlin fishing has been slowly improving.
It will get better as summer wears on.
Land-based game and sport anglers have been chasing cobia from Seal Rocks and Booti Booti.
There have been some cobia caught off Newcastle and one taking a beach worm on Stockton Beach intended for whiting.