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Festival flavour added to Let’s Fish Lake Mac

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“Use live bait”, that’s Michael Guest’s best tip for reeling in a winning catch at next weekend’s Let’s Fish Lake Mac competition.

Whether it’s bream, flathead, whiting or tailor, the event director best known for his role in Reel Action TV, says fresh is usually best.

Guest’s sage advice comes less than a fortnight before Lake Macquarie hosts its annual two-day challenge in which amateur anglers have the chance to reel in a share of more than $33,000 worth of prizes.

The competition that attracted more than 1,000 participants to its inaugural event in 2020, is this year set to be bigger and better.

“Off jetties, on boats, paddleboards, jet skis, kayaks and canoes, fish from whatever you can,” Guest says.

“You can fish anywhere in Lake Macquarie (except at marine parks) during daylight hours.

“My tip is to spend a bit of time collecting good quality live bait and it’ll make a big difference to how your day’s going to go.

“I think really fresh bait is the secret to a good catch – like live worms, live prawns, and live mullet.

“Then just go for it.”

Let’s Fish participants are permitted to fish between 6am and 7pm on Saturday 13 November and from 6am until 3pm on Sunday 14 November.

They will need to catch, photograph and release prize specimens caught in the lake and along the city’s coastline to be in the running for a prize.

Packs worth up to $1,000 will be on offer across senior and junior categories covering four target fish species – bream, flathead, tailor and whiting.

There is also a ‘Mystery Length’ category, Guest explains.

“For each target fish, in both junior and senior category, there’s a target length, so for example a big whiting is around 40cm but a good quality fish is around 35 or 36cm, so we might make the mystery length 35.5cm and whoever’s catch is the closest to that wins a prize.”

Guest says Lake Macquarie is the perfect location for first-timers to cast a line.

“It [the competition] is absolutely about getting people to have a go at fishing,” he said.

“It’s great to see anglers catch a fish and say ‘this is the best fish I’ve ever caught’ and even better when it’s the first fish they’ve ever caught – there’s nothing like it.” 

Now in its second year, the annual competition is set to make an even bigger splash, adding a land-based festival to its two-day event.

The family-friendly event will include expert fishing tips from some of Australia’s leading anglers, live music all day, more than 20 food trucks, fishing-themed stalls, science and magic shows, roving performers, children’s programs and an art exhibition.

Land-based festival-goers will also have the opportunity to journey underwater and stay dry thanks to the inclusion of the Berkley Supertank; a 15m long, 3m high clear tank filled with barramundi.

Let’s Fish participants must have their fish caught in tidal waters or on public beaches in Lake Macquarie.

Entry to the Let’s Fish Festival is free for participants, $10 for other adults, free to children under 16.

Visitors must be double-vaccinated against COVID-19.

Go to letsfishlakemac.com.au for more information and to enter.

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