That's the opinion of Port Macquarie professional fisherman Jeremy Hooper who had a team of 10 at the north breakwall on Saturday in readiness for the annual mullet run.

With at least three professional fisher teams on the beach, there were also several fish buyers set up waiting to transport the catch.

There were several boats prepared to take to the water if the prized catch was spotted.

More waiting game than consistent action, everyone was looking skyward to check on the weather or to the water for any large shoals of mullet.

Mr Hooper said he was hopeful of a cold change and south west winds to help get the mullet moving.

"Hopefully the seas stay calm but that's not always the case," he said.

"Generally the mullet will come out in shoals and that's when whomever is holding the shot goes after them.

"I've been doing this since I was a kid and went out with my father and grandfather."

Fishers who get to the beach first - and remain on the beach from 6am until 6pm - get to hold the first shot - or turn at launching their boats during the mullet run.

Fishers who turn up next will hold the second shot.

Mr Hooper was holding a shot at north wall and two shots at Point Plomer on Saturday.

The 15-year veteran fishes the estuaries around Kempsey, Laurieton, and Lake Cathie.

While the mullet run can be lucrative, there is also long periods of downtime, mainly due to waiting on weather changes and the mullet.

Mr Hooper said no one would "throw their shot in for only 30 boxes of fish". That's the equivalent of about a tonne.

"We would be normally looking at a hundred boxes - which is about five or six tonne of fish - before you get out in the water," he said.

"You don't just want to throw away your shot.

"In this industry, just because you throw your net around the fish, it doesn't mean that you are going to catch them.

"A good shoal of fish is about 10 tonne, but you can see patches of fish in this day and age of up to 100 ton. It is just too big."

Mr Hooper's main area is between the Hastings River and Hat Head while the zone stretches from Diamond Head through to Wooli.

Catches taken during the mullet run are immediately on-sold to fish buyers before the fish are transported to Brisbane processors.

"Nothing is wasted in the process," he said.

The mullet are filleted and eventually make their way onto the shelves at Coles and Woolworths while the roe can be sold to Europe and Thailand markets.

The scales are on-sold for fertiliser while the frames are sold to fishers for trap bait and the fish guts sold to amateurs for bait.

While the season is just getting started, Mr Hooper described it as a "pretty tough old game".

"You really have to be born into it to enjoy it," he said.

"I reckon my days are numbered. You spend a lot of time on the water doing nothing and arguing a fair bit.

"This game is bit like hedging your bets and it is more luck than anything."

While the mullet run "caravan" was set up at north wall on Saturday, by Sunday morning they had relocated to Plomer.

The mullet run generally runs for about six weeks.

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