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A search operation has resumed for a missing fisherman who was reportedly dragged overboard while attempting to capture a fish in a recreational competition at sea.
The experienced game fisherman has been identified as Paul Barning.
The incident happened off Port Stephens, north of Newcastle on the NSW coast.
NSW Game Fishing Association president Steve Lamond, who said he had known Barning for 20 years, described the Sunday afternoon incident as a freak accident.
"He was basically dragged overboard, underwater and disappeared," he told AAP on Monday.
"He was tragically lost at sea in the most unlikely of circumstances whilst fishing on his boat."
"Much loved" father Paul Barning has been named as the fisherman who fell overboard during a fishing competition off the NSW coast. (Source: Facebook/Paul Barning)
It was earlier reported that Barning was caught in a fishing line and was attacked by a shark, but Mr Lamond flatly dismissed that suggestion.
"I urge all members, their families and friends to refrain from speculation," he said.
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the initial report it received about Barning included a claim that he had been taken by a shark.
The accident highlighted the risks involved in the sport of game fishing, Lamond said.
Emergency crews and rescue helicopters were dispatched to the area when the search for the missing man restarted early on Monday.
