The father and grandfather, Tony Andeliero, 60, remains lost at sea but his family is desperately holding out hope as authorities continue their search off Windang Island, near Lake Illawarra.
"We've got like little kids and they're not going to see their Pop anymore, so it's yeah, not great, not good," Andeliero's daughter Kayla told 9News on Saturday.
"He's been fishing his whole life. He goes out on his boat all the time. He's a very experienced fisherman.
"They've got boats and helicopters and people walking up and down the shores."
The vast search area is a challenge for crews looking for a fisherman missing off the NSW coast. (HANDOUT/MARINE RESCUE NEW SOUTH WALES)
The multi-agency search was triggered on Friday when Mr Andeliero's 4m tinny was found empty and adrift near Warilla beach on the NSW South Coast.
Police understand Mr Andeliero, an experienced skipper, launched from the Port Kembla boat ramp about 12km north of where his tinny was eventually found.
The extensive sea and land search has also included foot patrols of the shoreline but no sign of Mr Andeliero has yet been found.
On Saturday choppy conditions caused authorities to call off the search before resuming again at 8am on Sunday.
NSW Police Inspector Will Collins said police don't know if Mr Andeliero was wearing a life jacket.
"There were life jackets located in the vessel, so there was safety equipment there, but we can't actually say if he was wearing a life jacket."
Lake Illawarra police, Marine Area Command, and PolAir, along with Marine Rescue NSW and volunteer surf lifesavers are searching Lake Illawarra, along the shore and further out to sea.
The vast size of the search area is a challenge, police said.
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