The lone fisherman was swept off the rocks by a wave at Little Beecroft Head at Currarong on Sunday.

A highly experienced rock fisherman and writer for magazine Fishing World, Bob had appraised the swell and decided it was safe to fish.

The accident happened when he moved down the rock to pick weed to use as bait.

"I saw a wave come up, but that was nothing out of the ordinary," the Greenwell Point man said.

"As it ran up there was so much water, but when I realised it was too late, I was covered by two to three feet of water.

"The crazy thing is, it (sea condition) didn't look that bad, and I've been fishing there for many years.

"But the next thing I knew it had taken me off my feet, I was in the air and then in the water. I'd left the tops of my fingers behind on the barnacles."

With no chance of help, Bob said he was terrified.

"I have never felt so alone," he said.

"So many thoughts flashed through my head, I thought of my missus, who has breast cancer and starts treatment next week, and I pictured people preaching over me at my funeral.

"I started to swim, but it was that rough and the water was aerated so I couldn't get anywhere.

"I had shorts and a t-shirt on, but when I tried to take the shirt off it would fill up with water and drag me under.

"I didn't even feel the pain in my fingers and I'd swallowed a fair bit of water.

"Then I thought, this is what it's like to drown Bobby. But I knew I couldn't panic."

After spending between five and 10 minutes in the water the angler said he was completely exhausted and about ready to give up.

"I'm a Christian so the last thing I did was yell out, 'God help me, I'm so sorry, God help me'," he said.

Bobby said he believed it was not just luck that he made it onto a two-foot ledge and was not pulverised by waves washing against the rocks.

He then managed to scale his way up a several metres high rock face with injured fingers, sliced up thigh and an old injured knee that does not bend more than a few degrees.