gidday mate, hope the fishing works for you. i too lost my wife 5mths ago and have turned into a loner now as well. reject friends and family. if i were you, i would do both 1and2 options. pick anywhere nice, go there and see/talk what other fishers are doing. don't think anyone can really tell you where the fish are. i think it's better if you target a species, say flathead for arguments sake, read up on their habitat, habits, rigs, sizes, tides and so on and give it a go. the internet is a wonderful teacher. good luck.