YOUR BIG CATCHES

FRIDAY FISHING:

EARLY this week saw the wind drop out again producing calm seas and plenty of reef fishermen on the water fishing their favourite marks.

Reef fishing fired on most of the reefs off Cairns including Batt, Oyster, Pixie, Arlington, Sudbury and Thetford.

Coral trout have again dominated catches along with large-mouth nannygai that have really fired up over the past week.

It was been one of the best runs of coral trout I have seen in recent times and with the large-mouth back in full force, bottom fishermen have been having a ball.

Spanish mackerel, while not in big numbers, are certainly of good quality with fish in the 8-12kg range regularly being caught on floated pilchards, garfish and live baits.

Unfortunately, the sharks are back in plague proportions both inshore and offshore.

I recently fished Sudbury Reef and after putting on board a few nice trout the sharks moved in and destroyed any chance of a good haul of bottom fish.

The Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic was held last week with game boat skippered by Bobby Jones winning the tournament with eight tags from Askari with

seven tags ending another very successful tournament. Champion Angler went to James Thackeray on Askari. Barra have fired back into action in the Cairns Inlet after the full moon with many caught on live mullet. Mangrove jacks and trevally have also bee GREAT HANDFUL: This fingermark was caught on a live mud herring with All Tackle Sport Fishing in the Cairns Inlet.