FISH STILL POSSIBLE IN BIG BLOW
RAIN and strong SE winds will play a big part in fishing options over the next few days.
Earlier in the week before the flooding rain, estuary fishing improved dramatically with excellent numbers of barramundi caught in Cairns Inlet on live mud herring and mullet. The deep hole near the Bulk Sugar Terminal in the inlet has fired back into action with bait schools holding fingermark, black jew, barra and blue salmon along with plenty of annoying catfish.
Mangrove jacks are also taking live and slab baits in the snags. The inlet flats are seeing nice grunter caught on strip baits of garfish and mullet.
Barramundi are taking soft plastic vibes and minnow-style lures along the northern beach headlands and the headlands around Mission Beach.
Freshwater river fishing has been excellent but will be greatly affected now by rain that will have most in flood.
Earlier in the week before the heaviest rain the Daintree, Mulgrave, Johnstone, Murray and Tully Rivers were all fishing red hot on barramundi, sooty grunter and jungle perch.
Soft plastic prawns, poppers like the Jackson M.A. and small minnows have all produced fish.
Hinchinbrook Channel has seen only a few small barramundi caught on lures but some quality grunter are being caught on the flats.
Reef fishing in the calm last weekend continued with good numbers of bottom fish filling ice boxes. Large-mouth nannygai, spangled emperor and coral trout have been in good numbers with Batt Reef to the north of Cairns fishing well.
The reefs off Port Douglas also fished very well.
Big schools of long-tail and mack-tuna are providing plenty of action on high-speed small metal slugs around the Family Group Islands.
While large queenfish and GTs are around the Dunk Island bait schools and smashing poppers and stick baits.
Tinaroo Dam saw the Tinaroo Barra Bonanza held last weekend with numerous metre-plus barra caught.
This weekend, reef fishing will be out due to the forecast of SE winds up around the 25 knot mark.
Chasing a barra around the rocky headlands will be an option on lures as will the flooded small creek gutters, drains and feeder creeks.
The recent heavy rain has again flushed all the major systems and once the estuaries and rivers clear, fishing will be red hot.