BACK INTO THE BLUE AS WINDS EASE
AFTER many weeks of strong wind warning conditions, fishermen will be excited and smiling with this weekend’s forecast of SE winds around 10-15 knots.
While the bigger charter boats have continued to fish behind the sheltered reefs, smallboat fishermen have been stuck inshore in the creeks, estuaries and sneaking out to the headlands in the early mornings before the wind intensifies.
The headlands and major river mouths have seen numbers of giant trevally and big queenfish caught on metal jigs and surface lures. Surprisingly, reef bottom fishing has remained red hot for the charter boats with quality coral trout caught along with several cobia behind the reef.
With small neap tides this weekend, the deep water will fish best on the rubble and small rocks, targeting nannygai, red emperor and big trout.
The Cairns Inlet has seen a run of trevally and queenfish caught on live sardines, along with the occasional barramundi and mangrove jack.
With the neap tides this weekend the deep holes and small rocks holding bait should see fingermark and black jewfish fire up.
David McTague often fishes the Barron River and his persistence was rewarded recently with a massive 126cm barra he caught on an 8” soft plastic (pictured above). The Barron has also seen several flathead caught around the mouth on baits and soft plastics.
With the major creek mouths like the Russell/Mulgrave River and Johnstone River along with the adjacent headlands producing action on giant trevally and big queenfish, they will be worth targeting this weekend.
If the rain hasn’t dirtied the creeks too much, the neap tides will be ideal to chase these sport fish.
Hinchinbrook Channel hosted the Ingham Rod and Reel Club’s annual Catch and Release Tournament last weekend and while barra numbers were down, several nice 80-90cm fish were caught.
Bream and whiting have been schooled in the mouths of the Murray and Meunga Creek, with yabbies and fresh prawns the premium baits.
Whiting will also take small surface poppers and walkers worked over the shallow sandflats (see fishing tips, far right).
Reef fishing will be a priority for many fishermen this weekend, with the wind forecast to drop out to 10-15 knots by tomorrow.
Boat ramps will be busy. Mud crabs continue their great run and with the tides building again from Monday, they will be worth targeting next week.