AT LAST IT CLEARS UP
FINALLY, the wind dropped out this week allowing several boats to hit the blue water and fish the reefs and islands.
With light to moderate conditions set to continue in the 10-15 knot range for the rest of the week many anglers will look to chase a mixed bag of bottom species on their favoured reef marks, wrecks or secret island hot spots.
It looks like the wind will pick up again Sunday afternoon. Reef fishing has been red hot off Cairns and Port Douglas with good numbers of coral trout, large and small mouth nannygai, spangled emperor and trevally all biting hard especially on the reefs from Pixie Reef and further north.
Those privileged to have fished extended charters to the Ribbon Reefs to the northeast of Cooktown have also seen excellent fishing and some impressive catches including some thumping red emperor.
Several spanish mackerel also continue to be caught on floated pilchards while bottom fishing on the bommies and areas holding bait.
Another alternative to floating pilchards is live baiting fusiliers which can be easily caught on small hooks and squid or bait jigs. Large Island sardines are also excellent live baits for mackerel.
Long tail tuna have been schooled up inside the inshore reefs and are great sport on light spin gear casting metal high speed slugs. These tuna are also great on the table as sashimi or cooked rare like a steak on the barbecue. The southern islands have also seen a few spanish mackerel caught but only in the small school size. As the water temperature drops bigger fish will start turning up. The Cairns Inlet has been a little slow this week on the small tides as the water clarity improves with a few barramundi and mangrove jacks caught on live baits along with the occasional mud crab. The southern rivers are improving with best fishing still casting soft plastics around the mouths of the feeder creeks. Hinchinbrook Channel has fished best of the estuary systems with decent barra and jacks coming off the snags. Fish have been in isolated patches and finding the honey hole has been important. Tinaroo Dam and Lake Morris (Copperlode Dam) have seen the big barra back taking lures as the clear blue skies and warm days improve the length of the bite period. They will both be popular locations this weekend with the building new moon and moderate conditions. Reef fishing will be borderline on Saturday for the smaller boats chasing trout and nannygai but Sunday will see the wind increase and rule out blue water plans. The bigger tides will suit chasing grunter and salmon on the estuary flats and good tides to lure cast for barra and mangrove jacks in Cairns Inlet, Mourilyan Harbour and Hinchinbrook Channel.