FANTASTIC FISHING IS FORECAST
TO say boat ramps were overflowing capacity last Friday was an understatement with several trailers parked more than a kilometre away.
With flat, calm conditions and the Cairns Show public holiday fishermen were out in force after many weeks of strong winds.
Reef fishermen headed to their favoured GPS marks and the coral trout turned on with plenty of quality fish caught on the bommies of most local reefs including Arlington, Sudbury, Pixie and Batt reefs.
The rubble patches and isolated rocks between the reefs also turned on a hot bite on large mouth nannygai, red emperor and spangled emperor. Spanish mackerel continue to be caught on floated pilchards and trolled garfish with Stagg Patches fishing extremely well along with a few fish around Fitzroy Island.
To the south the spaniards have also been in good numbers around Dunk Island and the Family Group islands with some bigger fish caught off Yamacutta Reef.
Several small billfish have been caught on the grounds east of Fitzroy Island on lures and trolled skipping garfish.
Charlotte Middleton (above) tagged and released her first billfish, fishing off Cairns with fishing enthusiast dad Ian.
Hopefully, the small billfish will be in good numbers for the light tackle Cairns Bluewater Billfish Tournament being held off Fitzroy Island from August 4.
The Cairns Inlet has fished reasonable with a few nice mangrove jacks caught on soft plastic prawns along with trevally and queenfish on lures and live baits.
The southern rivers have fished a little better with several barramundi caught casting soft plastics and small hard bodied diving minnows.
Hinchinbrook Channel has fired on both barra and mangrove jacks lure casting the flat’s mangrove roots on the high tides and snags and gutters on the low tides.
With ideal conditions on the water forecasted again for this Friday and Saturday it with be bedlam at the local boat ramps.
A super early start will be needed to avoid long delays in launching. The morning tide change will be ideal to target coral trout on the bommies and nannygai in the deep on the isolated rocks and rubble patches. There should also be plenty of Spanish mackerel taking floated pilchards and trolled lures and baits.