FISH BITING DESPITE HOT CONDITIONS
DESPITE the extended period of extreme heat, reef fishing has continued to produce fish and surprisingly plenty of spanish mackerel are being caught. Spanish mackerel generally prefer the cooler months from May through to September but they have stuck around this season with good numbers still being caught on floated pilchards and live baits, trolled deep diving lures and some big fish on slow trolled wolf herring. The wrecks and structure with bait are also producing fish on jigged metal lures. Offshore several big spaniards have been caught trolling the drop-off edge and ridges of areas like Linden Bank down to Jenny Louise Shoal along with dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) and the occasional black marlin is also still being hooked.
Reef bottom fishing has still been steady with coral trout moving into slightly deeper water escaping the heat while the 50m plus depths on the rubble have produced nannygai, cobia and trevally. Unfortunately, sharks continue to be a major problem and are stealing many hooked fish. Anglers have still been catching some nice reds at night but with storm season now here caution is required as conditions can turn nasty very quickly.
Estuary and river fishing has seen mangrove jacks again dominate catches on live baits and lures with several fish this week taken in the Cairns Inlet, Maria Creek and Hull River. The inlet has seen a few fingermark also caught on live baits along with several released barramundi. Daintree River to the north has seen fly-fishing anglers have plenty of fun casting the flats with trevally, queenfish, tarpon, released barramundi and even grunter being hooked on the long wands. Grunter have been in good numbers in the southern creek mouth sand- bar gutters along with some nice flathead that can be targeted on live baits and will also readily take cast soft plastics.
Tinaroo Dam has seen the water temperature get up to around 30C and has really fired up the big barras. Local Cairns angler Jason Swan (see photo above) and son Kai have been having a ball recently catching a string of metre plus fish on hard-bodied lures casting the points and the red hot action should continue through summer.
With strong SE winds forecasted for Saturday it should be a little cooler but will rule out any planned reef trips for small boats. Estuary and river fishing will take priority chasing mangrove jacks, fingermark, grunter and flathead on live baits and lures. While the sheltered bays in Tinaroo Dam will be popular targeting a big barramundi.