FNQ FISHOS CAN LIVE LIKE A KING
WITH the greatly improved conditions on the water, blue water reef, island and wreck fishing has been very popular for locals and tourists visiting Tropical Far North Queensland.
Charter boats have been full and reporting some excellent reef catches of large mouth nannygai and, surprisingly, a hot run of coral trout which is slightly unusual in January.
Blackout Charters fishing out of Cairns was surprised early in the week when they landed an Esky full of trout and left them still biting aggressively.
Local Cairns reefs including Thetford, Oyster and Batt reefs have all fished well. The small rocks in the 50m-plus depths of the reef paddocks are also seeing a few gold band snapper caught.
To the north off Cooktown spanish mackerel are still in good numbers with fish to 9kg regularly taking live fusiliers and floated pilchards while bottom fishing the inshore reefs and headlands.
The southern islands have also fished well on large mouth nannygai and a few coral trout and red throat emperor.
Cairns Inlet has cleaned after the recent rain and on the harbour flats blue and king salmon are being caught along with some quality grunter and giant trevally.
All Tackle Sport Fishing caught a thumping king salmon early this week measuring 1.24m and reported losing several others. The king salmon have been absent from Trinity Inlet for several years and it’s great to see these fast running and great eating fish back.
The southern rivers have slowly cleaned up and mangrove jacks, sooty grunter, jungle perch, tarpon and released barramundi are all being caught in the small feeder creeks flowing into the main river systems. Small minnow style lures and soft plastics have worked well.
Hinchinbrook Channel produced numbers of mud crabs on the bigger tides in the creek mouth flats and these should continue once the tides start building again.
Several metre-plus monster barramundi have been caught in Tinaroo Dam during the good weather also.
Unfortunately, it looks like the wind will be up around the 15-20 knots for the weekend keeping small boats inshore. The large charter boats will continue to fish the reef and chase both nannygai and coral trout with the deeper water fishing best. With the neap tides fishing the deep holes of the Cairns Inlet, Mourilyan Harbour and Hinchinbrook Channel should produce a few nice fingermark and trevally.