Friday fishing
FISHERMEN have been blessed with an extended run of good conditions on the water that prevailed again last weekend.
Reef fishing was again the priority for most fishermen as they headed to their favoured reef marks looking to target bottom species.
Large mouth nannygai have continued to bite hard and are being caught in great numbers between the inshore reef in the open paddocks on the rubble adjacent to Moore and Thetford reefs off Cairns and most of the reefs out from Port Douglas. A few coral trout have also been caught on the bommies along with good numbers of cobia and reef jacks that are taking floated pilchards meant for spanish mackerel.
While the mackerel are not in great numbers, it is still worth floating a pilchard while bottom fishing to pick up that bonus fish.
To the south several boats reported good catches of nannygai, rosy job fish and thumping red emperor fishing the deep outer reef drop-offs.
Offshore the heavy tackle black marlin fishing has been a little slow after several weeks of hot fishing with regular 400kg-plus fish tagged and released.
Yellow fin tuna have been in good numbers along the outer reef shelf and ridges off Jenny Louise Shoal, Spur Reef and Linden Bank, a few mahimahi have also been caught on skirted and hard bodied lures like Halco Laser Pros.
Inshore fishing has been a little slow with mangrove jacks providing most action for both lure and bait fishermen in the rivers and estuaries like the Cairns Inlet, Russell/Mulgrave River and Mourilyan Harbour.
Palm Cove Jetty just north of Cairns has seen a few blue salmon schooled and being caught on live sardines. Some big grunter have also been running in most of the southern coastal creek mouths along with Hinchinbrook Channel with fresh strip baits of mullet and garfish producing best.
The second and final Coral Reef Fin Fish closure for 2019 starts this Sunday through to next Thursday where reef bottom fish are off limits with the exception of reef jacks. All pelagic species including spanish mackerel, tuna, cobia, trevally and mahi-mahi can still be taken during the closure.
The forecast of SE winds around 10-15 knots will allow some boats to still fish the reef for coral trout, nannygai and other reef species on Saturday before the closure.