To play with late rain
well, if that’s where The Freshwater pushes them,” Meiers said.
Old timers will often recite the adage defining the prime crabbing times in North Queensland.
“The best months for crabbing are those with an ‘R’ in their spelling.”
And as for the other months, don’t bother according to Meiers who agrees that he misses little when stowing his pots throughout the winter months – unless there’s a good bout of unseasonal rain, that is.
WEATHER MAN ON THE MONEY
Long-range weather forecaster and local man Stuart Williams can take a bow after calling this late April rain event.
The Bluewater man and avid angler did so well before recognised weather agencies seemed to have any idea of what the weather gods were going to serve up to North Queensland.
Williams, the genius behind Weather Oz, called this event – along with the SEQ and
Northern NSW floods – way back in January of this year and reiterated to me in early March of his forecast for North Queensland throughout the last week or so of April.
“Look for a wet/high energy period 21-29th of April,” Williams said.
At the time I was thinking to myself, “this guy is good, but he’s getting a bit bold with such
predictions at the end of what has largely been accepted as a failed wet season – especially within the dry tropics.”
Ballsy prediction but welldone Weather Oz – in future,
I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.
FRIENDLIER CONDITIONS
Marine conditions for this May Day long-weekend, the third consecutive extended break, a forecast to be significantly friendlier than the last, unless you’re into flying kites.
South-easterly trade winds are expected to settle at close enough to 15–20 knots offshore while inshore breezes should be lighter, but still demand a degree of caution when traversing shallow waters.
Tides are considered very fishy for most angling options with modest morning high periods followed by midafternoon low tides ideal for both lure and bait fishing techniques.
Freshwater run-off will still need consideration when anglers choose to fish major local systems like the Bohle or Haughton rivers, the smaller systems perhaps easier and more productive with less fresh influence.
Anglers, in the pursuit of barra and other popular snag dwelling species like jacks and cod, might however, have difficulty finding unobstructed waters along favourite river and creek banks should the crabbing brigade set their pots, en masse.
Meanwhile, beach and foreshores remain a good option this weekend, barramundi likely to be hunting prawn and baitfish species washed out of the area’s local creek and river systems.
The beach extremities near Cape Pallarenda and beyond to Shelley Beach could be a worthwhile stretch of shallows to cast a lure like the Bomber or Storm Thunderstick models, while a live mullet or garfish, set among the submerged boulders during the morning high tides, could turn the head of a hunting barramundi.
“Don’t be deterred by discoloured waters though,” is the advice from some of the region’s most experienced anglers.
“That’s exactly where a barramundi likes to hunt its prey – the more discoloured the better,” they agree.