This report is supplied by Lynton Heffer from www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
November 1, 2021
Summer has kicked in early this year by several weeks and shall remain for a little while yet until a genuine rain pattern settles in. To date it has been a warm period in the tropics and it’s been a consistent 33 degrees during the day and a balmy 23 degrees at night. It’s a guessing game so to speak moving forward and each year seems to be slightly different but the humidity will go to another level.
If you can stand the heat in the kitchen then you are up for a treat in current conditions. As normal at this time of year fish numbers can dwindle just margainly but the quality is right up there. It is like ordering a super sized meal at a famous take away establishment.
I’ll rattle off some of it for you – big marlin, spanish mackerel, tuna, giant trevally, red emperor, golden trevally, coral trout, fingermark, mangrove jack, cobia and so much more in the fishing department. You add to this QLD groper at the marina docks in full sight, whale sharks coming to the back of the boat on the reef and a pod of false killer whales letting rip offshore into a big school of sizeable fish. It has been quite eventful to say the least.
The game fishing for big black marlin really kicked into gear late October and it coincided with a shift from the northerly breezes to a south east direction. Even though the billfish were there prior they refused to provide a hot bite. Since then consistent big fish have played the game up to the 1000lb range plus a heap of younger stallions strutting their bravado on the same dance floor. Light game fishing has also been good on similar grounds for the like of yellowfin tuna and wahoo. Our troops are saying at this point mid December will likely be the cut off date for big black marlin unless you are prepared to travel wider for a few hard kicking blue marlin.
On the reef it has all been big stuff of late for bottom fishing. We found on our charter boats that the quality or size of fish were profoundly bigger and numbers were good. For example we were catching regularly 4-5kg coral trout, 7-9kg large mouth nannygai, 6-7kg reef mangrove jack, 12kg spanish mackerel, 5kg spangled emperor, 7kg red emperor, 10kg cobia and 8kg golden trevally just as a sample. Even though there were variable winds a lot of the time and a bit of northerly in it, the fishing for the most remained high quality. Fishing as deep as possible will be our agenda when we can in the coming weeks.
For inshore enthusiasts our wonderful Daintree River has been firing on all cylinders and has been nothing short of dynamic in recent times.There’s been numerous days where quality fingermark have been hammering away fishing on certain structure. Live sardines are the choice bait and it has been good luck if any other species got a look in. We are so lucky to have such a ripping fingermark system locally and probably the best on the east coast of Qld I’d go as far to say.
In the deeper parts of the channel we’ve come across some big golden trevally to 6kg and grunter over 55cm, both excellent sized river fish. The highlight for the month however was mucking around down at the river mouth on the Daintree All the classic signs indicated it was a monster trevally and after some considerable chasing and hot shoe shuffling a 25kg Giant Trevally was the reward. An exceptional fish for anywhere let alone within the river and a deserved fish for Darren Calvett the lucky recipient (pictured).
There’s going to be more of this coming up in our show piece of wonderful fishing in FNQ.
August 31, 2021
In the minimal trade we have been able to achieve the reef fishing continues to be a number one choice, and for reason. Coral trout have lead the way in a major way being the main catch. They have been caught in all levels of the water column frequenting more up along the ridges into the shallower water. They may spawn in early October thus the transition from the deep. Accompanying the highly sort after trout have been good dividends for the likes of red emperor and the nannygai duo. They have been bobbing up with regularity and have been sourced in the deeper water 30m plus. Spangled emperor, reef mangrove jack, long nosed emperor and gold spot trevally have continuously put on their guernsey as part of the reef team as well. Spanish mackerel had their big run in the cooler times but they will continue to be part of the outer reef action and will get bigger in size after a good feeding season on the reef.
The small black marlin season has gradually hit it’s straps peaking around the start of September. We expect to see them for a touch longer before a real shift in focus turns towards the shelf for the anticipated arrival of the big black marlin. Seasons have changed quickly, almost overnight with warmer day temperatures which in turn rises the sea temperature. They say optimum sea temperature for the marlin congregation is above 27 – 28 degrees and that’s not too far away.
This type of water temperature has already awoken the likes of barra and mangrove jack in our calm water coastal systems. The coming weeks are ideal for these highly requested species. We don’t receive much rain and the river conditions are aided by good water clarity and handy tides. To add to the side show we’ll still have high quality fish on the go including 1m queenfish, stocky golden and river trevally plus the local favourites of good sized fingermark and grunter. These last two mentioned species are just superb on the palate.
As you may get the gest this is the best time of year to be part of the fishing action with all and sundry firing on all cylinders. We pray to see as many of you up here soon to enjoy as to what I describe as the best fishery in the world !
August 3, 2021
Once again in the tropics we find ourselves in turbulent times with the Covid situation. For several months we were tracking nicely and now we have found ourselves watching tens and tens of thousands of dollars of bookings fall by the wayside with cancellations from right across the country. In a manner of speaking it has been one step forward and two steps back for tourism and our recreational charter industry.
It’s a damn shame because the fishing has been nothing short of exceptional and will continue in the same vein for the next few months including offshore and within our larger river systems. We are just so keen to show off to visitors who are lucky enough to get up to FNQ. The days have notably warmed up to a very comfortable level which brings all manners of fish on the bight. It is a very enjoyable and productive time to be angling with us.
We’ll start with our reef fishing exploits which have been impressive. Barring the ultra neap tides and fishing right on the moon, it has been fairly plain sailing to secure a good feed of fish. With water temperatures favourable for most and some really settling weather there’s no better place than to be fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. We’ve seen it all when it comes our main target species, the high end as we call it. Big red emperor, quality coral trout, thumping large mouth nannygai and many, many spanish mackerel. All these fish have tipped the scales to their biggest ability and many anglers have secured personal bests and a fish of a lifetime. When you start to top up the esky with an array of other hard fighting and excellent eating fish it has been a smorgasbord coming back to the docks. These fish have included cobia, spangled emperor, cattle dog cod, baldy bream bream, small mouth nannygai and gold spot trevally just to name a few. Our expert fleet of boats at Fishing Port Douglas have delivered time and time again wonderful holiday experiences for visitors and also great times for our loyal locals. Our reef trips are well suited for the beginner angler or the more seasoned type.
Not everyone has the stomach to travel offshore and our calm water fishing has been great value. Once again the really neap tides and fishing right on the moons has been a bit more difficult. The Daintree River is by far our best system to chance your arm producing big 1m queenfish, golden trevally to 5kg, javelin fish to 55cm across the flats and fingermark to 70cm on the deeper snags. All these fish go like the clappers on lighter sportfishing gear and well worth the adventure. With the days warming up we’ll start to see more barra and mangrove jack getting more active and will be targeted more often knowing they’ll be keen to play. The croc spotting has been a real bonus of the cooler months as well a top run on the mud crabs this year. These last two opportunities will gradually start to taper off as the days move forward.
Report 6/9/19
The days are getting longer, the weather is rapidly warming up and the endless days of wind are now a distant memory. With the onset of spring the fresh south east winds abated leaving the tropics with wonderful days to be experienced on the water.
On the fishing front there has been a lot of focus fishing offshore on the Great Barrier Reef with favourable conditions on offer. With water temperatures slowly increasing the overall reports have either been excessive or slim pickings. The most productive days have been the dates leading into the full and new moons. Also the days with an afternoon rising tide have paid dividends. These days have seen all manners of species on the bite and size and numbers have been at the higher end. Red emperor are really up and about, coral trout have been handy and the large and small mouth nannygai have had some big moments.
The days on the moons themselves have proven considerably quieter and some sections of the reef where the fish have been in an early preparation to spawn have been slower on the take as well. As the water warms up we’ve also seen a big shift in momentum from the shark brigade in some areas and they have ruined some great fishing when the fish have been biting. We not talking about small sharks either but schools of 300kg bronze whalers just simply running amok nailing anything that is hooked up to. It is common knowledge for those in the know where they are thick and by trial and error these areas will remain of limits in the next couple of months.
Closer to home the smaller boat brigade continues to enjoy a run on the spotted and school mackerel particularly early in the morning. It’s not a fad but the latest craze is micro jigging for them using 30-50gm metal slices worked up and down in the water column on top of baits schools. On light spin gear they provide a lot of fun pulling some serious line from off the spool. Other bonus catches have included large mouth nannygai, bar cheek trout and good sized grassy sweetlips. Interestingly we are now seeing some big mantaray along the coast and they have been harbouring some nice sized cobia surfing from off their coat tails. A popper flicked in the general area will see them divert from the ray and nail it without hesitation. Once again a whole heap of fun on light gear and worth keeping a keen eye for anything big and dark swimming across the surface.
In the rivers and creeks there still remains a healthy supply of sardines and mullet and just perfect for enticing the likes of mangrove jack and fingermark. Mid sized trevally have been cruising in and out on the cleaner tides and will devour a live bait in their path. The barra have now awoken from their winter slumber and the coming month is one of the best to target them whilst conditions remain consistent. Night fishing with big mullet down around the main harbour is your best bet to target these trophy fish.
With the onset of October the game boats in the area flick on the heavy tackle light switch as the big black marlin are due to arrive along the shelf in numbers for the annual aggregation. The actual small black marlin season closer to home this year was well below par however this does not equate to the heavy tackle scene where the bigger fish are almost obligated to turn up to complete the breeding cycle.
October is probably the pick of the calendar to fish in the tropics whereby you’re almost guaranteed to get results no matter which magic wand you decide to pick up inshore, offshore or out wide.
Report 2/8/19
It has been
a prolonged wintery period with very little relief from the constant south
easterly trade winds. It will be recorded as one of the windiest years in
recent times. It has proven to be a challenge for any sized vessel to establish
a consistent run out to the reef especially for the smaller boat brigades. With
the traditional winter months due to expire we are hoping for better weather
and fishing times ahead. September generally sees a more stable weather pattern
which the Far North will appreciate.
The bulk of the work out to the reef has been aboard much larger vessels and
it’s a pity because the fishing has proven to be very consistent. Whether it be
nannygai or coral trout there’s been some terrific hauls on the books. A month
or so ago it was all about the coral and bar cheek trout. Big, plump models
between 4-6kg were the norm and numbers were very healthy. Then they went on
the quiet and became finicky and skinny looking in appearance. Those in the
know believe they went into preparation for an early spawn this year in our
local waters. However the small and large mouth nannygai picked up the reigns
and powered on in big quantities and sizes. Some days they were as thick as
fleas on a dog and the threat of surpassing bag limits was a reality. Some
boats had to drive away from the bite in fear of approaching these
restrictions. When you add the likes of spangled and red emperor, Spanish
mackerel and trevally species on the side there was not too many quiet days on
the reef. The only problem is not everyone got to enjoy these spoils.
Our game fishing boats have also had to contend with some ordinary conditions
but at least the Spanish mackerel on the outer reef have turned reels over on a
regular basis. Unfortunately the opportunity to explore the small black marlin
grounds has been very limited due the winds. The positive however is that
they’ll still be around for a few more weeks and a spell of good weather will
see them to be a prime target.
Closer to home the best opportunity for the trailer boats has been early
morning on the coastal reefs and patches. They have been entertained with
spotted and school mackerel, bar cheek trout, nursery sized nannygai and a
smattering of Spanish mackerel. However these days have been limited and now
hoping for fairer weather ahead.
The alternative has been to explore the calm waterways of our estuaries and
creeks. The fishing became notably tougher as winter extended but that is due
to change very quickly. Water temperatures hovered around the 22C mark and the
main species caught included big hump headed bream, mangrove jack, fingermark,
smaller Gt’s and estuary cod. Numbers were down a bit but as the days get
longer and warmer they will improve quickly. The barra will also wake up and
feed more actively and always a bucket list catch for many. On the upside it
has been a good period for catching mud crabs and the bigger tides saw them on
the move.
We are all looking to see the back end of winter and the next month or two is
always an exciting time to wet a line in the tropics with all species looking
to fill their bellies.
Report 5/7/19
To date it
has been one of those winter spells that won’t quite settle down with
associated winds and a lot of cool overcast days. The upside however has been
the south trade easterly winds haven’t taken a full stranglehold still allowing
a lot of trips to go ahead, particularly offshore. The weather this year has
never really eased off and most of our trips recently would have been conducted
between 15-20 knots. In saying this we are extremely hopeful the sun will make
more of an appearance and the winds will ease off moving forward.
Fishing at this time of year is all about fishing on the Great Barrier Reef for
the myriad of wonderful tropical species available. Utilising bigger vessels
has almost been necessary and the fishing has not disappointed at all. In fact
it has been exceptional on most occasions. The moderate to windy weather hasn’t
effected the fishing one bit. I can’t remember the last time we have been
disappointed in the number of fish we have caught on any given day on any of
our charters. It has been a real mixed bag of fruit with a variety of species
turning up at different times. There wouldn’t be too many we haven’t caught
over the last month or so. At the top of the list it has been coral and bar
cheek trout by the truck load and numbers of nannygai at times. Adding value to
these has been a big run on solid spangled emperor in particular, green
jobfish, cobia, spanish mackerel, gold spot trevally, sweetlip, reef mangrove
jack and red emperor to name just a few. The cobia prove to be a contender for
‘Fish of the Year’ and catching six off one location is testimony to that.
Normally you would pick up one or two, but to nail half a dozen beauties is
something to remember.
Our light tackle game fishing days are also right up there and have seen us rip
into the Spanish mackerel,l and I mean really gone to town. The mackerel are
really concentrated at the moment and if you can source them then it is awesome
fishing. An example of this was plucking 14 spanish from a deep pinnacle all
ranging from 6-15kg. They would have eaten an old shoe if it was thrown in
front of them but they just demolished our diving lures and woghead garfish
rigs time and time again. If the weather can settle down our fleet of game
boats are extremely keen to fish the small black marlin grounds south of Port
Douglas and we are coming into prime time. Unfortunately the bumpy weather has
delayed this plan but is due to reverse the trend.
With a lot of families visiting the area recently our river and estuary trips
have been extremely popular. Even though winter can be a bit more difficult
there’s been ample action to warrant a trip or two. Fresh dead bait and live
baits have accounted for numerous mangrove jack of decent size to 50cm,
followed by an even spread of estuary cod, fingermark, bream and grunter. On
the bigger tides there’s been some good sized Gt’s and queenfish moving into
the systems as well. Always as a bonus at this time of year has been a
reasonable run of mud crabs particularly in the estuaries and still worth the
time and effort to set some pots to value add to your session on the water.
With a lot more tourists flooding the area since July we are hopeful for a bit
more sunshine and calmer seas to showcase our wonderful region complimented by
its awesome fishing opportunities.
Report 7/6/19
From the
official start of winter it has been every bit of that with air and water
temperatures plummeting in recent times in the tropics. Compounding this has
been every anglers nightmare, south easterly trade winds dominating the weather
pattern driving cool, bullet type winds up along the far northern coastline. This
has been the case more often than not for a couple of months and trying to find
a decent break in the weather has been difficult. In saying this when the
calmer days do present the fishing has been of the highest level, particularly
on the reef.
Winter is all about fishing on the coastal and outer reefs. This is where a
vast variety of species can be encountered on any given day. When the weather
is behaving individual species have been hunting in packs and these have
included the large and small mouth nannygai, coral trout, reef jacks, Spanish
mackerel, spangled emperor and an array of trevally including golden and gold
spot varieties. Depending on your location and what you stumble across you can
expect to find a certain species stacked to the roof. This has been the case on
recent charters with say small mouth nannygai completely dominating one spot
then at the next it might be the large mouth. The following may be one of the
trevally family and so on. The reds and trevally are firm favourites in the deeper
water beyond 35m and as you venture up into the shallows it’s your coral trout
and emperors that tend to dictate terms. There’s been a heap of other species
that manage to add a bit of spice on most trips and they have included green
jobfish, bowen sanpper, baldy bream and cobia. The cobia in fact have been
kings now for over 6 months and their numbers have never been better and don’t
look like giving up that title.
As the water temperatures are hovering around the 25 degree mark now, more and
more mackerel are moving through the area. Spanish are at the top of the list
on the outer reef and there’s a few more spotted mackerel been cited as well.
Inshore reefs are now littered with doggie mackerel and the great news is that
we have the grey mackerel in the area as well. Some years we see the ‘greys’
here and others they are scarce. The reason is unclear but they do have their
specific grounds in the area when they arrive. The old fashioned silver spoon
is a long time favourite for racking up a few grey mackerel.
Moving into our calmer waters a lot of time has been enforced on boaties to
fish here because of the continuous strong winds. Even with water temperatures
at their lowest the fishing has been fair to good. Mangrove jack numbers
continue to impress along with javelin fish and big aggressive bream. On the
right tides we’ve seen trevally, tarpon and queenfish move right through the
systems and the fingermark have been active enough in the deeper holes. Ever
since the weather started to cool down there’s been a lot of big pick handle
barracuda around and they won’t hesitate to demolish a fish on the end of the
line whether it be a good sized jack or bream. They are super aggressive
following a meal right to the boat and they are of typical size you’d expect to
see out on the reefs. Other than this it has been a good time of year to spread
some crab pots around and on the bigger tides there’s been some good yields in
the area.
Looking ahead we are all praying desperately for a consistent run of calm weather
so the reefs can be explored more regularly. With tourist season beginning to
peak it would be great for visiting anglers to experience the awesome fishing
that can occur on our blue highway.
Report 10/5/19
As we come
out of what one would describe as a very indifferent wet season we are starting
to grapple with what may lay ahead in the coming month. Precipitation to a
lesser degree and a quite a few windy days have thrown in a curious prognosis.
What we can say is that the outer Great Barrier Reef has come off the best reef
fishing period for a wet season. The water temperatures stayed well below what
was to be expected and the future market indicates it will only get better. The
vessels we at Fishing Port Douglas have continued to come back with
unprecedented catches of all our trophy species which have included the A List
of coral trout, sea perch or nannygai as we locally call them, emperor species
including the prized ‘red’ and a host of other highly valued species. These
bonuses which are high impact fish have included cobia, a mix of mackerel
species including the Spanish and an array of hard hitting trevally species
inclusive of gold spot, tea-leaf and the gut wrenching giant trevally. Going
through our log books in recent times we have not had a subpar day on the reef
in a very long time. Basically if the weather permitted the fish were
committed. This is a great case moving forward as the reef fishing only gets
better for the next several months ahead.
When you look at our currents which have been a bit of a mixture over a couple
of months running from north or south depending on your location, this will now
all settle. The best indicator is our inshore reefs which have the current
running from the south. This will now be the cutting edge across the board
moving forward. Predictable trade winds from the south east and a southerly
current makes pulling up on fish a massive difference. Our inshore reefs,
patches and wonky holes are now seeing a steady flow of mackerel species, the
bar cheek trout are extremely active and our ever present breeding grounds for
nannygai are nonstop peppering away. Add to this our wonderful array of
trevally the sportfishing aspect has been very active. Moving forward the wind
level will be the only deterrent to experiencing some great times inshore,
especially for the small boat brigade which engages many a local punter.
If the calm waters of our estuaries and creeks are your calling it has been
quite entertaining to be honest. Mud crabs are on the go if you have the
inclining to put in the work and an absolute delicacy. Mangrove jack and
fingermark have been our marquee species on the rod and reel with the odd barra
been registered. It is without doubt if you want quality calm water fishing
live bait is key and these been a heap around due to a decent wet season.
Outside of this we are seeing more pelagic type fish such as mid sized GTs,
barracuda and the occasional stonker queenfish. Bread and butter species such
as some solid bream, grunter and classic dusky flathead have all contributed
well.
Report 5/4/19
We have come
off what one would consider a good old fashioned wet season in the tropics.
Each month over the summer at some point dumped some substantial rain on our
tropical region. As the seasons change they say a good ‘wet’ translates into
good fishing ahead for the coming year. In saying this we have had some of the
best fishing inshore and offshore this past few months and the month ahead
should even get better.
The outer and coastal reef fishing has been exceptional this summer and those
in the know believe it has been to do with the water temperature. Not
necessarily the surface temperature but the really cool waters deeper down. Our
tropical reef species thrive on less temperature and thus the reason for a
really consistent bite. All manners of species have been busy nattering away
including coral and bar cheek trout, large and small mouth nannygai, red and
spangled emperor, sweetlip, cobia, Spanish mackerel and the many types of
trevally we encounter up here. The trevally have included golden, tea-leaf, bludger,
gold spot, giant and the stunning diamond variety. To be honest it has been the
best summer fishing we’ve seen in a long time with exceptional numbers of
quality sized fish. The beauty looking ahead water temperatures will continue
to fall as the cooler days kick in and the fishing could even go to a new
level. I’ve always found in particular the nannygai species really kick into
gear during May and even if their strike rate increases marginally from their
current status it could be an absolute bumper month on these species.
On the pelagic side of things the Spanish mackerel have already shown they
around in numbers already and will steadily grow in presence as the days go by.
Spotted and doggie mackerel should also start turning up especially on the inshore
reefs. Last the year the small black marlin season started ticking over during
May on the wide grounds and all signs indicate another early start considering
the water temperature and the good supply of bait along the coast from the wet
season rains.
Inshore in our calm water fisheries there’s been a healthy supply of bait from
the ‘wet’ in our estuaries, rivers and along the beaches and headlands.
Sardines, mullet, garfish, mud herring and great sized prawns have been readily
available for those willing to put in the effort. These tasty morsels have
accounted for the bigger sized fish which have been kicking around including
barra, mangrove jack, blue salmon, tarpon, fingermark, grunter, trevally,
barracuda and queenfish. The best fishing has occurred outside of the heavy
rains when the water clarity has been better. Incoming and the first stages of
the outgoing tide have equally been good times to target our coastal species.
With a healthy supply of food around the fishing should remain very positive
including the barra for at least another month. The traditional overnight cold
snap which normally occurs in May is when the barra will taper off. The rest
however will continue to bite whilst the food stocks are plentiful.
Report 3/3/19
From all
indications it seems to worst of the wet season has well and truly past and
conditions in the tropics have settled down. We are experiencing moderate rains
but nothing to the extent of a month or so ago.
Day temperatures are a lot more comfortable and there is ample windows of
opportunity to hit the blue water and our calm water fishing inshore has
settled nicely.
Without question the best fishing is still occurring out wide on the outer
Great Barrier Reef with all sorts of quarry to target. Calm days with a good
run in the tide are producing some amazing giant tevally catches fishing the
pressure points of reefs holding bait such as banana fish or fusiliers. Big poppers
and stick baits cast in the vicinity of these shoals are getting hammered by
fish up to 30kg and providing one hell of a ride for lucky anglers. Tides
leading into the moons are fishing best with the exception of the full moon
itself where the fish can be a bit finicky.
On these similar tides there are still some nice Spanish mackerel to troll up
using hard body diving lures and garfish woghead rigs. The fish have been
tending to be on the larger size 15kg and better which is typical at this time
of year as they are often big rogue mackerel cruising by themselves.
The fishing off the bottom still continues to impress and has to be by far the
best summer run we’ve seen in a long time. All the prized fish are snapping
away including red emperor, large and small mouth nannygai and coral trout.
They have been again on the larger size and have provided a lot of
entertainment. Bonus species to add to the above have included cobia, gold spot
trevally, baldy bream, cattle dog cod and spangled emperor. Naturally bread and
butter species such as stripeys, sweetlip and moses perch have tended to be
part of a daily catch. The key has been to avoid the sections of reef or more
open water with a raging current which at times has been almost impossible to
get a bait to the bottom. It is expected that the awesome fishing wont change
too much as water temperatures slowly decrease as the weeks go by.
Inshore the rivers and creeks have settled down beautifully with less rainfall
and it has been enough to keep stirring the pot and circulating bait around the
systems. By far the mangrove jack have been the busiest locally and have been
tempted by several means including live and dead bait plus a range of lres and
soft plastics. They have been prevalent around the bends where there has been a
pressure point built up on a bank. In the process there have been plenty of cod
in the same areas and of decent size. Our barra catches still are coming from
around the river/creek mouths and live baiting with mullet has seen the better results
particularly on dusk or after dark. For this reason night fishing charters have
been very popular. Other fish patrolling the mouths have included some nice
blue salmon and extra large grunter or javelin fish. Finding fresh live bait in
the form of sardines, mullet, prawns or mud herring has been relatively easy of
late and well worth the effort of pursuing before you start fishing.
April, weather providing, is always a marked calendar month being a crossover
period of the year as the wet season slowly dries up and the cooler weather
creeps in. The fishing can fire on all cylinders whether it be offshore or
along the coast.
Report 4/1/19
There’s no
denying that our tropical region has kick started its wet season and this was
initiated by Ex-Cyclone Owen which dumped copious amounts of rain, not once but
on two separate occasions in late December and early January. The short term
pain of bad weather at the time now should be showing the long term benefits of
what a good rain can do to a fishery. Landscapes were completely changed and
new leases of life were created all serving for the greater cause.
With barra season now open one would have expected them to have already bred
and they’ll set into a nice groove moving forward. Local beaches with
associated break through creeks will be hotspots to target. On their given day
the beaches have been red hot not only for barra but blue salmon, queenfish and
tarpon. These fish are all up in the shallows helping themselves to jelly
prawns, dault prawns and all types of bait fish. In the rivers and estuaries
again run off creeks and causeways where bait tends to funnel will be prime
locations. Your bigger fish will be eager to take a big mullet, smash a popper
or take any decent sized lure in your tackle box. Fighting for the same
presentation at the same spots in the river will be mangrove jack. Already to
date they have proven to be the most consistent fish in our calmer waters
fishing well even during the wetter, harder times. Fingermark also went to a
better level with the assistance of a bit of rain and they’ll fish well in the
coming months. The lessons learnt in recent times is to find undisturbed water
away from the main current which can be quite dirty on the bigger tides. These
might be little side arms branching from the main system, eddies behind natural
or even man made structures. These little spots will see the water temperature
slightly higher which can make a huge difference if there is a lot of fresh
water around and there’s every chance of that in the next month or so. If you
are able try and get in a evening/ night time fish as the barra, fingermark and
jacks are definitely biting better under the cover of darkness.
Moving out to the reef, the fishing has been a little bit up and down but the
beauty of the Great Barrier Reef every day is different. One day you might be
scratching around and the next all hell breaks loose. The manic days have had a
common thread and that is fishing in the 35-45m metre range if you have the
marks. The likes of red emperor and nannygai have shifted from the shallow
waters into the deep. It’s not only the reds that have moved but you’ll find
all manners of fish in amongst the schools including your big coral trout,
spangled emperor, jobfish, cobia and gold and tea-leaf trevallies. In the same
breath this also your best chance to pick up a big rogue Spanish mackerel
underneath a float at the same locations. The fish overall are not spread out
as normal and seem to be more concentrated.
It’s always an unknown as to how much rain is on the horizon but hopefully the
early season dumpings have taught us a lesson or two and has put us all in good
stead.
Proudly brought to you by:
Lynton ‘Heff’ Heffer
Ph: 07 4098 5354
info@fishingportdouglas.com.au
www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
