More wild winds pumped through our coastline with a drizzle of rain in the mix, but that didn't stop the eager anglers searching for their prized catch! The unfavourable conditions kept the majority of anglers inshore except for the large game boats targeting the giant Black Marlin just off our coastline. Light tackle marlin season is coming to an end and heavy tackle season is off to a ripper start, the Cairns Bluewater Gamefishing tournament is currently running and the 60th Anniversary Black Marlin comp is only just around the corner. Other anglers inshore have been chasing everything in the estuaries and freshwater rivers, from some quality jacks in the Trinity Inlet and even a huge river-monster GT burning some drag washers, to some footy-sized sooty grunter in the fresh. Plus metre barramundi in the local estuaries, over the gulf and up in Tinaroo, this week has been action packed with a variety of cracker fish getting caught!
How's this proper reef-model GT caught up in the river from Lifeadriftau on Instagram! Needing some new drag washers mate?
Game Fishing
It is nearly the end of the light tackle season as boats begin to pack away their 10kg outfits and dust off their big 130s ready for the heavy tackle season chasing the giant Black Marlin Cairns is renowned for! As this report is being written the final light tackle competition, the Cairns Blue Water billfish tournament, kicked off. Wild wind has kept the majority of trailer boats home but the large game boats and die-hard marlin anglers are battling it out for the major $20,000 prize.
As I'm writing this report the radio is going off, the boat Catfish has called in placing a tag in a juvenile black with a 1-1-1 tally to kick start their position in the competition, thanks for the quick pic Ella!
The first skeds of the first day were called out for the tournament with 4 fish tagged, Catfish 1-1-1, Geronimo 3-2-1 and two other boats calling in their fish as well. Right after the skeds were called, Nomad plugged a tag into their first billy! More skeds will be called throughout the day and two more days of fishing will be held. It'll be exciting to hear how the next two days will fish!
Tom with a nice little marlin he caught back in the Innisfail leg of the Billfish Tournament.
With the last of the light tackle starting to finish up, the Cairns heavy tackle season has however kicked off with some giant Black Marlin already getting captured. Reports have come in with one absolute cracker caught just shy of the grander mark, an 800-pounder, and another 700 caught too, plus some around the 600 and 500 mark caught as well. Some absolute giants they are, and that won't be it for the season, we will likely see some proper Ganders (the term for a 1000-pound fish) and many other giants caught in the next couple of months as the season ramps up.
Just around the corner is the first heavy tackle competition for the season, the 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament kicking off on the 21st September. This will be a very exciting event, with 49 boats entered and many of the big names competing, it's going to be full of some giant marlin! Plus we've even got some better weather on the horizon, at least better than what the boats were faced with in the Bluewater light tackle comp.
Freshwater Rivers and Dams
Tinaroo is starting to fire up with huge numbers of fish being tallied up for anglers, trolling has been the effective method once again with anglers plugging lures down deep and triggering a reaction bite from the barra. The Rapid Fish Rollers have been the undoing for some fish, wiggled on their nose they almost can't resist. Water temps are rising and the water levels are ever so slowly dropping but it won't be long and it will drop fast. Currently at 96% capacity compared to 80% this time last year, far out we've had some prolonged rain this year!
Emily with a meterie from the dam, a quality fish!
In the rivers the big sooty grunter have been active and hungry, these big brawlers are giving anglers a fair scrap on their light JP gear.
Banjo with a cracker sooty, some real dark tone to this one.
Henry and Banjo on a nice double up on some good sooties.
Another double shot of their fish.
Corey from Tomosfishing on Instagram got his behemoth sooty, just shy of the 50cm mark!
Estuary Fishing
Our local Trinity Inlet has been busy, both under the water and on the water. Mangrove jack captures are increasing with some more smaller GTs patrolling the mangroves. The jacks have been open to a wide range of lures and bait this past week, from large paddle tail lures to small bait like sards or mud herring. The most exciting way by far has got to be skip casting surface lures deep into the structure and having the jacks come out of their holes and smoke a top water lure. The Mintoss Johnsons and Frogs have been a popular pick on the jacks' menu this week.
Jack on yet again, another Jack, he certainly knows how to find these red devils!
Jensen with a cracker Jack, some awesome colours on this one!
Bailey with a great mangrove Jack from her local river.
Another shot of Bailey's mangrove Jack.
Riley with a proper Grunter on dusk.
Barramundi are a prime species for many experienced anglers and travelling tourists. With the saltwater barra closure rapidly approaching, keen anglers will take any given opportunity to chase them before the time comes. Some anglers have made the most of it already and got stuck into some quality barra with their efforts.
Staff Member Bryce with a very nice salty on a small Berkley chop block swimbait.
Staff member Brayden with a cracker 108cm pumping the 8 inch Berkley chop block.
Rick managed to get the hooks stuck into this cracker barra from the Trinity Inlet.
PCB and Lakefield
In Princess Charlotte Bay, the large tides around the new moon saw huge schools of mullet getting flushed off the flats and down into the mouths of hungry barra waiting for the mullet to flush through. Anglers got to witness these huge waves of mullet getting decimated as the barra ambush them in thick numbers, boofing the schools with dozens of fish feeding at once.
Moving further into these same river systems and into the flowing freshwater of Lakefield National Park, the temperatures are starting to ramp up and so is the barramundi fishing. Pitching the good old 4-inch Berkley Gulp Prawn through the heavy timber laydowns has been the go-to method for the regulars fishing the park. Proving to be quite effective for these freshwater barra, they are replicating the natural bait source like the cherabin in these river systems. Another natural profile in the early mornings and late arvo is a frog imitation, pitching them through and around the structure the barra just can't resist a little frog hopping along the surface. Some quality mangrove jacks have been caught through the park as well, both in the rivers and lagoons they are a welcomed bycatch and pull some great string!
Jackson got this ripper barra from Lakefield on his trip.
The Gulf
Over to the Gulf of Carpentaria, the primary target for the majority of anglers heading west is of course barramundi. However, some giant black jewfish and threadfin salmon have been some pleasurable bycatch for anglers plugging lures targeting barra. A giant jewfish would have you convinced it's a huge barra sizzling off with some string, then seeing these big brutes surface instead either leaves the angler in awe or disappointed thinking it was that one giant barra they were pursuing. Many methods have proven effective for the barra of recent over the gulf, from trolling the deep rock bars to snag bashing the timber and even live scoping the flats, some great fish have rolled in.
Keen brothers Ash and Dane had a ripper trip over the gulf recently and both got some great fish to write home about.
Dane got this cracker from his trip.
Ash landed this solid barra too.
And another quality fish from Dane over the night, well done fellas!
Need gear, bait or just a bit of local advice?
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