Cairns Fishing Report August 8th

Dragon Lady Charters Skipper Kale Warden caught this impressive Cattle Dog Cod on a day off fishing.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Tackle World Cairns Weekly Fishing Report.

Each week, the Tackle World Cairns Fishing Report brings you the latest local insights across Far North Queensland. From the reefs off Cairns and Port Douglas to estuaries like the Daintree, Russell, Johnstone and Hinchinbrook, we cover what’s biting, where to go, and what gear is working. Whether you’re chasing coral trout, nannygai, or mackerel offshore, or barra, jacks and queenfish inshore, the Tackle World Cairns team has your FNQ fishing forecast sorted.

Another week of dynamic fishing across Far North Queensland has delivered the goods and despite gusty winds on the forecast for the weekend, there are still windows of opportunity for the dedicated angler. Here’s your full breakdown.

Reef Fishing

While offshore conditions continue to challenge smaller vessels, the larger blue water boats have been making the most of their opportunities with exceptional results across multiple reef systems. A small weather window early this week did see a few small boats hit the inshore reefs. The coral trout bite remains red-hot on the bommies of Batt, Pixie, Sudbury, Elford, and Thetford Reefs. Most productive sessions are coming from those fishing strip baits and pillies around the tide changes.

Large & small mouth nannygai have also been coming aboard in healthy numbers, especially in the deeper rubble patches between 40-50m of water. The inshore shallow wrecks and rocks are also producing fish during the cold spell. Don’t overlook the night bite either. Several crews fishing overnight reported quality red emperor mixed in with the large-mouths, especially around rubble-bottom ledges and isolated rocks holding bait north of Batt and Opal reefs.

Spanish mackerel are still thick along reef drop-offs, and on the trout bommies, floating pilchards and live fusiliers have been highly productive. Trolling diving minnows like the Strada Pro Tracka 160’s or rigged garfish around 5 knots has also been especially productive early in the day. In some areas off Cairns small black marlin are also making their presence felt, with several hook-ups reported by game fishers slow trolling skip & swim baits, along with skirted lures on the grounds around Oyster Reef & east of Fitzroy Island.

Plenty of reef action awaits, just be sure to watch for weather windows, as strong southeasterlies are limiting the smaller boat fleet's ability to reach these offshore zones.

Islands & Headlands

The southern islands are firing early in the morning before the wind kicks up. Spanish and school mackerel have been active in bait-rich shipping channels & around Dunk & the Family Group Islands. Trolling rigged garfish, wolf herring and lures has produced solid results along with floated pilchards. Look for areas holding bait and mackerel lines marking on the sounder.

Queenfish and GTs are patrolling the pressure points around the island headlands, particularly on the run-in tide. Popper and stickbait sessions around the coral edges have been visually spectacular, with some horse GTs in the mix. Coral trout and grass sweet lip have been keeping the bottom fishermen happy.

Rivers & Estuaries

Inshore, the creeks and rivers have continued to produce great mixed-bag fishing. The Cairns Inlet, Russell River, Mourilyan Harbour & Hinchinbrook Channel have fished well for grunter, flathead, trevally and fingermark, especially during the falling tides. Fresh strip baits, live prawns & herring, and soft plastics have all accounted for fish.

A handful of barra and mangrove jacks are still being caught despite the cooler water, with the best results coming during the mid-morning sun-warmed run out tides. As water temps have increased late into the week fish have become more active.

Queenfish were in big numbers in the major river mouths late last week before the recent cold snap, which has diminished these aerobatic sport fish numbers on surface lures. Mud crabs have been worth the effort in the lower reaches, with a few solid bucks being potted along mangrove-fringed drains and creek mouths.

Weekend Outlook

Unfortunately, the forecast is showing winds around the 15–20 knot southeasterlies across much of the weekend, restricting most small boat activity to protected waters. Inshore and estuary fishing will be the safer bet, with early morning southern island raids possible chasing mackerel before the wind picks up.

Larger charter vessels should still manage productive reef trips, and with the fishing hot offshore, it’s well worth a trip targeting coral trout, nannygai and Spanish mackerel. Light tackle billfish anglers will be chasing small black marlin trolling the inshore reef paddock bait schools.

The warmer water this weekend should see hot barra & jack action in the estuaries & rivers casting soft plastic prawns and small diving minnows around the timber structure. The small height low tides should expose structures not normally visible and worth a cast.

Hopefully the queenfish schools & GTs return to the rivers with the early morning making tides the ideal target time to chase a river monster. The big night tides should see the grunter run continue fishing the run-out tides on the estuary flats with the Cairns Inlet, Mourilyan Harbour and Hinchinbrook Channel all worth a fish.

Lennon with a quality largemouth nannygai caught near Batt Reef on Tuesday, the bigger boats will look to put several of these great eating fish on board.

Hopefully the big Queenfish are back in the southern river systems smashing surface lures this weekend as they did in numbers late last week for All Tackle Sport Fishing.

Jai Swan with a winter barra that will be a target species this weekend casting soft plastic prawns.

Tackle Tip

With the hot mackerel bite on at present, it’s the ideal time to give the new Reaper Rigs a run, with models designed to troll garfish and pilchards. Don’t underestimate the fish-catching attraction of trolled pilchards on the small bait model. Come in store and chat to one of our expert staff to get you rigged up with this amazing mackerel and other pelagic-catching new product.

Reaper Rigs are a deadly trolling option for Spanish mackerel using pilchards or garfish.

Nomad Live Ops

With every purchase of 6 or more packets of the exciting new Nomad Live Ops Soft Plastic range customers will receive a free bonus Live Ops Splash Bag to store your plastics. Don’t miss out on your free bag valued at $34.99 before stock runs out.

Get a bonus Nomad Live Ops Splash Bag when you buy 6 or more packs of Live Ops soft plastics.