Cairns Fishing Report | September 26th

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

The calm spell last weekend gave anglers multiple opportunities to fish both reef and estuary waters. From Cooktown to Hinchinbrook, boats returned heavy boxes of coral trout, nannygai and Spanish mackerel, while barra and mangrove jacks fired in rivers and harbours. Land-based fishing has been just as productive, with Cooktown Wharf delivering everything from trevally to Spanish mackerel. Sharks continue to plague offshore grounds, but with black marlin now showing up for the heavy tackle game boats and mud crabs running strongly, FNQ is in peak fishing form.

Reef Fishing

Reef fishing came alive over the calm weekend. Coral trout have been the star attraction, feeding aggressively as they move toward spawning season. Shallow and mid-depth bommies produced hot bites, with spangled emperor and reef jacks adding to the action with Sudbury & Michaelmas Reef fishing well. Deeper water was equally rewarding, with large-mouth nannygai in good numbers alongside red emperor, cobia, various trevally species and job fish.

Spanish mackerel have been thick right across the coast, with many boats reporting bag limits in very short sessions. They’ve been active around Dunk and the Family Group Islands, along reef ridges, and anywhere bait schools were pushed into current lines. Floated pilchards, trolled rigged gar and hardbody lures all did the trick.

Giant trevally provided heart-in-mouth surface strikes on the shallow bommies around the local inshore reefs, while anglers fishing the shelf also picked up quality nannygai, emperors and cobia. Unfortunately, sharks remain a huge issue, destroying hooked fish at plague levels in several areas, even constant shifting to new locations hasn’t been enough to escape them.

I fished the shallow/mid depth bommies adjacent to Michaelmas Reef last Saturday and while we landed several conditioned trout it was a continual stream of lost fish and re-rigging causing frustration and many location shifts. Queensland fisheries need to urgently address this issue with sharks out of control not only on the reef grounds but in our estuaries and rivers way up into the freshwater.

Adding to the blue water excitement, heavy tackle game fishing crews out of Cooktown have hooked into early-season black marlin, with fish to 400kg already showing up and setting the stage for a strong marlin season.

Islands & Headlands

The islands were buzzing with action. The Family Group and Dunk produced big numbers of Spanish mackerel, while pressure points and bommies around most inshore reefs turned on giant trevally bust-ups as they herded fusiliers across the shallows.

Cooktown Wharf has once again proven itself one of the best land-based platforms in the north. Anglers fishing both lures and live baits have been rewarded with barramundi, mangrove jacks, trevally, queenfish and even Spanish mackerel. Live pike and herring, which are schooling thickly around the structure, have been irresistible to predatory fish and helped land some standout catches. Multiple areas like the Clump Point Jetty at Mission Beach have seen school mackerel, trevally & queenfish caught as the water cleans.

Spanish mackerel have been thick around Dunk & the Family Group Islands

Rivers & Estuaries

The estuaries are starting to hit their stride as systems settle after recent heavy rains. The Endeavour River fished brilliantly with fingermark and mangrove jacks keeping live-bait anglers entertained. The Daintree is now cleaning up, producing barra and jacks on diving minnows and soft plastic prawns, and as the water clears further, queenfish and trevally surface strikes are expected to ramp up.

Cairns Inlet turned up a trophy mid-week, with an excited young angler boating a 114cm barramundi while live baiting the creek mouths with All Tackle Sport Fishing. Smaller barra, jacks and trevally are also active, while the Barron River has been consistent with barra taking soft prawn imitations.

Further south, Mourilyan Harbour has produced plenty of jacks and a few barra on prawn lures, while Hinchinbrook Channel continues to impress with strong numbers of barra and jacks, including fish pushing over 80cm. Trevally and queenfish are also hanging around the mouths of rivers and creeks where bait schools are pushing through. Cairns Tackle World Staffer Jai Irwin was super surprised to hook & land a monster GT casting for barra in Thomatis Creek this week. Mud crabs have been another estuary highlight, running strongly on the big tides.

This young angler was ecstatic to land this 114cm barramundi live baiting the Cairns Inlet this week with All Tackle Sport Fishing

Cairns Tackle World Staffer Jai Irwin with a monster GT hooked casting for barra in Thomatis Creek

Solid barramundi have been caught in the Hinchinbrook Channel recently casting lures

Weekend Outlook

The calm spell brought sensational fishing, and while the weather may slightly shift to around to 10–15 knots, the bite should continue for anglers hitting the reef. Spanish mackerel are still schooled up and feeding hard on bait-rich reef edges but may prove more elusive on the small neap tides. The deep-water rubble & isolated rocks will fish best chasing nannygai, emperor, cobia & various snapper and job fish.

Inshore, barra fishing will be concentrated casting & trolling the deep timber structure with deep diving lures and imitation prawns bumped over the timber hopefully producing some explosive strikes on bigger fish. Live baiting the estuary holes, holding bait, of the Cairns Inlet, Mourilyan Harbour & Hinchinbrook Channel should turn up a few great eating fingermarks for the bait fishermen.

If the rain holds over the neap tide clean water will push into the major river mouths ideal to target a big queenfish or GT on surface lures. Next week as the tides build from Tuesday mud crabs will be a target again for a great feed.

Nannygai will be prime targets this weekend over the neap tides fishing the deep rubble and rocks

Casting and trolling the deep timber structure should produce some nice barra this weekend

Queenfish should be back in the river mouths during the neap tides and clean conditions for surface lure anglers

Need gear, bait or just a bit of local advice?

Swing by Cairns Tackle World at 172 Aumuller Street, Bungalow to chat with your local independent fishing experts.