Whitsundays

Pelagics in plague proportions

WHITSUNDAYS Mick Underwood

Winter in the Whitsundays means pelagics, and piles of them at that! The Whitsundays are heaven on earth most of the year round, but through the cooler months when the big shiny speedsters show up there is definitely no other place on this planet that I’d rather be.

Going out on the water each day I get to choose whether I want to tangle with a giant trevally casting poppers, witness the blinding speed of a Spanish mackerel, admire the athletic ability of metreplus queenfish, endure the never ending power of a Queenfish are thick at the moment and clients just can’t catch one under a metre in length. On any stormy days you can still enjoy some good fishing close to home. The GT fishing in particular has been pretty good.

Reef with a nice large mouth nannygai pulled up off a deep rubble patch.

head and shoulder thumping golden trevally or revel at the electric neon colours of a little black marlin dancing that have allowed for some good offshore days targeting a variety of fish.

Out on the deeper rubble

John and had great fun catching this trevally.

next to the boat. Throw in a few humpback whales and manta rays, which are currently enjoying a nice winter holiday in the Whitsundays, and this place really is an oceanic winter wonderland.

As to be expected for this time of the year, the southeast trade breezes have been pumping away but there have been some good spells in between the blows patches it has been red fish that most anglers have been after and there have been some nice red emperor and nannygai getting caught. One fish that I haven’t seen too much out of the deep so far this winter is grunter, and it’s a bit of a mystery to me at the moment as to where they are.

On the days where I have had the chance to get out on my wide grounds I has also started early, and we’ve been lucky enough to encounter a few while targeting mackerel with skip baits. Any heavy weather days haven’t been met with too much doom and gloom as there has been plenty of pelagics to get after on the inshore grounds as well. A nice trout comes aboard Reel Addiction for Jake.

haven’t persisted too much with the reefies, I have put most of my effort into the pelagics as that has been the most consistently vibrant bite on offer. We had a good early start to the Spanish season this year and it is just getting better as time goes on.

Out in the same areas the run of juvenile black marlin coming up the coast Jye with a decent gold spot cod pulled up off a deep patch.

The golden trevally and queenfish have appeared right on cue. It is usual for Hydeaway Bay that each encountered fish has been a monster for their particular species. I’ve been that spoilt recently with the pelagics that I haven’t even had to put the boat on the plane leaving Cape Gloucester Resort to get after a giant trevally. I’ve been able to actively target 20kg+ fish within sight of guests enjoying cocktails and lazing around the resort pool.

Getting into August and I don’t think too much will change for me with regards to target species, it’s going to be pelagics, pelagics and some more pelagics. August is normally where we see

the numbers of Spanish mackerel at their peak and it is also quite often when the biggest fish of the year are caught.

Rattray Island is an age-old favourite hunting ground for big mackerel, but on calm days if you have the ability to get there, why not get out to Holbourne Island and Nares Rock. When the fish are hanging there they are quite often in crazy numbers and bag limits can be met with ease. Another prime location for big mackerel is the coal loading terminal

at Abbott Point. It is just a bit out of my range from here at Hydeaway Bay, but for Bowen anglers it’s just up the road for you guys. When the fish are in this area they are quite often holding together down deep somewhere hard up against the structure of the coal wharf, which opens up doors for jigging enthusiasts. If you intend on making the trip to Abbott Point for a session please remember to take care and stay clear during any shipping movements. It will only take a close call or two before the authorities ban recreational fishing in this area and that would be a real shame for all.

For those after a feed of reef fish during August I suggest you wait for the calmer days and get out wide onto any deeper patches of reef, rock and rubble. Large mouth nannygai will be the most common fish encountered out in these areas but it can be a bit of a lucky dip as there are plenty of other desirable species out in the deep. Golden snapper, grunter and reef jacks to name just a few.

Back inshore around the islands the shallow reef fishing is generally a little quiet in August, there will be the odd nice trout or two caught but they won’t exactly be leaping in the boat. The inshore fishing this month will be mostly about the pelagics.

On any really blustery days when it’s a bit too adventurous to get offshore and you’re busting to wet a line, why not give the beaches a bit of attention?

Not only are our beaches in the Cape Gloucester Region pristine and beautiful they can hold a lot of fish as well, and August is prime time to get after them.

Whiting will be moving around in schools so dense they look like cloud shadows. The shorelines will be home to plenty of chunky sized flathead and sight casting a feed of tiger squid is also a plausible option. Around the top portions of the tide why

not try casting poppers or chrome slugs around any bait activity, you never know what kind of pelagic surprise will show up and crunch your lure.

Good luck to you all this month, I hope you all catch a monster or two and I look forward to reporting Anita is happy with her coral trout.

Jarrod with a big goldy. This is a perfect time of year to catch one.

Big golden trevally are prolific at the moment and this should continue throughout August.

to you again soon. • Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Charters specialises in light tackle fishing for all tropical sportfishing species on fly, lures and bait. Reel Addiction operates from the beautiful Cape Gloucester Beach Resort, 40 minutes’ drive north of Airlie Beach. Combined fishing charter and accommodation packages are available. For more information, contact Mick Underwood on 0413 882 153 or email mick@reeladdiction.com. au. Resort enquiries can be directed to Julie Houston on (07) 4945 7242 or at info@capeg.com.au. To stay in touch with what’s biting, check out the Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays page on Facebook. Dometic Single EPS Ensures reliable command of your vessel and truly raises the bar when it comes to comfort, control and maneuverability. All lock-to-lock turns and wheel effort are programmed to change with engine RPM giving you precise control.

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