March mayhem for local anglers

COOKTOWN Justin Coventry

The wet has continued to bring more rain, and the rivers are flowing with increasing levels of freshwater. The barramundi fishing is improving as well, and many fish have been caught on the bay areas that hold mangroves.

The runout tide is best. As the water recedes it brings the fish out on the edges, and the bait moves out as well. The key is hooks grabbing works the best. There have been some great lures over the years, and one of my favourites was the Richo’s timber lure. It seemed to dance through the mangroves and produced a strike more often than not. Unfortunately, they aren’t made anymore but there are lots of options around, and simple trial and error will get you there. And let’s face it, if you aren’t getting the lure hooked up every now and then, you’re not keep trying. As the waters start to fall, the big fish will start heading out and will be hungry. So, this will be the prime opportunity to try to catch that metre fish. it’s easy to see direction and changes coming through. It’s been such a useful tool over the years and has been accurate. At the very least, it provides an indication the fresh. The crabs have been full, and some nice specimens have been caught. The river mouths have been the areas to hit, and also out in the bay as the crabs look to head to the ocean in search of saltwater. Having lots of reef bait has helped, and it’s easy to go through a lot of it as having fresh bait always works the best. I replace the bait each day. to place your lure as far up into the mangroves as possible and retrieve the lure through them, enticing a bite from the hungry fish waiting for any escaping bait heading out from cover in the mangroves.

For best results, focus your efforts on ambush areas. Using live bait at the right spot can be the key to success as the fish move through and are looking for some easy food. If you find some bait, that’s usually the best spot because if the bait is there, the predators will be there as well. Timing is key – when the bait is forced to move, that’s the opportunity that the predators have been waiting for. Sand banks dropping into deep areas can be productive, and so are creek mouths as the tide drops and the bait runs out. Making the most of opportunities, working the tides and being patient will get results. The big fish should be actively moving around and hungry this month, so get amongst it and hopefully you’ll capture that trophy fish.

The reef fishing is still firing, with lots of nice coral trout and reds around.

Mangrove jack are being caught in numbers at the wharf.

The hardest part is walking your lure out from the mangroves without getting it stuck, and some lures snag up more easily than others. Having a lure with a big bib that hits the roots first without the getting it in far enough.

The rivers are still fully flowing with freshwater, and I have seen some great fish coming downstream in numbers at the upper reach junctions. The fish have been small but lots of fun. The large number of juveniles is a great sign for future stocks, and the large female fish must be getting up high in the reaches to produce such a lot of young. The conditions at the moment will see the migration produce again, and so the cycle continues. It’s so great to see, and shows how healthy our river systems are at the moment. Hopefully it will be easier to find the big fish in the coming weeks, as this month should see things fire up. You just need to

There have been many calm days lately, and hopefully more to come this month. The storms have been fierce in the late afternoons, with lightning and strong wind fronts, so early morning runs and back early is best. If you do stay overnight, make sure there is a good place to shelter. Once the afternoon weather passes, the calm should return, and during the night and next morning the sea has been dead calm. Once May comes around there will be limited calm days for a few months, so make the most of it while it lasts.

Of course, you should regularly check the weather report. I find the BOM marine wind forecast maps great as they show up to 7 days, and with the wind map of how the weather will change through the week.

The mud crabbing has been great as they move around trying to escape

There is always the problem of some small sharks out in the bay that find a fish head an easy meal. Some of the pot strings can be easily cut by these toothy creatures as they poke their head through to get to the bait. I always carry some extra string to do some repairs on the go.

As you can see, there are lots of options this month and plenty of great fishing ahead. Get out there and get amongst them. I’m looking forward to getting my first big barramundi for the year this month, so photos to follow in next issue (hopefully)!

Predators all set for a feast wildrivercompany@gmail.com

At this time of year, everything is on the march. The rivers of Cape York will likely be well above their median flow. All the crustaceans and molluscs are feeding up, rummaging through the undergrowth. Fish eggs spawned near the end of spring and through summer will be hatching in their millions. The shallow bays of Cape York will come alive after a good flush out and regrowth following the wet season.