Strikezone
07-27-2006, 05:48 AM
Weipa Fishing Report
June 2006.
Barramundi, Mangrove Jacks, King & Blue salmon continued to bite well though out the month of June with the best fishing taken place an hour either side of the low tide.
June blue water fishing is always great but this year it seemed better then ever. On most days Long tails schools would stretched as fair as the eye could see under the Tuna would be Giant Trevally, Queenfish, Cobia, Spanish and Grey Mackerel. Once clients decided they had caught enough Tuna it was a matter of letting their lures and flies sink thought the Tuna and down to the other hungry fish.
Weather:
Well the winter South easterlies are here 15 to 30 knots for most of the month, temperature 18 to 31c. As we are situated on the Western side of Cape York southeasters winds blow off shore so the water is relatively calm.
Fishing:
On the Beach
With the lower tides this time of the year limited the time on the beach the water was good in early May we got out on the beaches to sight cast small clousers to the many schools of small Queenfish most where feeding on the small jelly prawns. We found a few lone Barramundi in the 4 to 6 kg range good size fish but not in the numbers that we would normally see on the beaches. I am sure this had something to do with up & coming bad weather. Barramundi are along the beaches to feed on the huge amount of bait fish unlike the other fish spieces we find on the beaches the Barramundi won’t go out to sea to feed so in extended times of onshore swells these fish would have to make their way back into the rivers to feed. So maybe not many Barra on the beach means the weather going to turn bad? Around some of the rocky headland we would find Blue Salmon & small Giant Herring larger clousers & Deceivers worked well.
Blue Water
Tuna where in good numbers feeding on the vast amount bait schools.
We found that sinking flies & jigs under the feeding Tuna would produce Trevally & Spanish Mackerel. These fish would be driving the bait schools to the surface as well picking up the scraps of half eaten baitfish that drift to the bottom. Out on fairway beacon big Queenfish and GT’s where smashing the surface. Poppers on heavy spin gear covered the water well to get strikes for these huge fish. To catch these fish on fly, I would cast a hookless popper as a teaser to attract fish into casting range. Then fly fishers would cast flashy profiles on shooting heads to the cranky fish.
Rivers
May’s lower tides expose some of best gutter fishing you will see anywhere. Barramundi & King Salmon sitting on the gutter mouths at the end of the run out tide feasting on the prawns & mullet as they are flushed out of the drying creeks. Flies worked better then lures as we could match the small prawn size with white clousers. On the first of the run in tide we would look for mangrove snags in mouths of creeks. For good numbers of barramundi and as the month went on the Mangrove Jacks started to show up in numbers.
Craig Jenkins
Strikezone Fly & Sportsfishing
www.flyfishweipa.com
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0825.jpg
A half a Tuna thanks to a 4 metre Bullshark.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0771.jpg
Henry’s Barra, we enjoyed great Barra fishing in June.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0722.jpg
One of the many Jack’s caught in June.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0698.jpg
Giant Manta’s.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0752.jpg
Blue Salmon.
June 2006.
Barramundi, Mangrove Jacks, King & Blue salmon continued to bite well though out the month of June with the best fishing taken place an hour either side of the low tide.
June blue water fishing is always great but this year it seemed better then ever. On most days Long tails schools would stretched as fair as the eye could see under the Tuna would be Giant Trevally, Queenfish, Cobia, Spanish and Grey Mackerel. Once clients decided they had caught enough Tuna it was a matter of letting their lures and flies sink thought the Tuna and down to the other hungry fish.
Weather:
Well the winter South easterlies are here 15 to 30 knots for most of the month, temperature 18 to 31c. As we are situated on the Western side of Cape York southeasters winds blow off shore so the water is relatively calm.
Fishing:
On the Beach
With the lower tides this time of the year limited the time on the beach the water was good in early May we got out on the beaches to sight cast small clousers to the many schools of small Queenfish most where feeding on the small jelly prawns. We found a few lone Barramundi in the 4 to 6 kg range good size fish but not in the numbers that we would normally see on the beaches. I am sure this had something to do with up & coming bad weather. Barramundi are along the beaches to feed on the huge amount of bait fish unlike the other fish spieces we find on the beaches the Barramundi won’t go out to sea to feed so in extended times of onshore swells these fish would have to make their way back into the rivers to feed. So maybe not many Barra on the beach means the weather going to turn bad? Around some of the rocky headland we would find Blue Salmon & small Giant Herring larger clousers & Deceivers worked well.
Blue Water
Tuna where in good numbers feeding on the vast amount bait schools.
We found that sinking flies & jigs under the feeding Tuna would produce Trevally & Spanish Mackerel. These fish would be driving the bait schools to the surface as well picking up the scraps of half eaten baitfish that drift to the bottom. Out on fairway beacon big Queenfish and GT’s where smashing the surface. Poppers on heavy spin gear covered the water well to get strikes for these huge fish. To catch these fish on fly, I would cast a hookless popper as a teaser to attract fish into casting range. Then fly fishers would cast flashy profiles on shooting heads to the cranky fish.
Rivers
May’s lower tides expose some of best gutter fishing you will see anywhere. Barramundi & King Salmon sitting on the gutter mouths at the end of the run out tide feasting on the prawns & mullet as they are flushed out of the drying creeks. Flies worked better then lures as we could match the small prawn size with white clousers. On the first of the run in tide we would look for mangrove snags in mouths of creeks. For good numbers of barramundi and as the month went on the Mangrove Jacks started to show up in numbers.
Craig Jenkins
Strikezone Fly & Sportsfishing
www.flyfishweipa.com
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0825.jpg
A half a Tuna thanks to a 4 metre Bullshark.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0771.jpg
Henry’s Barra, we enjoyed great Barra fishing in June.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0722.jpg
One of the many Jack’s caught in June.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0698.jpg
Giant Manta’s.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/Strikezone_2006/IMG_0752.jpg
Blue Salmon.