The blue marlin fishing has been consistent and has proved again why I think January is an excellent month for targeting them from Cairns. Fishing between 2 & 7 miles wide of the shelf in 500 to 1000 fathoms, we have been getting 1 to 2 bites a day from blue marlin between 100 & 300lbs. There has been alot of bait, huge schools of flying fish being chased by skip jacks, wahoo, dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna, followed closely by the blue marlin. A week ago we lost a 300lber after a short but entertaining fight and caught a juvenile the trip before estimated 100lbs. I have encountered blues to 700lbs at this time of year in the same areas so am hopeful of making some more trips out and getting a bite out of one of these bigger models.
I fished from Cooktown with some regular Japanese clients that just love popper fishing in the 2nd week of January. The fishing was awesome – lots of GT’s, dogtooth tuna, redbass and coral trout, though the weather cut the trip short with very strong north westers and torrential rain.
February will find us fishing light to medium tackle for Spanish mackerel, dolphin fish, yellowfin tuna and sailfish and I will head to Port Stepehens mid month for a couple of weeks of striped marlin fishing.