Despite the continuous cyclones passing us by, the fishing has been good. In fact, I was astounded by the colour of the gulf this week, which is not chocolate-coloured as one would expect. The weather for this weekend was brilliant and many people who could get out and throw a line in certainly took up the opportunity. This included Ray Stevens and his mates from Perth who towed up their 6m boat and launched it off Tantabiddi. Using pushers tolled astern, they hooked into some cobia and tuna, while also getting a swipe or two from some billfish. The boys were stoked with the day and will be enjoying the forecasted weather for the week.

Shore based anglers in the gulf had to hold back after the storms and all the weed that washed up. However, it is clearing up well and the jacks are biting well in the creeks and marina. For those who ventured around to the west side spangled emperor have been abundant, which is expected at this time of year. For locals, it’s a good time to get out for some fresh fish, but one new local advised not to take too much, because if we have power failures, it could be wasted!  We are lucky to live in an area that has fish so readily available and it is always best eaten fresh.

After the rains we had three years ago, Kailis had a thumper season and the fishing was really good, so it’s looking positive for this year. Although, it will be interesting to see how the squid will result, particularly after the weed all ripping off the ocean floor during the last storms.

Striped, mack and yellowfin tuna have been in the waters off Tantabiddi and north lately. The long tails can also be found in the gulf. Pictured this week is a mack tuna caught over summer by Callum Lerch. These fish can be great fun for juniors or adults, as they can pull hard and fast. The yellowfin and longtails are especially good eating, but make sure you have a good ice slurry for them to go in to for optimal quality and bleed them well by slitting a knife in behind the pectoral fin.

Callum Lerch mack tuna