November started off uncharacteristically breezy much to the disgust of many anglers and operators, myself included.
We also endured the second, and last demersal reef fish closure which prevented us from operating for the year. Then we had the Spanish Mackerel closure in force to December 1st, which has provided a few additional limitations to the month, however the closures are a good thing for sustainability in the bigger picture. So it was somewhat an interrupted month.
Water temperature offshore from Port Douglas is creeping above 28 degrees forcing anglers into deeper water as fish chase cooler waters. However there has still been some outstanding results in water shallower than 30 metres if you are prepared to put in the work and be prepared to chase a lot of ground. Fishing all depths our best catches saw some cracking red emperor, nannygai, coral trout and long nose emperor as well. We haven’t really experienced too many northerly winds as of yet which is great, as they do tend to shut fish down when they blow, but invariably they will become more frequent as summer progresses.
Tip of the month is for the top water enthusiasts with terminal knots to poppers and stick baits. Now this is my opinion only, so don’t get animated if you don’t subscribe to this idea, however I have seen failures of loop knots tied directly to the lure tow point whereby they chafe up especially throwing artificials 150 grams or heavier. A great solution is to add a split ring (I like size #7) to the tow point of the lure and then tie a trusty uni knot to the split ring. This allows full freedom of action from the lure and you have peace of mind you have a secure connection after many, many casts. All the best of luck on the water, and be safe over the upcoming Christmas period. We expect conditions to stay relatively the same contending with a bit more northerly at times.
Bookings are getting heavy for the festive season so please book ahead, even better, give us a call on 0458 527 759.