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Weipa packed with pelagics
  |  First Published: June 2012



The southerlies are in full swing and the cooler waters have seen all of Weipa’s famous pelagic species absolutely going off.

There are hordes of baitfish everywhere you look offshore and the masses of hungry predators are always lurking close behind. There has been some fantastic cobia being caught and released from under these bait balls and 7” pearl coloured jerk shads have been proving irresistible for these gutsy species.

While most of the Cobia being caught are around 6-7kg, there have been a few better fish amongst them around the 18-20kg mark. These fish pull like freight trains and are a ball to catch on a 15lb spin outfit. But if you are having issues with sharks (which is often the case in Weipa) step the gear up to something heavier as there is no point practicing catch and release if the sharks are going to knock off your fish before you get it in the boat.

The mac tuna, longtail, Spaniards and countless trevally species are also terrorising the bait balls so if spinning for pelagics is your thing, get up to Weipa over winter as the sport fishing is truly world class.

There have been huge schools of blue salmon pretty much everywhere that you cast a lure or live bait in Weipa over the last few months. While these guys are not the same on the palate as their threadfin relatives they sure do go as hard.

We recently had a session in the Hay River where the blues were stacked up like sardines; every cast with a plastic received a hit! Once again the 70mm Squidgy Fish in drop bear and killer tomato colours proved hard to beat. The aerial antics of this species make for a brilliant visual fishing encounter and on light tackle they fight as good as any river species.

When fishing in open water, blue salmon can be targeted on as light as 6lb gear without any dramas. However, 30lb fluorocarbon leader is about as light as I go as they have an uncanny ability of wearing through even the toughest of leaders during their fast running, 4ft airborne fight!

The guides have been flat out and due to the limited accommodation and increased tourist numbers, be sure to pre book a charter if you want to avoid disappointment on your trip to Weipa. There are a few guiding operations available in Weipa and two operations that should be at the top of your list are Fish’s Fly and Sportsfishing and Weipa Sportsfishing. Both of these operations are world class and are specifically targeted at Lure and Fly anglers, however all levels of ability are catered for. Pre booking is essential and you will be sure to have one of the best sport fishing charters of your life.

Weipa really is a fishing mecca and due to the huge amount of water on offer for fishers, if you have not been to Weipa, do yourself a favour and book a day with a guide to get amongst some of the best fishing in Australia.

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